Dear Prospective Pastoral Candidate

Lifehouse Community Church is a 13 year old, non-denominational, Bible-based church in Oskaloosa, IA, a small town in southeast Iowa, about 60 miles from Des Moines. We are a unique group of around 100-125 Christians who love God, His Word and each other. Our beloved Pastor of nearly 12 years recently informed us that he senses God leading him to pass the baton to a new Lead Pastor whom God will bring to us, believing fresh energy, passion, skills and experience will best help lead our church family to the next level. He is open to communication with any prospective candidate, if desired.

We are looking for a Godly man who is a visionary leader, who loves God and His Word, and is gifted in relevant, expository teaching, discipleship and shepherding. We prefer a candidate with formal Bible training and a proven track record of serving in Pastoral ministry for 5-10 years. We have seen God change lives here in powerful ways, and believe He has much more in store for us.

Strengths of our church include:

· Church family that is loving and caring, and welcoming of all. Our church family includes ethnic diversity and many who are unchurched and disenfranchised. We use the slogan “come As You Are and Experience What Only God Can Do”!

· Strong, relevant expository Bible teaching

· Active women’s and men’s ministries

· Year long intensive men’s leadership training (Shepherds In Training)

· Growing outreach and missions emphasis

· On-going opportunities for connection and discipleship through community groups

· Prayer emphasis (midweek prayer gathering and on Sundays before church)

Growth opportunity areas include:

· Outreach, connection, and discipleship, especially with millennials and young families

· Further development of our children’s and youth ministries

· Potential building expansion (we have land and a building fund started) as growth warrants

Five years ago, God unexpectedly blessed us with a lovely church building of our own, and the ability to remodel it inside and out, largely ourselves. By God’s grace, we are debt free, have nearly $70,00 in the bank and $60,000 in a future building fund. Our 2022 budget totals $212,510, including 16% for local and global missions (increasing 2% of total budget per year since 2020, with a goal of ongoing increases). Most of the global ministries we support are within the 10/40 unreached window.

Oskaloosa is an exceptional Midwestern small town (11,500) with much to offer, very friendly and family oriented, a great place to raise a family.

Please find additional information about our church and town on the attached sheets and visit our website https://www.lifehousecc.org/. If you feel God is tugging at your heart, we would love to hear from you. Please email the following items to lifehousessearchcommitte@gmail.com.

-Cover Letter - Resume -Philosophy of Ministry -Doctrinal Statement -Link to recent message

We are excited about what God has for us in the future!

About Lifehouse Community Church

Lifehouse Community Church was established in 2008 by a small, visionary group of former members of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Oskaloosa, which had been closed unexpectedly by their conference. After temporary leadership for two years, Steve Howe (graduate of Moody, Trinity, and Dallas Theological Seminary) began part-time as the Pastor in December, 2010, commuting from Marshalltown with his wife, until the church grew and was able to offer him a full-time Pastoral position in July, 2013, when they moved to Oskaloosa. Pastor Steve continues to see so much potential for the church to have spiritual and numerical growth and impact, yet after 38 years in ministry, recognizes that he is personally growing tired and possesses less energy, when more is needed to lead the church going forward. He recently informed the church family that He senses God leading him and his wife Debbie to step aside as of September 1, 2022 or sooner, if a new is Pastor found, to allow God to bring the man/family He chooses to take the church to the next level and into the future.

The church is governed by a Board of Elders, currently comprised of 5 men, including the Lead Pastor. Volunteer Ministry Team Leaders and their teams, direct and develop ministries to women, men, children, and youth, and meet quarterly with the Elders and their spouses, to enhance communication, coordination and unity in leading the church. Scoggan Sialuse, with his wife Nadia, temporarily joined the staff in June, 2021, thru March, 2022, to serve as a Co-Pastor and be mentored in a full range of Pastoral duties with an emphasis on teaching, and outreach to millennials and young families. Andy Abrams, with his wife Stephanie and family, is serving as a part-time Outreach and Missions Director since April, 2021, after having served as a missionary in Kenya for several years.

