THE UNION CHURCH STORY
Pastor Stephen Chandler dreamed of planting a church with
a simple goal – helping people connect with God so that they
might fulfill their destiny; Jeremiah 29:11 being the foundational
source of that mission. This dream was birthed out of New Life
International Fellowship Church, a church founded by Pastor
Stephen’s father, Pastor Ron Chandler. With the help of the
Dream Team, servant leaders committed to seeing this
dream become a reality, Union Church (formerly Destiny
Harvest Church) launched on September 11, 2011.
From 2011 to 2014, thousands encountered Christ like never
before, and the church grew from one location in Woodlawn, MD
to two locations, by adding the Laurel, Maryland location. Through
prayer, in September 2015, Union Church moved to Columbia,
Maryland, merging both campuses back together and was portable
for 3 years. In February 2018, Union moved into its permanent location
in Columbia, Maryland, and went under a brand refresh, changing the
name to Destiny Church. Over the next year, attendance increased from
around 700 people in attendance on a Sunday with about 300 people
participating in 55 Connect Groups and 300 people serving on the Dream
Team, to over 3,000 people in attendance on a Sunday. Connect Groups
grew to over 1700 people participating in them, and over 800 people serving
on the Dream Team. This all happened within 3 years, making it one of the
fastest-growing churches in America according to Outreach magazine.
In February 2020, with much prayer and guidance the Baltimore
County, Maryland location was launched with nearly a thousand people
attending the first weekend. In April 2021, i5 Church and Destiny Church
merged to become what is now Union Church. We are one church in
three locations, with plans for future campuses being discussed and
prayed through.
At Union Church, we believe that church should be a place where
everyone is able to Know God, Find Freedom, Discover Purpose, and Make a
Difference. Through most of the last decade, Union Church has been
fulfilling its mission through Weekend Experiences, Growth Track,
Dream Team, and Connect Groups.
UNION CHURCH MISSION
& VALUES
Union Church exists to unite PEOPLE to PURPOSE.
We are Spirit-led, enjoyable, generous, destiny driven, and excellent.
JOB SUMMARY
The Union Students Associate Pastor serves Union Church in a central
role by recruiting, equipping, and pastoring volunteer Student Directors
in reaching their full potential. They create campus-specific and global
strategies as the student team grows to ensure the next generation is
united with purpose.
PERSONAL PROFILE
- Spiritually passionate
- Servant attitude
- Operates with a spirit of excellence
- Consistent involvement with the pastoral needs of students
- Driven
- Humble and Joyful
- Systematic team building and leadership development
- People-oriented
- Ability to communicate vision
- Administrative skills
ESSENTIAL DUTIES &
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Develop message content based off of the topic of choice to
share at Student Night. - Create a service environment within Student Night that
connects students to the growth track, dream team, worship,
prayer, build healthy community and challenges them to grow
as leaders within the church. - Build teams that involve students and empower them as leaders.
- Enforce the implementation of Leadership Pipeline within teams.
- Hold regular training, development, and team building
meetings/events focused on the goals of each demography. - Strategically promote Students within the campus using
mediums such as Sunday mornings, Student Night, and Team meetings. - Actively participate in social media on a regular basis for
students and parents to stay connected to student services. - Intentionally build relationships with affiliated churches through the
Union Network. - Connect with schools within the community in order to enable
students to participate in student services. - Actively follow up with every student that fills out a connection card
from a student service. - Relationally serve students pastoral care needs and create personal
growth plans for students to receive and or experience healing,
restoration, deliverance, freedom, and the process of redemption. - Be the liaison for all Groups systems and structure implemented by
volunteers. - Be the liaison for all Growth Track systems and structure implemented
by volunteers. - Manage expenses and income from department in accordance with
Union Church financial systems. - Availability for hosting services, hosting guest pastors, and leading
Union network operations.
KEY SKILLS
- Management experience
- Events coordination experience
- Team-Building
- Coaching and recruiting skills
- Positive approach to problem-solving
- Highly motivated
- Initiator and Self-Starter
- Quick thinker and reactor
- Detail-focused
- Passion for the Lord and the next generaltion
CANDIDATE PROFILE
- 3 H’s are a MUST…hungry, humble, & hustle
- Highly motivated initiator & self-starter
- Think fast & act quick
- If you have to ask what emotional
intelligence is, NEXT! - Drama free, please!
- If you’re going to fit with Pastor Stephen
and Zai…better know how to have fun,
laugh, and walk in joy - Flexible, driven, goal-oriented and gets it
done early - Must think systems and scale
- Gatherer of people
COLUMBIA, MARYLAND
Columbia, Maryland is a part of the DMV, The Washington Metropolitan
Area includes the whole District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. 30
minutes from DC and Baltimore, Columbia is uniquely positioned with
rolling hills of farms in one direction, waterfront restaurant on the
Chesapeake Bay in another direction, and bustling city streets with major
sporting events still in another direction. Within the area and its
surrounding cities, there are many exciting and interesting attractions to
keep you engaged. It’s a family-centered community amid the fastness of
the East Coast life. Known for its attractions such as several Historic
Landmarks and National museums, as well as amazing food, specifically
seafood. Homes range from high rise living to townhomes and singlefamily dwelling. It’s the perfect place to get a taste of city excitement.