Position: Intentional Interim Pastor (Part time/Full time)

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Hope Lutheran Church

Smithfield, Nebraska, United States

Intentional Interim Pastor (Part time/Full time)
  • Address: 74094 Road 436, Smithfield, Nebraska 68976
  • Affiliation: LCMC
  • Contact: Hannah Wendell
  • Phone: 308.991.8204
  • Email: hjwendell05@gmail.com
  • Website: Click Here
  • Category: Pastoral Ministry
  • Position Title: Intentional Interim Pastor (Part time/Full time)
  • Position Type: Part Time
  • Description:

    Greetings to you from Hope Lutheran Church near Smithfield, Nebraska.

    Our congregation is seeking a personable, down-to-earth, full-time or part-time Intentional Interim Lutheran pastor that would be available to work 20-40 hours per week. Requirements would include leading Sunday worship services, visiting the sick and shut-ins, providing counseling, and help to heal relationships within our church.

    Hope Lutheran is a 131-year-old church that is located in a rural location near Smithfield & Bertrand, in south central Nebraska. We are surrounded by crop ground on a quiet, country corner about 5 miles from the closest town. In our community, we have a great K-12 school, a very nice golf course, restaurant, small grocery store, a bank and two cute boutique shops (just to name a few). We are located about 15 miles from Lexington and 17 miles from Holdrege, both towns have wonderful medical facilities, grocery stores (including a Walmart in Lexington) and many other amenities. We are also 20 minutes away from beautiful Johnson Lake where there is great fishing and recreational water activities. Around 50 minutes northeast of Hope, is Kearney, Nebraska. There is a small airport that you could fly into here as well as a very nice regional hospital. Kearney has just about any shopping or activity to enjoy. 

    Our congregation consists of 550 baptized members and our average Sunday morning attendance is about 60 (with hopes that that number will increase). One of the things that Hope is known for and very proud of are our youth programs. We have Sunday School, Wednesday night WINGS (Witnesses in God’s Service), Confirmation classes, Luther League, and Vacation Bible School. This past May, there were over 100 kids (Pre-K through 5th grade) that attended Bible School and around 80 helpers (age 6th grade through ??). It is an awesome week for Hope! We also have an adult Bible study on Sunday mornings that has been increasing in popularity in recent weeks. Our church also has outreach programs for not only our community, but veterans and many other missions. We appreciate congregational fellowship in which we might discuss the weather, crop and cattle prices, the performance of the Husker football team or various other community activities over a full-blown Lutheran potluck dinner or a simple coffee and cookie after church. 

    We disaffiliated from the ELCA in 2010 and joined the LCMC. We have been served by 3 full-time pastors since then. Our last pastor left in February 2022 and we have been served by some very great fill-in speakers since then. In full disclosure, there was quite a divide in our church with the departure of our last pastor. The Church Council has been working diligently to try and bring everyone back together, but we feel like we need someone to continue to help us heal. Our vision for the future includes healthy, biblically-based worship opportunities for people of all ages, a church environment where everyone feels welcomed and being active and visible in the community. 

    If you feel led to pursue this call, please email a cover letter and resume that includes 3 (non-family) references to Hope Lutheran Church Council at hjwendell05@gmail.com. If you know of someone who might be a good fit to serve our congregation, please share our information with them.

    Blessings to you and your ministry, 

     

    Hope Lutheran Church Congregational Council

    74094 Road 436 

    Smithfield, NE  68976

    (308)472-5014 OR (308)991-8204