The Kingdom Opportunity
Some churches ask a new pastor to build a foundation. Hope Church is asking for something different. The foundation is already there.
In eleven years, this congregation has gone from 44 people meeting in a rented theater to a debt-free, three-level facility in the heart of downtown Albert Lea. What Hope needs now is a leader who can take a healthy, generous, mission-minded church and help it grow again, not only in number but in depth.
The elders are honest about where they stand. Attendance has plateaued around 170. Their stated opportunity is to restore unity and focus on the mission. Their stated challenge is making disciples who make disciples. Those are not problems to inherit. They are the exact assignment God gives a shepherd equipper. The space could hold 400 across two services. The question is who will lead them there.
The Community
Albert Lea sits at the crossroads of two interstates, 75 minutes south of Minneapolis and its international airport. It is a lakeside city of 18,100 in a county of 30,440, with a thriving historic downtown, year-round activity around the water, and strong public, private, and homeschool options for families. Farming families, retirees, and a growing diversity share a town built on deep Lutheran roots that still values faith and connection.
The Church
Hope Church launched on September 14, 2014, when Crossroads Church sent a core team of 44 people with a "one more" vision: one more heart changed, one more life redeemed. For eight years they set up and tore down church every week. Then, on Easter Sunday 2023, they opened the doors to two historic downtown buildings transformed into one 15,000 square foot facility, made possible by donors who believed in Hope’s vision. It is entirely debt-free. This church has already proven it will sacrifice for the mission.
Today 170 people gather each Sunday. Last year, the church celebrated 29 baptisms, graduated 21 from its discipleship school, mobilized 112 serve team members, and cared for an average of 15 families a month through benevolence. Party in the Park, GoChurch outdoor services, and a downtown trick or treat that drew more than 1,000 neighbors are simply how Hope loves Albert Lea.
Governance is Lead Pastor led, staff directed, and elder supported. Seven staff members are ready to be equipped and released.
The Worship Experience
Sunday morning at Hope is genuinely Spirit-led. A full band leads with drums, bass, electric and acoustic guitars, keys, and vocals, moving from celebratory praise into intimate moments of surrender and reverence, flowing with what the Lord is doing. The 230 seat room fills with people expecting God to move. If Bethel, Elevation Worship, HouseFires, Gateway, or Jesus Image feel like home, you will be at home here.
Apply Now
Hope Church is praying for a shepherd, an equipper, and a multiplier. Someone with five to seven years of lead pastor experience, a compelling desire to reach the lost, and the security to help others become greater than himself. Someone who preaches with power and walks slowly through a crowd.
If reading this stirred something in you, do not rush past it. Ask God whether Albert Lea is where He is sending your family. Then talk with us. One more heart. One more life. One more yes.
P.S. If this job isn't exactly what you're looking for, feel free to check the job board of open positions.
