Job Description

Specific Job Responsibilites:

• Work closely with the Lead Pastor to use worship ministries to support weekly messages; State College Alliance core values; Missions; etc.
• Oversight responsibility for the entire Worship ministry.
• Recruit, train, develop individuals for music ministry; both vocal and instrumental.
• Develop and lead worship teams. This will consist of leading 2 out of three services on each Sunday…which would be rotated between 1st, 2nd, and evening considered the 3rd.)
• Develop “back-up” worship leaders. -Oversee and coordinate the master schedule for worship services and special events.
• Oversee non-operational worship related activities such as special music, choirs, drama, etc.
• Oversee all operations related to worship; i.e. Sound, Lighting and Projection.
• Develop Special Events; i.e. Concerts, Musical Presentations, Dramas, special services around Christmas, Easter, etc.
• Develop and Chair any worship committee created by the Elders.
• Facilitate communication between worship teams, vocalists, instrumentalists, and others involved in the services.

Confidentiality:

The ability to maintain confidentially of information is a must for this position.

Attributes:

• Must have an ever deepening personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and be a worshipper of Him. Must be sensitive to God and His desires.
• Must depend on the Holy Spirit to fulfill God’s desires.
• Must have a strong understanding of Biblical worship and be able to teach and develop others in these principles.
• Must have knowledge of excellence in worship ministries and be dedicated to continuous learning.
• Familiarity with effective worship leading techniques that facilitate the congregation growing as worshippers.
• Ability to work cooperatively with the Lead Pastor and other staff.
• Ability to lead classic (traditional) and contemporary styles of music.
• Familiarity with tools of worship, music sources, worship technologies, etc.
• Leadership ability; able to develop individuals and groups involved with worship ministries.
• Ability to counsel and disciple.

Qualifications:

• As set out in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:6-9
• Seminary degree or exceptional training and/or experience.
• Leadership ability (capacity to develop individuals and groups involved in ministry).
• Ability to counsel and disciple.

Background Required:

• Demonstrated success in leading and developing worship ministries.
• Musical ability; strong vocal background with instrumental experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of technology; sound, lighting, projection, and video.
  

Music Ability:

• Strong vocal skills: must be able to perform melody and harmony parts in-tune to contemporary and traditional songs as needed to lead worship
• Must be able to read standard notation and chord symbols
• Must be able to play melody and accompaniment on the piano/keyboard or the guitar with a high level of competance as needed for leading worship
• Must be able to direct music to music readers and non-music readers
• Must be able to direct congregational singing
  

Our Community

Nestled in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains in central Pennsylvania, State College is called “Happy Valley.” In fact, State College was ranked No. 1 as the lowest stress city in the United States by Psychology Today. In Places Almanac, it was rated as the seventh safest city in the U.S., and Money magazine ranked it the fifth best place to live among northeast small cities. For more demographics about the town and some local history, visit www.statecollege.com.

Located centrally, about 3 hours away from both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Centre County covers about 1,049 square miles and includes a population of about 135,758 residents scattered throughout the State College Borough and the five surrounding townships. While the areas around the town are comprised of beautiful rolling rural farm land and mountains, the vast majority of people work at Penn State University, in state, local, and national government positions, for the State College Area School District, or at the Mount Nittany Medical Center. The average home value is $220,000. Over 36 percent of the population has a BA degree or higher, and education and the arts are given a high priority by families. The State College Area School District serves over 7,000 students coming from a 150 square mile attendance area. There are 10 elementary schools, two middle schools, two high school buildings, and several alternative secondary programs. About 86% of local high school graduates go on to post-graduate education or training. For more on the schools, visit www.scasd.org.

The main attraction to the area is the Pennsylvania State University. University Park, surrounded by the borough of State College, is home to the main campus of Penn State, one of the largest universities in the country and a member of the Big Ten Conference. Founded in 1855 as an agricultural and engineering college, Penn State has grown into a world-class learning and research institution. With a core campus covering 5,448 acres, the University Park campus is the epicenter for about 40,500 students, 3,000 faculty members, and 13,000 other employees. The university offers degrees in about 160 baccalaureate and 150 graduate programs. For more information, visit www.psu.edu.

In addition to cheering at Penn State sporting events and concerts at the Bryce Jordan Center, the area offers an abundance of four season recreation including: skiing, snowboarding, caving and caverns, wildlife parks, rock climbing, ice skating, RV rentals, hiking, mountain biking, motorcycling, fishing, and hunting. Average winter temperatures range from 20 – 35 degrees Fahrenheit, and average summer temperatures are between 60 – 85 degrees Fahrenheit usually. There are also plenty of historical sites in the region, including railroad museums, military museums, and mansions, as well as gallery exhibits of all types.

Our Church Outreaches

The State College Alliance Church mission is to “Call the Centre Region and Beyond to the Family of God.” In order to meet the needs of about 550 diverse worshippers from Centre County and the surrounding areas, we maintain two distinct Sunday morning services. The 9:00 a.m. service has a traditional flavor with a full choir supported by orchestral instruments, organ, and piano. The 11:00 a.m. service is contemporary, with the music being led by a worship team of vocalists supported by keyboard, guitars, bass, and drums. The Sunday School hour, for all ages, is sandwiched between the two services, and the Children’s Church is held in parallel with the second service. Although the attendance patterns for the two services are somewhat consistent, many members alternate services because they are comfortable with either format. At times throughout the year, a combined service is held for the entire congregation.

