Ransom Church

Ransom wants to see the number of “nones” decrease in Sioux Falls and the surrounding communities. They are looking for Kids, Students, Discipleship, and Worship residents!

Expected Work Hours: 29 hr/week
Expected Monthly Pay: $1,200/month Yr 1 & $1,400/Month Yr 2

The following is a Q&A with Residency Pastor Mandi Smith:

What are your greatest hopes and dreams for the next couple of years for your church?
Ransom Church exists to set captives free, full stop.  We know that nothing can change a life like the transforming power of Jesus Christ and to that end, we are unapologetic about spreading the Gospel to our “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). In modern terms, here (Jerusalem), near (Judea), hard (Samaria) and far (ends of the earth).

Locally, we want to see the number of “nones,” those who would say they do not have a religious affiliation, decrease in Sioux Falls and the surrounding communities (currently, 18% of adults in our state are categorized as “nones.”). We want to connect young people to their faith by prioritizing discipleship and evangelism in our kids and youth ministry as well as increase our reach with young adults and seniors in our congregation.  

Thinking outside of us, we want to continue to be a sending and teaching church. Training up and sending out marketplace multipliers, pastoral residents and church planters.

Why did you choose to do a residency & what are you hopeful will happen through this process?
Ransom Residency exists because we acknowledge that this Kingdom work cannot happen in isolation. Setting captives free requires the community of believers coming together in order to see Acts 1:8 lived out.  More disciples, ministry leaders and pastors are needed, both in the immediate and in the future if we want to see the number of nones decrease in this country. We want to add to the number of “purple unicorns,” to the ministry world.

What is it like to work on staff there?
Being on our team requires a lot of humility and grit. We are a team convinced of our call to set captives free and so we are unapologetic about doing whatever it takes to not only point people to Jesus, but help them grow in their walk and desire to be more like Him and do what He did.  That requires ministering to people in different demographics, being highly teachable and having the endurance to move through change.  As a sending church, our staff is constantly changing as we send out individuals and teams to new places and communities.

Does your church’s website state the mission, vision, values and key distinctives of your church? Please paste the link:
Yes - ransom.church   

Please describe the current staff structure.
Our team is staff led, elder supported.  We have a board of elders who keep us accountable, but the leading and managing of staff and ministry is done through our Executive Directors.  Our Executive Directors are full-time pastors who oversee a specific ministry area (Family Ministry, Spiritual Formation, Central Services, Creative, Residency, Church Planting).   

What qualities does it take to “win” on staff at your church?
Winning on our team is similar to what I said in the previous question.  A humble heart, unapologetic of reaching the lost and building some resilience for the constant of change.  Those who want to grow and strengthen ministries (not necessarily in addition, but in empowering leaders for multiplication) thrive here.

Who will the resident report to?  Will there be a different person acting as coach?   What do you know about their personalities (enneagram, DiSC, Strength Finders, etc.) Have you given thought as to what type of personality will work best with them?
Each resident is given a team of support.

• Ministry Coach – serves as their supervisor for ministry tasks

• Personal Development Coach – serves as their spiritual encourager and builds towards effectiveness in the soft skill areas

• Residency Pastor – keeps alignment in overall strategy and development for each individual.

The ministry coach in each area is as follows:

• Worship – Nic Guptill (Worship Pastor)

• Kids – Paul Phancy (Kids Pastor)

• Teens – Josie Obenauer (Teens Pastor)

• Discipleship Pastor – Paul Nix (Connections Pastor)

Our team uses Enneagram, Strengths Finder and Working Genius.

Are there particular assessment tools that you prefer when exploring potential staff people?
Our team uses Enneagram, Strengths Finder and Working Genius.

Are you affiliated with a particular denomination or tribes/association of churches? If so, what websites could one investigate to gain further understanding?
The Wesleyan Church - wesleyan.org

What are the key doctrinal and theological issues where alignment is essential?
Affirm Women in Ministry
Human Sexuality

Learn more: ransom.church/resources/culturalbeliefs

What is your average weekend attendance?
1800

In general, what is your church demographic?
We have meaningful ministry among people of all socioeconomic levels.  We are a church were a homeless man and a CEO may be found kneeling together in prayer.  It’s a beautiful thing.

Demographics – we are similar to what you would expect to find in Sioux Falls.  A mixed generational community, predominately white.  We have a large number of young adult and families.

Is there more than one site or venue? If so, please describe.
We have one main campus in Sioux Falls and affiliate locations in Rock Rapids, IA and Yankton, SD.

How many conversions has your church had in the past 12 months? (however you define this and whatever you count)
186

What percentage of people are involved in a small group?
51%

What is your church known for in the community?
We are known for being a safe place to grow – many people who have lost faith in church, but not in God have found their way to Ransom.

Our outreach initiatives – Turkey Giveaway and Shoes for Shorties

How much are you planning on financially compensating your resident?  Is it set or is it flexible?
$1200 year one / $1400 year two (not flexible)

What are the expected work hours and what does a typical workweek look like for this resident? 
On average - 29 Hours / Week.

Sunday – Worship Gatherings (7:00am – 1:30pm) 6.5 hours

Monday – Staff Meetings and Development (8:00am – 1:30pm) 5.5 hours

Tuesday – Ministry Tasks and Coaching (8:00am – 1:30pm) 5.5 hours

Wednesday – Ministry Tasks and Coaching (8:00am – 1:30pm) 5.5 hours

Thursday – Leadership Development and Ministry Tasks ((8:00am – 1:30pm) 5.5 hours

What else would you say to a resident considering joining your team?
Something unique about our residency is our partnership with Linwood Wesleyan Church.  Our goal is to set you up well for all ministry environments you might encounter post residency.  To do that, it means we need to exposure to other ways of doing ministry in our same city. Ransom is a contemporary church of 1800 while Linwood is a more traditional church of 300.  Our residencies are separate, but we work with one another.  From weekly leadership development teachings from full time pastors from each church, to preaching opportunities and feedback from both, to spending some time in each church to answer the questions “How do two churches in the same city minister well and differently.”