Discipleship Architect & Formation Pastor

Slingshot Group; Fort Myers (FL); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

Riverside Church in Fort Myers, FL is seeking a Spiritual Formation Pastor to architect and scale a cohesive pathway from first visit to a thriving disciple. You will lead strategic development, connect cross-functionally with ministry teams, and build a robust discipleship pipeline in a growing suburban church.

You will exercise a high degree of autonomy and work with senior leaders to shape long-term ministry DNA, balancing relational care with strong administrative leadership in a healthy

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the back half of the spiritual journey, guiding first visits through to deeply rooted, multiplying disciples of Jesus.
• Architect, connect, and scale a cohesive, unified connection pathway that prevents anyone from falling through the cracks.

Job description

Riverside Church is a growing, multi-generational congregation of 1,200 to 1,400 weekly attendees experiencing an exciting season of ministry with first-time guests walking through our doors every single week. While our front-door growth is strong, we need a strategic and programmatic builder to take full ownership of the back half of the spiritual journey. As the Spiritual Formation Pastor, you will architect, connect, and scale a cohesive, unified connection pathway that ensures no one falls through the cracks from their very first visit to becoming a deeply rooted, multiplying disciple of Jesus.

This is a rare opportunity to step into a healthy, financially stable, and independent church and build a major ministry framework from the ground up. You won’t just be maintaining legacy programs or doing the administrative shuffle; you will get to work directly with high-capacity ministry leaders, unlock a high degree of strategic autonomy, and shape the long-term discipleship DNA of a thriving suburban community. Plus, you get to execute kingdom ministry in a relationally driven staff culture that balances hard work with healthy accountability, deep personal grace, and genuine fun in beautiful Southwest Florida.

A great match for this position would be:

• You are a deeply secure, self-aware, and relationally smart team player who has the personal humility to laugh at yourself when you fail and doesn’t take yourself too seriously.
• You are a high-capacity self-starter who thrives with a high degree of autonomy and flexibility, possessing the personal discipline to run hard after the mission without needing to be micromanaged.
• You are an architect at heart who can lean directly into strategic ambiguity, diagnose operational gaps across existing programmatic silos, and confidently design clear structural pathways.
• You value deep, table-based relational discipleship over rigid performance metrics or purely academic classes, keeping a firm focus on life-on-life investment.
• You hold a high level of relational intelligence that masterfully balances a warm, shepherding posture with crisp, direct administrative and leadership clarity.
• You are comfortable working in a highly collaborative, direct-feedback culture alongside strong, opinionated leaders who aren’t afraid to challenge your output for the sake of excellence.

Riverside Church is a growing, multi-generational congregation of 1,200 to 1,400 weekly attendees located in a thriving suburban community in Southwest Florida. Planted over 100 years ago in 1916 as a Southern Baptist church, Riverside became an independent church 12 years ago. Today, we operate with a highly collaborative leadership approach. Our Lead Pastor and Executive Pastor share responsibility for leading the church, each bringing complementary strengths to the role. The Lead Pastor focuses on teaching and doctrine, while the Executive Pastor leads vision, strategy, and leadership development.

Currently, Riverside is in a strong season of ministry, with excellent external metrics in finances, attendance, and discipleship. We embrace a relationally driven staff culture that values hard work, proactive communication, risk-taking, and having genuine fun together. As a church, we are deeply committed to a groups-based model of life-on-life discipleship, moving away from academic or pressure-driven programs to foster authentic relationships that help our people genuinely find and follow Jesus.

Location

Fort Myers offers a unique blend of coastal Florida lifestyle, strong family values, and year-round opportunities for recreation and community engagement. Located along Florida’s Gulf Coast, Fort Myers is known for its beautiful beaches, abundant outdoor activities, excellent parks, and access to boating, fishing, and nature preserves. Families enjoy a wide range of public and private school options, youth sports, community events, and a growing economy that continues to attract young professionals and families alike.

One of the greatest strengths of Fort Myers is its balance. Residents can enjoy the amenities of a growing metropolitan area while still experiencing the warmth and connectedness of a community-oriented city. Whether spending a weekend on nearby Sanibel or Captiva Islands, exploring local restaurants and entertainment, or enjoying one of the area’s many parks and waterfront destinations, there is no shortage of opportunities to build a healthy and enjoyable life outside of ministry.

Southwest Florida’s climate allows for year-round outdoor living, making it easy for families to stay active and connected. The region continues to experience thoughtful growth while maintaining a strong sense of community, making Fort Myers an attractive place to plant roots, raise a family, and invest in long-term ministry.

Position Profile

Mission, Vision, and Values

Staff Culture

Key Qualifications

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