Grace Lutheran Church of Erhard, Minnesota
Job description: Pastor
Congregational information
Grace Lutheran Church of Erhard is a Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) church since 2006 with about 600 baptized members and average weekly attendance of about 120. Attendance is seasonally balanced by people who spend summers at area lakes and snowbirds who winter in southern climes. Our mission is to be a welcoming church family, committed to the Bible as God’s truth, worshiping together, and reaching out to love, pray for, teach, and serve in Christ’s name. We believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and confess that we are sinners saved by God’s grace.
Our congregation, originally known as Bagstevold Lutheran Church, dates to 1875. Our present handicapped-accessible building was completed in 2005. We are debt-free and are financed via voluntary benevolence. In addition to a pastor, who has served our congregation since 2010, our staff consists of a Minister of Music, Minister of Visitation, Minister of Youth, church secretary, treasurer, audiovisual technicians, custodian, facility support person, and librarian.
Sunday worship, a blend of traditional and contemporary style service, is at 10 A.M. followed by food and friendship in the fellowship hall. Holy Communion is offered the first Sunday of each month and is open to all (grade 5 and up) who confess Jesus Christ as their savior. Our Sunday school, Confirmation and First Communion classes, Vacation Bible School, and youth group (known as The Foundry) include young people from several area schools and communities. Other organizations include Grace Lutheran Women, Grace Quilters, Bible study groups, Prayer Group, Stephen Ministry, choir, nine-member church council, and the Bagstevold Cemetery Association. We support a Mission of the Month and a Thailand mission and host Red Cross blood drives.
Grace members care for each other and the people of the area.We view our church as the place where the community can connect with God and one another. We celebrate that everyone serves according to their unique strengths, skills, and talents. Grace members are active in area events including the Erhard 4thof July celebration, community dinners, and service projects.We work with area law enforcement to provide emergency assistance to families and individuals in need.We support and collaborate with other area churches to build a larger community of faith in action.
Erhard is a community of about 150 residents in Otter Tail County in west central Minnesota, about 35 miles from the North Dakota border. The town and our church are on U.S. Highway 59 between the communities of Pelican Rapids (population about 2,500) and Fergus Falls (population about 13,200), which offer preschool through grade 12 schools, medical services, expanded housing options, shopping, the arts, and other amenities. Fergus Falls also offers religious education and a two-year college and is home to the Lutheran Brethren headquarters and seminary. Otter Tail County has two state parks and more than 1,000 of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes, exceeding any county in the United States. Recreational opportunities, including fishing and other water activities, hunting, camping, hiking, bicycling, pickleball, golf, skiing, and myriad other sports and forms of entertainment, abound in this area.
Core responsibilities (as defined by our Constitution)
Conduct public worship and preach and teach the true Word of God in accordance with the Bible and the Lutheran Confessions.
Administer the sacraments and officiate baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals.
Strive to extend the Kingdom of God and proclaim God’s love for the world to all.
Engage fully in the life and ministry of the congregation.
Provide pastoral care and leadership and oversee all areas of the congregation’s ministry in consultation with the church council and appropriate committees and staff.
Instruct first communion and confirmation students and be involved with and offer guidance and assistance to youth leaders and teachers. Offer adult Bible study.
Oversee visits to our congregation’s sick, distressed, shut-ins, and those residing in care facilities.
Maintain regular office hours and be available to counsel members.
Involve congregational members in the ministry of the church and encourage them to give of their time, talents, and resources.
Administer discipline in conjunction with the church council.
Manage church office staff and assist with weekly bulletins and monthly newsletters.
Attend monthly council meetings and the annual congregational meeting.
Install new members of the congregation, elected members of the church council, and volunteer Sunday school staff.
Seek out and encourage qualified persons to prepare for the ministry of the Gospel.
Cultivate relationships with other local congregations, be visible in the community, and impart knowledge of this church and its wider ministry through a variety of media.
We are seeking a pastor who:
Genuinely loves God and His people.
Possesses the ability to preach the Word of God and teach how it applies to our lives today and into the future.
Enjoys social interaction and takes interest in and prays for our congregation’s members and our communities.
To apply for the position of pastor at Grace Lutheran Church of Erhard, please send your resume to djohnson@callgraceerhard.org. For further information contact call committee chair Jim Klitzke at 218-280-8321.
