Between $65k and

$75k

Per Year

Position range in Las Cruces MSA $45k - $66k Per Year College Minister

University Community Church

Occupation:

Clergy

Location:

Las Cruces, NM - 88011

Job Type:

Full Time (30 Hours or More)

Posted:

09/04/2026

Positions available: 1

Source:

Churchstaffing.com

Web Site:

www.churchstaffing.com

Job #: jo_2017394333

Job Requirements and Properties

Help for Job Requirements and Properties. Opens a new window. Work Onsite

Full Time Schedule

Full Time

Job Description

Help for Partial Job Description. Opens a new window. University Community Church | Las Cruces, NM Aggies for Christ | Full-Time College Pastor Role The Opportunity University Community Church is searching for a gifted, experienced, and entrepreneurial College Pastor to lead Aggies for Christ, our thriving ministry to students at New Mexico State University. Every week during the school year, approximately 350 college students gather for worship, biblical teaching, a meal, community, and life change. Behind those gatherings is an incredible student leadership team of roughly 50 students, ministry interns, committed volunteers, a supportive church staff, and tremendous access to one of New Mexico's largest university campuses. The foundation is strong. The momentum is real. And we believe the potential for what God could do next is enormous. The new college pastor is not being asked to create momentum. They are being invited to steward it. Hundreds of students are already showing up. Student leaders are already serving. A support structure is already in place. The university is literally across the street. And there are thousands more students who still need meaningful community, spiritual guidance, and—most importantly—the hope of Jesus. We believe AFC can become an even greater force for the Kingdom at NMSU and beyond. We are looking for someone who looks at 350 students and doesn't simply see a successful ministry—they see the beginning of what's possible. Who We're Looking For First and foremost, we're looking for someone who loves Jesus and genuinely loves college students. We're looking for a dynamic communicator who loves studying Scripture and can stand in front of hundreds of college students each week and make the Bible engaging, relevant, challenging, understandable, and life-giving. We're looking for a leader of leaders—someone who doesn't simply want to minister to students but wants to equip students to minister to one another and reach their campus. We're looking for a self-starter and builder who sees possibilities, creates opportunities, tries new things, solves problems, and doesn't need someone constantly telling them what to do next. And we're looking for someone who is confident enough to lead but humble enough to collaborate—someone who works hard, loves people, has fun, and doesn't take themselves too seriously. What You'll Do The College Pastor will provide overall vision, teaching, leadership, and pastoral direction for Aggies for Christ.

Key responsibilities include:

Serve as the primary teaching voice for AFC, preaching approximately 85% of weekly gatherings during the academic year. Lead, disciple, challenge, and develop a student leadership team of approximately 50 college students, helping them grow as disciples and leaders. Recruit, supervise, mentor, and develop 2-4 college ministry interns, giving emerging ministry leaders meaningful opportunities to learn, lead, fail, grow, and discover their gifts. Provide overall vision and direction for weekly AFC gatherings, including teaching, worship, fellowship, meals, and student engagement. Develop and oversee campus outreach initiatives designed to build relationships with students who aren't currently connected to Jesus or a local church. Maintain an active and visible presence at New Mexico State University, developing relationships and looking for new opportunities to serve and reach students. Provide pastoral care, spiritual guidance, mentoring, and discipleship to college students. Create and oversee summer mission trips, service opportunities, leadership experiences, and other ministry opportunities that move students beyond simply attending a weekly gathering. Recruit, equip, and empower volunteers and ministry partners. Collaborate with the UCC pastoral staff to connect college students to the broader life & mission of the church.

Continually ask the question:

"How can we reach more students and help them become lifelong followers of Jesus?" Qualifications Our ideal candidate will have: A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. A master's degree in ministry, theology, communication, leadership, or a related field is strongly preferred. Approximately 5-10 years of significant ministry leadership experience, ideally leading a youth, college, young-adult, or comparable ministry of 150+ people. Demonstrated gifting and experience in preaching and public communication. Proven ability to recruit, develop, motivate, and lead both students and adult leaders. Experience supervising and developing staff, interns, or ministry teams. A strong understanding of Scripture and the ability to communicate biblical truth to a generation that may have little or no church background. An entrepreneurial mindset and demonstrated ability to build, innovate, and create momentum. Strong relational and pastoral instincts. Organizational skills sufficient to lead a large and increasingly complex ministry. A heart for evangelism and a genuine desire to reach students who are far from God. The ability to work collaboratively within a larger church staff and enthusiastically support the vision and mission of University Community Church. A healthy sense of humor. Seriously. Ministry is hard enough already. Compensation This is a full-time pastoral position with compensation commensurate with education and ministry experience. Anticipated salary is $65,000-$75,000+ with final compensation determined by the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate. About University Community Church University Community Church is a growing, multigenerational church located directly adjacent to New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. We believe every generation has a responsibility to reach the next generation, and ministry to college students isn't simply another program on our calendar—it's central to who we are and why God has placed us where He has. Our desire is to help people encounter Jesus, experience authentic community, grow into mature disciples, and discover how God wants to use their lives to impact the world. If you are a gifted communicator, a proven leader, a builder at heart, and someone who gets genuinely excited about the possibility of helping hundreds—and potentially thousands—of college students discover and follow Jesus, we'd love to talk.