Discipleship and Care Pastor

Church; Fort Myers (FL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Fort Myers Community Church is seeking a Discipleship and Care Pastor to help our people grow in Jesus and to care for them when life breaks. This pastor walks with members from their first step into the church to their hardest seasons in it.

The role oversees six areas: membership, spiritual formation, deacons, care ministry, the prayer team, and counseling. Together they serve one aim: every member should be known, discipled, and cared for.

Qualifications

• Meets biblical elder qualifications per 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
• Agree with FMCC Statement of Faith and Reformed convictions.
• 3+ years of pastoral, discipleship, or counseling experience.
• Warm, patient, and trustworthy with confidential matters.
• Organized enough to track people and follow up so no one is forgotten.

Responsibilities

• Oversee membership and spiritual formation pathways.
• Lead Deacons, care ministry, and coordinate practical service to meet needs.
• Build and lead a prayer team praying for members, city, and gospel work.
• Provide gospel-centered biblical counseling and train lay counselors.
• Teach classes and preach as scheduled by the Lead Pastor.
• Share in staff leadership and church shepherding beyond core areas.
• Officiate weddings and funerals and lead premarital counseling.
• Engage guest connections, benevolence coordination, and shepherding of shut-ins and seniors.

Skills

Pastoral leadership

Discipleship

Biblical counseling

Staff leadership

Care ministry

Education

Seminary training or theological education

Job description

The Role

Fort Myers Community Church is looking for a Discipleship and Care Pastor to help our people grow in Jesus and to care for them when life breaks. This pastor walks with members from their first step into the church to their hardest seasons in it.

The role oversees six areas: membership, spiritual formation, deacons, care ministry, the prayer team, and counseling. Together they serve one aim. Every member of FMCC should be known, discipled, and cared for.

Membership and Spiritual Formation

Membership is where belonging begins, and spiritual formation is where it deepens. This pastor builds a clear path from one to the other.

• Membership: Lead the membership class and process, from first interest through elder interviews and welcome. Keep membership records accurate and help each new member find a place to serve.
• Spiritual Formation: Build a discipleship pathway that moves people from belonging to maturity. Oversee classes, discipleship relationships, and resources that root our people in Scripture, prayer, and sound doctrine.

Deacons, Care Ministry, and Prayer Team

No pastor can carry a whole church alone. This pastor equips others to share the work of care, as the apostles did in Acts 6.

• Deacons: Oversee and shepherd the deacons, coordinating their service to meet the practical needs of the church.
• Care Ministry: Lead the church's response to members in crisis, illness, grief, and hardship. Organize hospital visits, meals, and follow-up so no one falls through the cracks.
• Prayer Team: Build and lead a prayer team that prays for our people, our city, and the work of the gospel.

Counseling

We believe God's Word is sufficient to speak to the deepest struggles of the human heart. This pastor brings that conviction into the counseling room with patience and wisdom.

• Biblical Counseling: Provide gospel-centered counseling to members and attenders facing sin, suffering, and broken relationships.
• Building Capacity: Train lay counselors and care leaders so more of our people can bear one another's burdens.
• Referrals: Maintain trusted referral partners for situations that call for medical or specialized care.

Additional Pastoral Responsibilities

Beyond these six areas, this pastor shares in the broader work of shepherding the church.

• Weddings and Funerals: Officiate weddings and funerals and also lead premarital counseling for couples.
• Benevolence: Oversee benevolence requests with the deacons, caring for real needs with wisdom and generosity.
• Church Discipline and Restoration: Walk with the elders through the care, correction, and restoration of members, as taught in Matthew 18 and Galatians 6.
• Guest Connection: Help first-time guests take their next step toward community and membership.
• Shut-Ins and Senior Members: Ensure homebound and older members stay connected and cared for.
• Teaching and Preaching: Teach classes and preach as scheduled by the Lead Pastor.
• Staff Leadership: Participate in staff meetings and serve as part of the pastoral team.

Qualifications

We are looking for a man of godly character first and ministry skill second.

• Meets the biblical qualifications of an elder in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1
• Agrees with the FMCC Statement of Faith and our Reformed convictions
• Three or more years of pastoral, discipleship, or counseling experience
• Seminary training or theological education preferred
• Warm, patient, and trustworthy with confidential matters
• Organized enough to track people and follow up well, so no one is forgotten