Groups and Care Associate Pastor (FRS)

Gateway Church; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Gateway Church in San Francisco area seeks an Groups and Care Associate Pastor to lead the campus' Groups and Care ministries. This role recruits and develops group leaders, builds community, and carries crisis, visitations, and benevolence efforts with a focus on belonging.

It also oversees Serve Team and pastoral care under the Groups Pastor. Responsibilities include leadership development, budget stewardship, reporting, and weekend/service coverage.

Qualifications

• Two or more years of ministry experience, including pastoral care.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
• Licensed as a minister, or eligible for licensing upon employment.
• Formal training in biblical counseling or crisis response preferred.
• Experience in a multisite church environment preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support Groups Pastor and manage Groups and Care at the campus.
• Lead Serve Team and oversee volunteers, training and retention.
• Conduct weekly one-on-one oversight for development of staff and leaders.
• Manage budgeting and ensure reporting for attendance and initiatives.
• Recruit, train, and equip group leaders; oversee group launches.
• Provide pastoral care, crisis response, and confidential record-keeping.
• Coordinate hospital visitation, crisis response, and benevolence intake.
• Officiate weddings, funerals, and other ministry services.
• Present at weekend services and church events; nurture belonging.

Skills

Clear communicator

Biblical foundation

Team building

Pastoral care instincts

Crisis & grief discernment

Confidentiality

Accountability & courageous dialogue

Emotional intelligence

Time management

MS Office

Education

Ministry experience (2+ yrs)

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Minister license or eligibility

Biblical counseling or crisis response training

Multisite church experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Summary

Job Summary: The Groups and Care Associate Pastor carries both Groups and Care at the campus. On the Groups side, this role recruits and develops group leaders and helps people find meaningful community. On the Care side, it carries what runs past what a healthy groups team can hold — visitation, crisis, grief, and benevolence. The two belong together because care happens in groups first: success looks like finding places for people to belong and serve, then discipling and caring for them well.

Principal Job Responsibilities

Principal Job Responsibilities: Supports the Groups Pastor and manages the delivery of Groups and Care at the campus Leads, manages, and pastors the Serve Team and congregants they serve, and builds and stewards that Serve Team: recruiting, training, retention, and appreciation Conducts weekly one-on-one oversights with direct reports for spiritual, relational, and professional development, and builds a pipeline of leaders so that every position has a back-up Carries budget responsibility for their areas of ministry where assigned, and spends within the approved threshold Ensures completion of all reporting for their areas, including attendance, salvations, prayer requests, incidents, and budget Recruits, develops, and equips healthy group leaders, oversees group launches across the year, and develops a culture of belonging where people find meaningful community Cultivates and trains new group leaders and leads leadership orientation meetings Supports the campus in casting vision and providing direction for Groups, coordinates Groups-focused gatherings at campus events, and represents Groups in Starting Point Partners with the Campus Pastor and Groups Pastor on local outreach opportunities which will be expressed through groups Ensures ordinary care happens inside groups, and personally carries what runs past what a healthy groups team can hold Performs one-on-one pastoral care and counseling, refers to licensed professionals when a need falls outside the scope of pastoral care, and maintains confidential care records per Gateway's confidentiality and reporting policies Coordinates hospital visitation, crisis response, and grief support at the campus, and assists in the benevolence process through intake, assessment, referral, and follow-up Builds and leads care Serve Teams, including prayer and visitation teams, and supports the campus's support group and recovery offerings Holds a ministerial license to minister, preach the gospel, and fulfill the work of serving God's kingdom, valid for the duration of pastoral ministry at Gateway Church, and carries spiritual authority within the church Serves the congregation by officiating weddings, funerals, baby dedications, communion, and other ministry services Is present and serving at weekend services and churchwide events as the ministry calendar requires, and is available to the congregation for pastoral care as needs arise Teaches through precept and by lifestyle example Performs other duties as assigned. As a member of the Gateway Church team, this position supports, recruits, and develops Serve Team members, and serves alongside the broader team as ministry and organizational needs arise.

General Skills & Qualifications

General Skills & Qualifications: A clear passion for Jesus and a strong biblical foundation Clear and effective communicator with both large and small groups Demonstrated ability to gather, develop, and deploy Team Members and Serve Team, and to drive their engagement Able to recruit and develop volunteer leaders at volume, not just one at a time Strong pastoral care instincts, with sound judgment about when to refer to a licensed professional Able to hold confidentiality and to follow reporting obligations without exception Steady and non-anxious in crisis, grief, and high-emotion situations Strong conflict management skills Comfortable holding others accountable with clarity and care, and willing to engage in courageous conversations Demonstrated emotional and relational intelligence Strong time-management skills and the ability to hold several priorities at once Proficient in Microsoft Office and able to learn and function within new software and systems

Education/Certification(s)

Education/Certification(s): Two or more years of ministry experience, including pastoral care experience — required Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience — required Licensed as a minister, or eligible to be licensed upon employment — required Formal training in biblical counseling or crisis response — preferred Prior experience in a multisite church environment — preferred

General Physical Requirements

General Physical Requirements: The physical demands described here represent those that an employee must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to: Sit or stand for extended periods of time Occasionally kneel or crouch Frequently lift and/or move up to 10 lbs. Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 lbs. *This description is not all inclusive, and other duties may be assigned as necessary.

Discrimination Statement

Gateway Church does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law as it applies to churches. However, Gateway Church does discriminate on the basis of religion.

Employment Requirement

Employment Requirement: Must be a member or become a member of Gateway Church upon employment. At Gateway, we’re all about people. We’re all about people because God is all about people. One of the ways we express our love for Him is through our love for people, and we do that by helping each person who comes to Gateway grow in their relationship with the Lord. It begins with our vision to see people saved, healed, set free, discipled, equipped, empowered, and serving. Everything we do revolves around those seven things. And it all starts with our weekend services. We meet in many locations in the United States, and you can always join us online. Gateway Church does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law as it applies to churches. However, Gateway Church does discriminate on the basis of religion. Employment Requirement: All Staff must be a member or become a member of Gateway Church upon employment.