Spiritual Formation Pastor

College Ave; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Life insurance

Retirement savings (403(b))

Paid holidays

Unlimited PTO for eligible employees

Job summary

College Ave Church in San Diego, CA is seeking a Spiritual Formation Pastor to lead the discipleship ministry and equip Life Groups for spiritual growth. The role includes pastoral care, teaching, and collaboration across ministry teams to foster a culture of biblically grounded discipleship.

The position offers full-time, exempt status with a compensation range of $75,000 to $100,000 depending on experience.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in pastoral ministry, discipleship, adult ministry, Life Groups, or related church ministry.
• Demonstrated experience discipling and developing leaders.
• Experience training and coaching small-group or Life Group leaders.
• Strong pastoral care and relational skills.
• The ability to provide biblically grounded counsel while recognizing when professional care is needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead Discipleship Strategy: develop and implement a church-wide strategy aligned with College Ave's mission and vision.
• Develop and strengthen Life Groups by coaching leaders and ensuring healthy group dynamics.
• Provide pastoral care and biblical counsel to church members.
• Teach and communicate biblical content in classes, trainings, and groups.
• Lead and collaborate with pastors and ministry staff to build a healthy, unified team.

Job description

Description

Spiritual Formation Pastor

College Ave Church | San Diego, California

Full-Time | Exempt

Salary: $75,000 - $100,000 depending on experience

About College Ave

College Ave Church is a growing, multi-generational church in the heart of San Diego, just blocks from San Diego State University. We are a diverse church family with a simple mission: to know, love, and follow the real Jesus.

We believe discipleship happens in the context of the whole church—not just from a stage on Sunday. We want people to know Jesus, grow together in Christ, live in authentic community, and become people who help others follow Him.

We're looking for a Spiritual Formation Pastor who can help us develop a strong culture of biblical discipleship across College Ave.

Purpose of the Role

The Spiritual Formation Pastor will provide pastoral leadership for the discipleship ministry of College Ave, helping people take meaningful steps toward spiritual maturity and helping the church develop environments where discipleship can happen naturally and intentionally.

A significant part of this role will be working alongside our Life Group Ministry to strengthen, develop, train, and disciple the leaders and people involved in Life Groups.

This position will also provide pastoral care and biblical counsel to members of the church, helping people navigate seasons of life, spiritual growth, relationships, and difficult circumstances while appropriately connecting them with additional pastoral or professional care when needed.

This role also has the opportunity for a significant teaching capacity on Sunday mornings and other teaching opportunities at College Ave.

What You'll Do

Lead Discipleship Strategy

• Develop and implement a church-wide discipleship strategy aligned with the mission and vision of College Ave.
• Identify opportunities and pathways for people to take meaningful next steps in spiritual maturity.
• Work across ministries to create greater alignment and consistency in how we disciple people.

Develop and Strengthen Life Groups

• Coach leaders through challenges and opportunities within their groups.
• Help Life Group leaders become better shepherds, disciplers, and spiritual leaders.
• Regularly connect with Life Group leaders to understand needs, celebrate wins, and identify areas for growth.

Provide Pastoral Care and Biblical Counsel

• Offer biblical counsel and pastoral care to church members navigating personal, relational, spiritual, and life circumstances.
• Meet with individuals and couples as appropriate for pastoral guidance, prayer, encouragement, and spiritual direction.
• Help members identify appropriate next steps and connect them with additional resources or professional care when necessary.
• Work alongside other pastors and ministry leaders to provide coordinated care for the church family.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality, boundaries, and pastoral care practices.

Teach and Communicate

• Teach biblical content in classes, trainings, groups, and other ministry environments.
• Communicate God's Word clearly and faithfully.
• Contribute to the broader teaching ministry of College Ave as opportunities arise.
• Help develop a consistent theological and discipleship framework across the church.

Lead and Collaborate

• Serve as a member of the pastoral/ministry leadership team.
• Work collaboratively with pastors, directors, and ministry staff across College Ave.
• Participate in staff meetings, retreats, conferences, and church-wide events.
• Build healthy relationships across the church and contribute to a positive and unified staff culture.
• Help identify and develop future leaders within the church.

Character & Spiritual Qualifications

The Spiritual Formation Pastor should demonstrate the biblical qualifications and character expected of a pastor, including spiritual maturity, humility, integrity, teachability, accountability, sound judgment, and a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

We're looking for someone who genuinely enjoys people and sees discipleship as more than a program. The right person will be comfortable sitting across the table from someone who is struggling, standing in front of a room teaching Scripture, coaching a Life Group leader, and helping a ministry team think strategically about how people grow.

The successful candidate will be expected to embrace College Ave Church's Statement of Faith, Vision, Values, Employee Handbook, and standards for staff conduct.

What College Ave Offers

For eligible full-time staff, College Ave provides a comprehensive benefits package that may include:

• Competitive salary: $75,000-$100,000 depending on experience
• Medical, dental, vision, and orthodontic insurance options
• Life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• 403(b) retirement savings program with church contributions that increase with tenure
• Flexible Spending Account options
• Paid holidays
• Unlimited PTO for eligible exempt employees after the introductory period
• Pastoral benefits, where applicable, including study leave, conference/training leave, books/materials reimbursement, housing allowance eligibility, and other benefits according to church policy and position classification
• Potential relocation assistance, subject to church approval

Benefits are subject to eligibility, church policy, and the terms of employment.

Why San Diego? Why College Ave?

College Ave is located in a unique ministry environment in the heart of San Diego, adjacent to San Diego State University and surrounded by a diverse community. Our church family includes people from many backgrounds and neighborhoods throughout the region.

If you're a Discipleship Pastor, Associate Pastor, Adult Ministries Pastor, Small Groups Pastor, Life Groups Pastor, or experienced ministry leader who wants to help a growing church build a deeper culture of discipleship, we'd love to hear from you.

Requirements

Who We're Looking For

The ideal candidate is a teaching pastor, disciple-maker, and people developer who can move comfortably between one-on-one pastoral care, leadership development, ministry strategy, and teaching.

You should have:

• Significant experience in pastoral ministry, discipleship, adult ministry, Life Groups, small groups, or a related church ministry.
• Demonstrated experience discipling and developing leaders.
• Experience training and coaching small-group or Life Group leaders.
• Strong pastoral care and relational skills.
• The ability to provide wise, biblically grounded counsel while recognizing when situations require additional professional or specialized care.
• Strong biblical knowledge and the ability to communicate Scripture clearly.
• Experience teaching adults in a church setting.
• Strong organizational and leadership skills.
• The ability to develop systems and structures without losing the relational nature of ministry.
• A collaborative, team-first approach to ministry.
• A genuine love for the local church and a desire to help people become mature followers of Jesus.