Buena Vista, Colorado is located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in the Upper Arkansas River Valley. This little mountain town houses approximately 2,700 residents year round, but grows immensely in the summer months! Rafting, kayaking, fishing, hiking, biking, and many other outdoor adventures draw people from miles around to Buena Vista during the summer months. As summer draws to a close, the close-knit town of Buena Vista feels like home again, when you can go out to restaurants or walk down the aisles of the grocery store recognizing most people. Though the winter slows down in comparison to the summer, Buena Vista is located within 90 miles of 8 ski resorts, so the outdoor adventures continue! Check out this video to get a deeper glimpse into community here in BV: https://www.facebook.com/tobvco/
ClearView Community Church serves this community in Buena Vista in a number of ways. Most importantly, the mission of ClearView includes a deep desire for people of this town to experience Jesus in a real and tangible way. ClearView hosts events around the year to serve the community. One Sunday in December, our “City Market Blitz” starts when our congregation leaves church and heads to the City Market to buy groceries to stock the Buena Vista Mission for the Christmas season. “Bless BV Day” happens every spring. ClearView partners with the town of BV and sends small groups out to accomplish any projects that need to be accomplished! Every September, Buena Vista has a town dinner where 2,000+ community members gather at LONG tables on Main Street to share an evening together. This is a snapshot of the community in which ClearView invests.
Zach Bearss is our Lead Pastor at ClearView. Zach, his wife Catherine, and their 4 children, Anna, Isaac, Noah and Joseph live an abundant life of adventure and laughter! Zach grew up in Monte Vista, Colorado, where he knew from a young age that he wanted to be a pastor. He attended Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho, where he met Catherine. They married in 1999, and in 2002, Zach was recruited to move to Buena Vista to lead Proving Ground Youth Ministries. Proving Ground was a collaborative effort between several churches to reach teens in Buena Vista. In 2005, Zach was hired as a part-time Associate Pastor at ClearView Community Church. He also worked part-time in construction, another passion he possesses. As he moved from part time Associate Pastor, to part time worship leader, Zach eventually fulfilled the role of Lead Pastor in the spring of 2009. He sees his mission at ClearView very clearly, saying, “I do three main things. I teach, which is the Bible on Sunday mornings; I shepherd, which is caring for people as they walk through life and grow in faith; and I lead, meaning the church as an organization – leading and overseeing various programs and ministries.”
The full-time staff includes the Lead Pastor, an Associate Care Pastor, a Worship Pastor, a Church Administrator, and a Children’s Ministries Director. Part-time staff includes a Small Group Coordinator and Administrative Assistant. The staff of ClearView is strong in its commitment to Jesus Christ and to each other's success in ministry. The following "Seven C's" describe the values to which each staff member ascribes.
1.-Character: Pastoral staff are devoted lovers of Jesus, seeking to be conformed to His image, and understanding that above all else, they are loved, chosen, and empowered by God. Out of that core identity, they are committed to prayer, worship, the study of Scripture, and living and working with spiritual integrity. They are willing to let others hold them accountable and speak into their personal life for growth in the journey toward maturity. They are aware of and honest about their strengths and their weaknesses, feeling safe to be authentic in their "createdness" without pretense, and discuss failure and success with other team members. A commitment to growing in self-awareness and understanding as one grows to know God is critical. A leader continually seeks stability in the faith, obedience to the Word, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.
2 - Competence: The Holy Spirit has given gifts and abilities, combined with skills acquired through training and life experience. Staff leaders possess the gifts of team building, teaching, delegation, empathy, listening, and conflict resolution.
3 - Chemistry: Staff leaders are willing and able to fit within the existing team, enrich the current circle of community, and exhibit relational harmony within the staff and volunteer teams. As a growing church body, the wearing of many hats and sharing the load of ministry is vital to its function. Embracing ClearView’s culture means being part of its family, having an open, joyful, servant heart toward the ministry, avoiding building ministry “silos”, gossiping, and taking oneself too seriously.
4 - Courage: It may become necessary to enter into difficult exchanges and defend the faith, the church, and individuals in ways that preserve and maintain the community of faith. The ClearView staff highly values the ability to speak the truth in love without destructive results, and the willingness to work through misunderstandings to find resolution.
5 - Calling: Staff leaders have the ability to discern and articulate God’s calling to serve in the body. It is important to develop an understanding of the vision, values, and beliefs of ClearView Community Church, articulate why one believes s/he was called to this particular body, and express a desire to work toward and help maintain the unique vision and values of its congregation.
6 - Couple: Though this ministry position will employ one person, if that person is married, there is a unity of desire and commitment as a couple to stand together to edify the church. This includes living out biblical values, and a commitment to involvement in authentic community within the body. A mutual sense of God’s calling to full time ministry, a commitment to prioritize marriage and family, and an ability together to identify and embrace the benefits and challenges in ministry are vital to success in ministry.
7 - Community: One of the primary callings of ClearView Community Church is to glorify God by serving the local community of Buena Vista. We desire to love the town well and see it flourish, as it is an extension of God's kingdom. must be a place any staff member can call “home”. A high value is placed on ClearView staff being part of the town to which one is called.