We're Growing Our Team!

NRC is a growing, multi-generational fellowship, and God has been working steadily over the past decade to renew and reimagine this church. To steward this season of growth well, the Elders have discerned a need to add a full-time Associate Pastor for Discipleship & Spiritual Formation, and a new Youth Pastor for Middle & High School. The current Youth Pastor, who served faithfully for fourteen years is concluding in that role. These roles are designed to deepen the church’s capacity to make disciples and care for every generation.

A Pastoral Search Committee, co-chaired by Pastor Dan Seaborn and Jeff Singfiel, is leading this process. The committee is organized into two sub-teams — one focused on each role — though the full committee has a voice into both searches. The committee’s role is to search, evaluate, and bring quality recommendations to the Elders and Governing Board, who will make the final hiring decisions. The committee is comprised of: 

Co-chairs

• Dan Seaborn – Dan & Amy came to NRC in 1997 to serve as the Youth Pastor. After 15 years in that role, he transitioned to serve as Equipping Pastor, and then in 2022, as Lead Pastor. Dan brings all those experiences of staff transition and development at North Ridge, and broad insights and connections from other Alliance churches.
  
  
• Jeff Singfiel – Jeff started attending NRC in 1984 as a high school student. He served as a youth pastor in NJ, on the staff with wife Melissa at NRC from 1998-2002, then in Kosovo with the Alliance until 2023, and now from the US. Jeff brings a love of the church, and an exposure to the broader Alliance family.
  
  

Associate Pastor Sub-Team  (*point person)

• Elise Carlson – Elise and Steve and their family came to North Ridge Church in 1996 after relocating to Raleigh from Northern, NJ.  She is a mom to four adult children and nine grandchildren.  She has served in various ministry roles at NRC, serving with children's ministry, as a Deaconess and leading our Women's Ministry for many years.  Elise brings a heart for all generations at North Ridge and loves to encourage others in their walk with the Lord.
  
  
• Brenda Dobrick* – Brenda came to North Ridge Church after moving from North Eastern PA and recognizing the familiar Alliance logo in late 1985.  She and Don were married here in 1988.  Brenda lead the ladies Sunday School class for nearly 20 years and has facilitated several small group classes.  She is a business owner in Raleigh. 
  
  
• Isaiah Slemons – Isaiah and his wife have been at NRC, and Raleigh, for just over a year, having moved from Arizona where they were in a Soma Network/Missional Community Church. He has experience on many hiring committees, building and coordinating teams, and vision casting for growth. Isaiah desires to bring a heart for discerning God's will, and an eye for practices and experiences that lend themselves to discipleship and spiritual formation. 
  
  

Youth Pastor Sub-Team  (*point person)

• Jess Grimshaw – Jess has been part of NRC since 2001, and was a student in North Ridge Youth through middle and high school. During college, she was part of the Christian campus ministry Chi Alpha, where she led a small group and participated in outreach activities.  After college, she has since served for 8 years as one of our NRYouth Shepherds,  which is a devoted team of volunteer partners in youth ministry, focused on student discipleship and ministry leadership.
  
  
• Dru Holdren – Dru first attended NRC in May 1999 as a student with his family after a move to North Carolina. He was honored to first serve as a Deacon in 2010, taking over his dad’s term of service. Now with two kids of his own, one of which will be in sixth grade this year, he is honored to serve on his second search committee at NRC. Dru and his wife also served for many years as NRYouth Shepherds, and regularly teach the Sunday morning youth class.
  
  
• Kelly Hosonitz – Kelly and her family started attending North Ridge Church in 2012 after relocating from Pennsylvania. She served as the Children’s Ministry Leader for nine years and currently serves as a Kid’s Church teacher and as Secretary of the Governing Board.  As a parent of four youth, Kelly understands the wisdom, discernment, and intentional partnership needed between pastors and parents to disciple students faithfully in today’s challenging culture.
  
  
• Brian Wilson* – Brian and his wife Heather have called North Ridge home for the last 14 years, and have served in the worship ministry for nearly as long. He’s excited to bring over a decade of experience as an operations manager for a Christian non-profit to the Youth Pastor search committee. With three kids either in or entering the youth group soon, Brian is honored to serve his church family in this role.
  
  

Questions and applications can be directed to the committee at searchteam@northridgecma.org.

The search is organized into five phases. Timelines are estimates, may overlap, and may shift based on the applicant pool and congregational needs. We are currently in Phases 1 & 2.

• Phase 1 — Foundation & Listening: The committee establishes its ground rules, finalizes job descriptions, and gathers input from the congregation through listening sessions and/or a brief survey.
  
  
• Phase 2 — Searching & Receiving Applications: Roles are posted on agreed platforms and through relational networks. All applications are acknowledged promptly, and initial screening begins.
  
  
• Phase 3 — Evaluation & Interviews: Sub-teams narrow the applicant pool to a short list (typically 2–4 per role). Preliminary conversations are followed by formal structured interviews and reference checks.
  
  
• Phase 4 — Recommendation to Elders: The co-chairs present a written recommendation report to the Elders and Governing Board, who determine which candidate(s) to invite as official candidates.
  
  
• Phase 5 — Candidating & Closing: Selected candidates are invited for a candidating visit, including a congregational introduction. The Elders and Governing Board make the final decision and communicate it to the congregation.