Lifehouse Community Church’s worship is a blend of contemporary and traditional. It is currently lead by a team of volunteers who serve on a rotating basis.

We seek to maintain a balance between local and global outreach in our missions support (Impact Giving). Locally we support Youth For Christ, Love In the Name of Christ, Arrive Ministries (Somali refugees in Minneapolis), Child Evangelism Fellowship, and The Gideons. Global ministries we support include missionaries in Laos, China, India (6 native pastors), and Senegal, as well as a young woman who provides Stateside support to foreign missionaries’ children.

Lifehouse Community Church is able to offer a total Pastoral compensation package of $70,000-$80,000 annually, from which salary, health insurance, taxes, all social security contributions, ministry expenses, retirement, etc. are paid. The Pastor is responsible for arranging the benefits he chooses from the total compensation amount provided. Paid time off begins at 2 weeks annually, and increases to 3 weeks at 5 years, and 4 weeks at 10 years. The Pastor’s cell phone expense is considered a direct ministry expense, and is covered by the church. Annual continuing education or conference participation is encouraged and reimbursed, subject to elder approval.

What Lifehouse Community Church family members have recently said:

“I grew up in a church and had a Bible for over 60 years, but it wasn’t until 4 years ago when I began attending Lifehouse that I personally began studying Scripture and experienced Christ in a personal way.”

“Lifehouse Community Church is the best kept secret in Oskaloosa!”

“The expository teaching of God’s Word has changed me.”

“At Lifehouse we know we will get verse by verse expository teaching, and that difficult passages and books will not be left out.”

“My whole life I’ve searched for truth and meaning in all the wrong places. Since attending Lifehouse for the last 6 months, I’ve accepted Christ into my life and He has already profoundly changed me. I have been dry for 6 months!”

“I’ve attended several churches off and on over the years. But since attending Lifehouse for the last year and a half, I have woke up every single Sunday with an excitement to come to church.”

“I’ve never felt such a sense of family and home as I have at Lifehouse, where people truly do love, accept, and care for me.”

“Lifehouse is a welcoming and unpretentious church family.”

“We are excited about the church-wide emphasis this past year on greater impact in our community and world.”

About Oskaloosa, Iowa

Oskaloosa is a lovely historic town of 11,500 in southeastern Iowa, the County seat of Mahaska County. It is nestled in a beautiful rural setting and has a warm and friendly, family-oriented atmosphere. Some major employers include Musco Lighting (stadium lighting), Mahaska Communication Group (fiberoptic cable/internet), Clow (fire hydrants), Mahaska Health (local hospital), William Penn University, and Oskaloosa Community Schools. It has a picturesque downtown park and square that includes a great coffee shop, Christian book store, book store, shoe store, several boutiques and restaurants. There are also several fast food restaurants, and 3 grocery stores, including a super Walmart, and a small mall in the area.

Oskaloosa offers many attractive features for a small town, including:

· A beautiful, 14 mile recreational trail around the city, outstanding athletic sports park, including a community stadium, and a skate park

· A beautiful city park and “The Alley, developed outdoor venue in downtown

· A Christian school (K-8) and Oskaloosa Public Schools (with a newer elementary school complex)

· William Penn University, which attracts international students from all over the world for sports opportunities

· YMCA, with a new, state-of-the-art YMCA under construction, located with a new Early Childhood Development Center

· George Daily Auditorium, a great performing arts venue

· Many annual community festivals (e.g. Art on the Square, Sweet Corn Serenade, Fridays after 5, weekly outdoor Summer community band concerts, annual Christian artist concert in the Park, “Painted with Lights” for the holidays, lighted annual Christmas Parade, etc.)

· Is located about 60 miles from the State capital, Des Moines; Is 20 miles from Pella (home of Pella Corp /windows and doors, Vermeer Corp/industrial and agricultural equipment and an annual Tulip Festival); Is 15 miles from Eddyville (home to a large Cargill plant/food ingredients &sweeteners and a Speedway).