Staff Candidate Questionnaire

Staff Candidate Questionnaire

Thank you for considering ministry with Creekside Christian Church. This questionnaire helps us know more than what appears on a resume: how you follow Jesus, relate to people, exercise judgment, and carry responsibility.

Please answer candidly and concisely. We are not looking for polished perfection. We value humility, self-awareness, healthy boundaries, and specific examples. Most candidates complete this in 60–90 minutes.
Position applied for
Candidate Name

First NameLast Name
Date Completed

MonthDayYear
2 digit month, 2 digit day, 4 digit yearDate
Before you begin
- Use examples from the last three to five years whenever possible.
- Aim for 2–5 sentences per response unless the prompt says otherwise.
- You may write “prefer to discuss” where a sensitive matter is better handled in conversation.
- Information will be handled confidentially and shared only with those involved in the hiring process.

1 | Contact and candidacy

About 5 minutes. Please keep this section brief.
Preferred Name

First NameLast Name
Email
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
Current city and state
Earliest reasonable start date
Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?
May we contact your current employer at this stage?
Why are you interested in this role and in Creekside at this point in your life?
Be specific about the role and our church.
What draws you to Creekside? What questions or concerns do you have?

2 | Your story and personal rhythms

About 10–15 minutes. Help us know you as a whole person without providing private family or medical details.
Give us a brief timeline of the major experiences that shaped your faith, calling, education, and work since high school.
Bullet points are welcome.
What do you enjoy outside of work or ministry? What would people close to you say brings you life?
What season of life are you in, and what practical considerations should we understand as we explore this role?
What are two books, podcasts, leaders, or experiences that have influenced you recently, and how?

3 | Christlikeness and spiritual formation

About 10–15 minutes. We care about the person you are becoming, not merely the ministry you can perform.
Briefly tell the story of how you came to trust and follow Jesus.
Describe your ordinary practices of Scripture, prayer, worship, confession, generosity, and Sabbath or rest. Which practice is strongest, and which needs attention?
How are you currently building genuine relationships with people who do not yet follow Jesus? Describe one recent spiritual conversation.
When ministry results are disappointing or God seems quiet, what tends to happen inside you, and how do you respond faithfully?

4 | Character and relational maturity

About 10–15 minutes. Specific, recent examples are more helpful than ideals.
Describe a meaningful mistake or failure from the last three years. How did you take responsibility, repair what you could, and change afterward?
Tell us about difficult feedback you received. What part was true, and what did you do with it?
What kinds of people or situations test your patience or empathy? How are you growing in love toward them?
What boundaries and practices help you maintain appropriate relationships, digital conduct, and emotional health in ministry?
Is there anything in your conduct, employment history, ministry history, online presence, or legal history that could reasonably affect your suitability for this role or surprise Creekside later?

5 | Capacity and competency

About 15–20 minutes. Show us how you lead, execute, communicate, and learn.
What are the three strongest contributions you would bring to this role? Give brief evidence for each.
Which two responsibilities in this role would stretch you most? How would you close those gaps?
Describe one initiative you led from idea to completion. Include the need, your plan, people involved, obstacles, result, and what you learned.
Give an example of recruiting, developing, and releasing a volunteer or employee. What changed because of your investment?
How do you keep a supervisor, peers, volunteers, and other stakeholders appropriately informed?
What tools or systems do you use to manage tasks, calendars, projects, people, communication, and information?
Include your comfort with current digital tools and responsible use of AI.
What would you hope to understand, accomplish, and build during your first 90 days in this role?
What work samples or outcomes best demonstrate your readiness for this role? Provide links or describe attached items.
Examples may include plans, lessons, writing, dashboards, budgets, videos, or project summaries. Remove confidential information.
File Upload

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What is one question we should have asked to understand your competency for this specific role? Please answer it.

6 | Ministry judgment

About 10 minutes. Briefly explain what you would do first, what principles would guide you, and whom you would involve.
A person asks for a private meeting about a sensitive matter, but the setting or relationship could create risk or misunderstanding. How do you respond?
A committed volunteer publicly criticizes a ministry decision and is dividing the team. How would you address the person and care for the team?
A person new to faith asks what they need to do to become a Christian and wants to take a next step today. How would you respond?

8 | References and final reflection

About 5 minutes.
Please provide three people who have directly observed your character and work. At least one should be a recent supervisor or elder/board leader, and one should be a peer or direct report. Do not list relatives.
Reference 1 — Supervisor / elder / board leader
Name

First NameLast Name
Email
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
Relationship and years known:
Reference 2 — Peer / colleague
Name

First NameLast Name
Email
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
Relationship and years known:
Reference 3 — Volunteer, direct report, or ministry partner
Name

First NameLast Name
Email
example@example.com
Phone Number
Please enter a valid phone number.Format: (000) 000-0000.
Relationship and years known:
What would make this role a healthy, fruitful fit for you? What might make it the wrong fit?
Is there anything else you would like the search team to understand about you?
Should be Empty:

1 | Contact and candidacy