Yes — both positions are open and we are actively receiving applications. Please see the instructions in the relevant position section below, and send your materials to searchteam@northridgecma.org. All applications are acknowledged upon receipt.

Absolutely. One of the committee’s first priorities is listening to the congregation — understanding what the NRC family is hoping for, what concerns they carry, and what they sense God is doing in the life of the church. This input will shape how the committee evaluates candidates. The congregation will have the opportunity to hear and interact with candidates before any hiring decision is made, and the members will participate in a non-binding poll of affirmation or reservation. In our church structure, the Elders and Governing Board make the final decision to hire a candidate, but the membership is polled for their input.

The co-chairs serve as the primary communicators between the search committee and the congregation. Updates will be shared through regular church communications as the process progresses. The committee is committed to keeping the church informed while maintaining appropriate confidentiality around individual applicants.

All committee deliberations, applicant names, and internal discussions are strictly confidential. Committee members do not share applicant details with anyone outside the committee — including spouses and friends — and this commitment continues even after the process concludes. If someone asks whether a specific person has applied, the standard response is: “I’m not able to share information about any individual applicants.”

Yes — relational referrals are a valued part of how we’re building the applicant pool. If you know someone you believe would be a strong candidate for either role, please encourage them to apply directly, or pass along their name to the search committee at searchteam@northridgecma.org. Please note that all applicants go through the same fair, consistent review process regardless of how they are referred.

NRC has a long history of investing in its youth, many of whom have gone on to serve the Lord faithfully in their families, workplaces, and vocational ministry. The vision is to teach students how to seek God’s face and share His love in today’s complex world. While parents and families are the primary disciplers of their teens, the youth ministry comes alongside as a partner — building students up as the body of Christ and equipping them for Kingdom impact. The ministry recognizes that students are at different places spiritually: the lost are welcomed, the responsive are discipled, and the hungry are equipped. The Youth Pastor meets students where they are on their journey.

The Youth Pastor’s key areas of responsibility include:

• Leading a team: Recruiting, developing, and shepherding a team of Spirit-filled adult leaders (Shepherds) and student leaders
  
  
• Teaching the Word: Faithfully teaching and preaching Scripture to students and, when called upon, the broader congregation
  
  
• Building relationships: Intentionally and creatively engaging students and families wherever they are in their faith journey
  
  
• Programming: Overseeing a well-designed calendar of events, weekly programs, and discipleship opportunities
  
  
• Communication: Proactively communicating with students, parents, church leadership, and the broader community
  
  
• Administration: Managing the youth ministry budget and organizing events, camps, and retreats responsibly

Yes. Unlike the Associate Pastor role, the Youth Pastor position is open to both men and women who meet the qualifications required by the Christian & Missionary Alliance.

Whether the person serving as Youth Pastor is male or female, single or married, not only are highest standards of conduct required, the Youth Pastor will be responsible to develop a trustworthy, qualified, and well balanced team of adult leaders who can minister effectively to young men and women.

We are looking for candidates who meet the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in ministry and/or biblical studies
• 3–4 years of experience leading a youth ministry, preferably in a full-time church context
• Licensed or willing to pursue licensing/ordination with the Christian & Missionary Alliance
• Seeking to invest 5 or more years at NRC (or preparing for candidacy as an International Worker)
• Strong understanding of adolescent development and cultural issues
• Ability to connect with and disciple middle and high school students
• Proven experience leading and teaching group Bible study
• Strong communication and public speaking skills
• Proficiency in technology and social media
• Proven administrative ability, including event, camp, or retreat organization
• Affirms the mission, vision, and Statement of Faith of NRC and the C&MA
• Willingness to submit to a thorough background check

Personal conduct and lifestyle are expected to reflect the principles of Scripture as outlined in 1 Peter 5, Colossians 3, and Ephesians 4–5.

Yes — while this role is primarily envisioned as a full-time position, NRC is open to developing and deploying it differently for a well-suited candidate who is seeking a bi-vocational arrangement. For example, an applicant may want to teach at a local school, serve in part-time leadership of a student ministry parachurch organization, or have another scenario in mind that could be strategic to the applicants ministry or family life.  If this applies to you, please mention it in your cover letter.

Yes. We expect the Youth Pastor to live in one of the local areas in order to be meaningfully present with students, families, and the broader church community.

This is a full-time position with a substantive salary package commensurate with experience. Benefits include:

• Personal/family health insurance or medical cost-sharing program
• Dental and vision coverage
• Supplemental incident/accident coverage
• Health reimbursement account and life insurance
• Matching retirement contribution program (based on total years of full-time service at NRC)
• Regular day off each week (in addition to Saturday and partial-Sunday)
• Minimum 2-week vacation allotment (not counting holidays and closed-office days)
• Flexibility for sick and personal days

• Cover Letter — introduce yourself and tell us about your interest
  
  
• Resume — including personal background and brief testimony of faith, educational background, employment history and ministry experience, relevant competencies and certifications, and contact info with social media links
  
  
• Three or more personal references — include at least one ministry colleague and one supervisor; focus on people who can speak to your character, career, or commitment
  
  
• Philosophy of Ministry — a short document, no more than one page
  
  
• Preaching/teaching samples — video preferred; audio or written transcripts may be accepted if video is unavailable

If interested in applying and for a copy of the official job description, please write to: searchteam@northridgecma.org.  Complete and return your application packet.  All applications are acknowledged upon receipt.