Position: Full-Time Pastor

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Hope Lutheran Church

Fosston, Minnesota, United States

Full-Time Pastor
  • Address: 508 N. Foss Avenue, P.O. Box 42, Fosston, Minnesota 56542-1451
  • Affiliation: LCMC
  • Contact: Evan Fonder
  • Phone: 701.388.0927
  • Email: HLCFcallcommittee@gmail.com
  • Website: Click Here
  • Category: Pastoral Ministry
  • Position Title: Full-Time Pastor
  • Position Type: Full Time
  • Description:

    Description:

    Hope Lutheran Church  l  508 Foss Ave N, Fosston, MN 56542  l  218.435.6765

    Mission: Our Purpose is to glorify God by worshiping, witnessing, teaching, loving, and serving our Lord Jesus Christ.

    With the recent retirement of our previous pastor, Hope Lutheran Church is seeking our next pastor who will serve and lead our congregation in order that we might serve God and glorify Him through our mission.

    Our Church:

    Founded in 1914, Hope Lutheran Church has a long and vibrant history in the community of Fosston.  Today we have 502 confirmed members with an average attendance of 70 for our Sunday morning worship service.  Like many churches, we have seen a drop regarding in-person attendance compared to the years prior to the Covid pandemic, especially in regards to our young families and youth. 

    Our church operates with the help of several boards and committees.  Our church offers a number of different education, fellowship, ministry, and service opportunities.

    Our worship style would be considered fairly traditional, though we have had periods where a second service with a more contemporary style has been held.

    We have been blessed with many generous and engaged members, as such we have remained financially sound throughout the past several years and continue to be debt free.

     

     

     

    Our Facility:

    We have a large building with classrooms, meeting rooms, office space, a fellowship hall, along with a beautiful sanctuary featuring recently-restored stained glass windows for our worship services.  We also own a 2,240 sq ft, 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom parsonage & garage with a spacious yard for a pastoral residence that sits next to our church building.  We have recently completed several projects including replacement of church classroom and office windows, kitchen upgrades, A/V upgrades, along with parsonage improvements.  Future project goals include: new exterior retaining wall, exterior water drainage, paved parking lot.

     

    Church Staff:

    In addition to our Pastor, our church has historically been staffed by an Administrative Assistant and a Custodian.  We also have several part-time positions including: A/V Technician, Organist/Pianist, Choir Director, Bookkeeper, and Youth Leader. 

    Our church council is made up of several boards which include: Deacons, Trustees, Family & Youth/Education, Music & Worship.  Our church is also served by several committees including: Women of Hope, Benevolence committee, Call Committee, Grounds as well as other ad-hoc committees as needed.

    Ministries and Education:

    • Services are broadcast live on Facebook, Youtube, local cable, and as well as radio broadcast.
    • Visitation at area nursing homes
    • Sunday School (elementary age, with opportunities for junior high and high school students)
    • Vacation Bible School (average attendance of 40 – 60 elementary age children)
    • School Release Time (Friday morning – elementary and confirmation classes)
    • Adult Bible Studies
    • Special services including: Lenten Soup & Sandwich Services, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Easter Services, Christmas Eve Services, Weddings, Baptisms, Funerals
    • Choir and other special music
    • Community Partnerships Including: ecumenical holiday services in partnership with the area Ministerium*, Food Shelf Support.
    • Benevolence Committee which directs 10% of our church offering to area and world missions
    • FCA Breakfast (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), H.E.L.P. (Health Equipment Lending Program), Operation Christmas Child
    • Monthly Men’s Breakfast
    • Women of Hope: Quilting, fellowship, Bible camp scholarships, community meals

    *The Ministerium is a partnership of 6 area churches that work to support the community through service projects, community worship services, and more.

     

    Our Community: https://www.fosston.com/   School Website: www.fosstongreyhounds.com

    The City of Fosston is a thriving rural community in Northern Minnesota with a population of approximately 1500 people.  We have remained a vibrant community in large part due to our strong school district and local access to quality healthcare.  Our school district consists of a two-campus (PreK- 6 and 7-12) school with each building having approximately 300 students.  Our health care offerings include: 2 eye clinics, 3 dental clinics, 2 pharmacies, 2 chiropractors, nursing home and assisted living communities, along with a full-service clinic and hospital. 

    Other amenities include:  movie theatre, indoor pool with public gymnasium, public golf course along with 2 others within 20 minutes, outdoor skating rink, large grocery store, vibrant industrial & manufacturing park, a vibrant arts community including 2 community theatre productions each year, public library, area folk school.

    Easy access to many outdoor activities: snowmobile trails, paved walking/biking trails, fishing, hunting, 3 state forests within 50 miles including Itasca State Park and Rydell National Wildlife Refuge, as well as 20 lakes within 20 minutes.

    Fosston is also home to 8 churches, many of which have a strong partnership through the Fosston Ministerium.

     

    Strengths of Hope Lutheran Church:

    • Caring congregation that are quick to wrap each other in love and support in times of need
    • “Women of Hope” – womens’ service group that have been a backbone of our church and many of the ministry and fellowship opportunities offered by our church.
    • High-quality digital broadcast with strong engagement and reach
    • Active committee and board involvement
    • Well-attended VBS and school release time programs
    • Network of core volunteers and engaged members
    • Strong community presence and involvement in community ministries

    Areas for Improvement at Hope Lutheran Church:

    • Creating a welcoming environment that reminds people of the fulfillment that comes from worshiping together instead of watching services at home
    • Building back our youth group and youth involvement overall
    • Restoring high school Sunday School opportunities
    • Creating an environment that fosters sustained engagement.  We have many willing volunteers for one-time events but have a harder time securing commitment for longer-term responsibilities like Sunday School and Release Time Classes.
    • Encouraging consistency when Boards and Committees transition to new members

     

    Pastoral Skills that would best serve Hope Lutheran Church

    • Strong Biblical and theological knowledge
    • Living a Christ-centered life with a passion for spreading God’s word
    • Ability to deliver relatable, Biblically-based sermons
    • Desire and ability to engage families & youth
    • Strong leadership skills
    • Strong communication skills
    • Ability to work with and delegate to committees and boards
    • Willingness to serve shut-ins and nursing home residents with at-home ministry
    • Desire to attend community and school events to build community presence

    Minimum Qualifications

    • Master of Divinity degree from an accredited Lutheran Seminary and complete the requirements as outlined in the Hope Lutheran Church constitution and by-laws.
    • Certification with LCMC

    To Apply

    • After prayerful consideration, if you feel called to serve and lead Hope Lutheran Church as our Pastor, please submit your resume or any questions to the call committee at HLCFcallcommittee@gmail.com 
    • Evan Fonder - Hope Call Committee Chairperson 701.388.0927

    or mail to:

     Hope Lutheran Call Committee, PO Box 42, Fosston, MN 56542