THE CITY HOPE CHURCH STORY

In August 2018, a group of like-minded individuals started Real Church with Lead Pastor Noah Fritsche. They had their first service in the Liberty Theater in
Downtown Murphysboro. The first service was October 10th, 2018. By February 2019, Real Church purchased the Murphysboro American to restore and become
their permanent home. Real Church had doubled in size by July and outgrew that space, so they had to sell the building to purchase a new home on South 13th Street.
They had their first service in their new home in December of 2019. In March 2020, Covid-19 hit and all in-person gatherings were canceled. They
launched church online to reach people and saw significant growth through that! By the summer of 2020, services were finally in-person again and they launched a
youth group that hosts students every Wednesday night. Serving the community is important to City Hope Church. They held their first
annual Marriage Conference in February 2021 to reach out to married couples. They saw amazing growth at their Easter 2021 service held at Riverside Park where 300
people attended! They served 20 local organizations during Serve Day 2021 and added a new mural to their building. For kids activities, they hosted their first Summer Blast with over 75 children in attendance.

October 10th, 2021 was their third year celebration as a church. It was then that they changed their name to City Hope Church. They now had a mission statement: save
the lost, bring them hope, and change the city. They implemented an annual Vision Offering which raised $34,000 in the first year and $60,000 in 2022. In November of 2023, their lead pastor resigned from Hope City Church, but they are hopeful moving forward to find the right person to lead their church and help fulfill their mission and vision!

CITY HOPE CHURCH VISION & MISSION

Save the lost, bring them hope, and change the city.

CORE VALUES

• We love God: We put God first in everything we do. If God’s not first in it, He’s not in it at all.
• We love people: We will do anything short of sin to reach people who don’t know Christ. We are called to serve them in every way we can.
• We pursue excellence: We always bring our best. Excellence honors God and inspires people.
• We choose joy: We take fun seriously. If we’re not having fun, we’re doing it wrong!

JOB SUMMARY

The Lead Pastor will lead the church pastoral team, staff, and church body. The pastor will oversee and steward the spiritual growth, discipleship of members, and community involvement through weekly sermons, daily interactions with staff, and other services or church gatherings.

PERSONAL PROFILE

• Compassion
• Integrity
• Empathy
• Sense of humor
• Leadership
• Faithfulness
• Resilience
• Servant-heart
• Adaptability
• Love
• Prayerfulness
• Vision-driven
• Energetic

CANDIDATE COMPETENCIES

• Leads well
• Delegates tasks
• Excels in communication
• Walks humbly

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Teach and disciple the congregation
• Prepare and deliver applicable messages
• Create disciples
• Oversee daily operations of the church (community outreach, the leadership of small groups, etc)
• Oversee the congregation
• Oversee personal growth

MURPHYSBORO, ILLINOIS

Murphysboro is a town of approximately 7,970 people situated less than two hours southeast of St. Louis, MO, and less than four hours northwest of Nashville, TN. It is a little
town with a lot of heart and the people within the community strive to keep the town alive. There are little shops popping up all over: in recent years Murphysboro has added an ice cream shop, baristas, a floral shop, a plant shop, and many other family-owned businesses. Murphysboro is also known for its fall Apple Festival. The annual parade features
approximately 100 entries and as many as 25 school bands. The week-long event kicks off with the festival’s prayer breakfast. This is followed by Gospel Night which includes choirs, praise teams, quartets, and local talents. The evening is filled with musical praise and worship. Murphysboro has great schools and dedicated teachers. There are two public elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. There are also two parochial schools: St. Andrews Catholic School and Immanuel Lutheran School. Southern Illinois offers beautiful scenery with its rolling hills, apple and peach orchards, vineyards, national forests, and state parks and lakes. Giant City State Park, Little Grand Canyon, Tower Rock, Natural Bridge, and Devil’s Backbone Park are great for hiking, climbing, and sightseeing. Murphysboro Lake State Park and Kinkaid Lake, just minutes from town, are great for fishing, hiking, camping, boating, or just relaxing. Crab Orchard Lake, Devils Kitchen Lake, Cedar Lake, and Little Grassy Lake are located south of Carbondale, and they offer boat rentals as well as kayaks and canoes. The climate is mild with four distinct seasons, each of which has its beauty. This, coupled with the fact that housing is very affordable, makes Murphysboro a great place to live, raise a family, or retire.