Recently, under the leadership of the Senior Pastor, the Sunday evening service has become a healing and anointing service, with an emphasis on both inner and physical restoration by the Lord. Three other churches in the community have folded their healing ministries into this one, with their pastors embracing the service and encouraging their members seeking a special healing touch from the Lord to join us. In some instances, believers from other communities have come from miles away to experience a healing touch from God. As we proceed, we continue to learn from the Master, but it is evident that if we go to Jesus in faith, believing, He will heal.

At least ten “community groups” meet weekly to deepen their relationships with God and each other. These are based on the model of the early church described in Acts 2:24, and more small groups are in the making. In addition, other weekly Bible studies are offered through the Men’s and Women’s Ministries, including one for Spanish speakers, as well as periodic marriage enrichment seminars.

The youth (grades 6-12) meet for Sunday night small group girls’ and boys’ Bible studies and discussion groups, in addition to their regular Wednesday night sessions. Once a month, AYF joins the youth groups of several other local churches as part of a “Metro Worship” session. These combined services rotate to various church buildings, encouraging unity in the body of Christ and connecting young believers from around the local area. Recently they have begun an after-school “coffee house” outreach to draw in unsaved friends. Children in kindergarten through sixth grades gather Sunday nights for AWANA to study scripture and to participate in fun activities.

The Nittany Christian School was formed in September 1975 as an outreach of the church to provide children with a nurturing environment in which to receive biblically-based academic instruction of the highest quality. In addition to kindergarten through eighth grade classes, the school provides a pre-school program. The regular academic program is enhanced through formal instruction in art, music, choir, technology, physical education, and health. Team sports offered are soccer, basketball, track, and fencing. In recent years, the enrollment has ranged between 120 and 160, with families from more than 25 area churches being served. For more information, visit their website at www.nittanychristian.com.

Alliance Christian Fellowship (established in 1975) is an outreach to the students of the Pennsylvania State University campus. Over the past 30 years, it has touched the lives of thousands of students who have made commitments to Jesus Christ, followed the Lord in baptism, and many have responded to a call to full-time ministry. In addition to Sunday services at the HUB and Wednesday nights in the Frizzell Room, ACF has had a long history of retreats, banquets, mission trips, service projects, Bible studies, and much more. A full-time campus pastor and supporting staff currently provide leadership for over 400 students who attend the Sunday morning service each week and nearly 150 students who meet for Bible study and small group discussion and prayer on Wednesday nights. For more specific information regarding ACF, see their website at www.acf-psu.org.

The State College Alliance Church has had a heart for Missions since our inception in 1961. At least eight Alliance missionaries have gone out from the church to countries which include: Taiwan, Kosovo, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Peru, Gabon, and Germany. Two of these missionaries now serve as senior pastors at Alliance churches, and dozens of others have built the Kingdom on nearly every continent through ministry organizations such as Campus Crusade for Christ, Athletes in Action, Navigators, the Black Forest Academy, and the Dalat School. An active Missions Committee helps to set up short-term missions trips open to members of the congregation, as well as to set up return visits by missionaries coming in from the field to share what God is doing around the world. The entire congregation receives regular updates via email in order to maintain prayer and financial support for our missionaries.

The church actively trains members for sharing their faith locally and around the world through the thirteen-week “Evangelism Explosion” course created by Dr. D. James Kennedy. Another recently added outreach to the community is the annual “Ride for Christ,” during which over 130 bikers come to the church for the service, followed by a motorcycle ride around central PA and a fellowship meal.

In 2002, the State College Alliance Church planted a “sister church” in the nearby Penns Valley Area, sending over one hundred adherents and members and our then-youth and worship pastor to lead. Today over 200 attend this church, being touched with the love of Christ.

Our Core Values

1. Lost People Everywhere Matter to Jesus, and He Wants Them Found. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost. - Luke 19:10
2. Worship is Our Primary Pursuit. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. - John 4:23
3. Prayer is our Primary Work. …apart from me you can do nothing.” - John 15:5
4. Everything We Have Belongs to the Father, and We Are Only Stewards. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. - I Corinthians. 4:2
5. God’s Family Grows Best in Community. They devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. - Acts 2:42
6. To Achieve God’s Purposes, We Must Take Faith-Filled Risks. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. - Hebrews 11:8
7. Our Primary Ministry Task is to Develop Leaders Who Will Impact the World Around Them. …to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be build up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature… - Ephesians 4:12 – 13
8. Knowing and Obeying God’s Word is Fundamental to All Success in Life. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. - II Timothy 3:16

Our Senior Pastor

Rev. David and Jeannine Janssen moved to State College in 1990 following missionary service in Malaysia. Both attended Penn State University and during their time as students, they sensed God’s call to serve in pastoral ministry. For the couple, God’s call has been an adventure! As Senior Pastor, Dave has a passion for teaching the Word and helping individuals apply its powerful guidance in their lives. He delights in helping people to develop their spiritual gifts and in developing leaders. Jeannine invests in the prayer support of the church and has a passion to encourage believers to walk in a living and growing relationship with God. They have two daughters. Carolyn, married to Chris, is returning to the U. S. after serving as a missionary/teacher in Malaysia. Elizabeth, a recent graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, is a graphic designer in the Philadelphia area.

Contact Information