Mission Director in Ankeny, IA - Iowa

Discipleship Church is an outreach initiative of Ankeny First United Methodist Church (AFUMC), a large suburban church located near Des Moines, Iowa. This outreach congregation is designed to involve new people from the rapidly-growing West Des Moines metropolitan area in a transformational relationship with Jesus Christ.

PRIMARY MISSION DIRECTOR FUNCTION
This full-time position is responsible for the initiation, development, and on-going ministry operation of Discipleship Church as a new United Methodist congregation.
Discipleship Church is theologically grounded in the mainstream Wesleyan approach to the faith as expressed by those authors most commonly published by the United Methodist Publishing House. Primary among those would be works by Rev. Adam Hamilton, Senior Pastor at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.

SPECIFIC DUTIES
-Contact the existing United Methodist churches in the target area to explain this ministry initiative and solicit support.
-Devise a marketing plan to create general community awareness of Discipleship Church.
-Develop a prospect list of potential participants and personally inform them of this new church opportunity.
-Arrange for mission projects and community events which will create interest in Discipleship Church.
-Form small groups to nurture interested parties in their commitment to Christ and Discipleship Church as a creative aspect of Christ's Body.
-Work toward the initiation of a worship service which will serve the evangelistic purpose of strengthening and increasing involvement in Discipleship Church.
-Create a network of interested parties to assist in carrying out the above functions.
-Be in close consultation with the leadership at AFUMC regarding ministry strategy and execution.
-Perform such other functions as are appropriate and necessary for a new church start.

LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES
-Enthusiasm for the Christian faith which expresses itself in a strong desire to invite others to know Christ through the ministries of the Church.
-Informed theological grounding compatible with mainstream United Methodism (i.e. a Wesleyan generous orthodoxy)
-Gregarious and engaging interpersonal skills appropriate for a church focused on evangelism ministry.
-Ability to helpfully relate to the spiritual struggles and life stages of the target population.
-Strong organizational and administrative abilities sufficient to develop and oversee full-spectrum ministry offerings.
-Exceptional gifts in the design and leading of corporate worship.

YEARLY COMPENSATION
The Mission Director is a hired employee of AFUMC. Compensation includes a cash salary appropriate to the ministry expectations, a benefit package for pension and health insurance, allocations for travel, continuing education, and professional expenses.