Community Chaplain/Pastor in Cairns, North Queensland
The Lakes Church in Cairns, QLD, is seeking applications for a new part-time role on our team to help us love people and invite them to join us in a growing relationship with Jesus.
We’re looking for someone with a pastoral heart and a mission edge. Do you have experience in community work and a desire to support others, or are you looking to serve people in a new way? Whether you’re experienced in church ministry or exploring your next step, we’d love to hear from you.
Remuneration follows Churches of Christ in Queensland guidelines. Applicants must already be in Australia and have the right to work in Australia, hold or be eligible for a Queensland Working With Children Check (Blue Card) and Police Check, and be willing to be endorsed as a Ministering Person with Churches of Christ in Queensland.
COMMUNITY CHAPLAIN
The Community Chaplain will have a pastoral heart with a mission edge. In this role you will love being with people in their hardest moments and helping them find hope and help. You will build pathways for people to connect with Christian community by deepening our local mission presence and extending the church’s care beyond our walls. This is a paid position for 2 days per week, commencing mid-2026.
This role is ideal for someone who:
- Brings compassion, discernment, and wisdom to their interactions with people.
- Has a passion for helping people through chaplaincy, counselling, or community work.
- Enjoys building partnerships and helping others engage with their local community.
In this role you will:
- Provide one-on-one chaplaincy and pastoral care for people in crisis or need.
- Equip and mobilise our church to care for people in our local community.
- Lead and grow our church’s community care projects (e.g. Food Pantry, Cairns to the Cape).
- Develop new expressions of care and presence in the community.
- Strengthen partnerships with local mission and community organisations.
- Help people navigate government and community support systems.
- Connect with and support families who attend our playgroup ministry, Koala Kids.
- Be involved in our church’s engagement with local chaplaincy and mission partners.
HOW TO APPLY
Send your application for this role by Monday 8th June, 2026 to geoffs@thelakes.org.au. Applications will be assessed as they are received. Please limit your cover letter to one page and attach your resumé including the contact details of three referees (including a church pastor).
ABOUT THE LAKES CHURCH
The Lakes Church (www.thelakes.church) is a vibrant, multi-generational church with a 55 year history in Cairns. We are part of Churches of Christ in Queensland. We are a community of over 400 people with a heart for loving people and inviting them to join us in a growing relationship with Jesus. The successful applicants for this role will work with our small team of pastors, coordinators and interns.
ABOUT CAIRNS
Cairns is a friendly tropical city with a casual, relaxed atmosphere. A two-hour flight from Brisbane, it is a nature-lover’s paradise, situated perfectly between the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree and Wet Tropics rainforest and the Atherton Tablelands. Cairns is a modern city of approximately 180,000 people with a vibrant arts and cultural scene and thriving café and dining precincts. |
