Lead Pastor Candidate

About Derrick Nichols

Family

Married to Kristin and they have two young girls: Sawyer, age 3, and Ember, age 2.  Kristin is able to stay at home with the girls and also work part-time from home for a real estate company.  She enjoys serving in children’s ministry and women’s ministry.

North Pace Campus Pastor of Marcus Pointe Baptist Church

Pensacola, FL | 2023 – Present

2,500 Attendance, 4 Campuses

• Designed the new campus building and overseeing its development from start to finish
• Plan, put into action and supervise the Capital Campaign to raise $4,000,000 for the construction of the new campus building
• Oversee all ministries activities at the Campus
• Lead, develop, hire, care for, disciple and inspire the North Pace Staff to fulfill their responsibilities as ministry professionals

Next GEN Director/College Pastor of Metro Community Church

Edwardsville, IL | 2017 – 2023

1,500 Attendance, 2 Campuses

• Lead, develop, hire, care for, disciple and inspire the Metro Next GEN staff
• Pastor the college ministry of roughly 300 college students
• Serve on the leadership team that determines all major decisions within the church
• Oversee and lead the internship program
• Preach weekly at the college ministry and regularly to the general congregation
• Supervise the budgets of all Next GEN ministries
• Teach new member classes on a monthly basis

Young Adult Minister of Legacy Christian Church

Overland Park, KS | 2014 – 2017

2,000 Attendance, 5 Campuses

• Direct the entire young adult congregation of a 2,000+ member church
• Develop core curriculum, objectives, budget and overall vision of ministry
• Provide Biblical teaching to the young adult community
• Assist Campus Pastors and other ministry leaders as needed
• Recognize, develop and deploy leaders into needed areas of church ministry
• Recruit, train and release leaders to start new small groups

Accomplishments

• Celebrated over 200 baptisms from 2017 to 2023 in the college ministry at Metro Community Church
• Celebrated 67 baptisms at the Marcus Pointe Baptist Church North Pace Campus in 2023
• Grew the Metro Community Church college ministry from 11 to 300 young adults
• Grew the Marcus Pointe North Pace Campus by 19% in 2024
• Led the North Pace Campus in providing a community event that saw 4,000 in attendance
• 13 of his interns are now ministry professionals in churches and parachurch organizations across the United States

Derrick’s Responses to Questions

Briefly describe your conversion experience, personal journey, and relationship with God as a follower of Jesus Christ.

I grew up in a Christian home where going to church on Sundays was mandatory.  I also went to church camp, and it was there, that I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior.  It wasn't long after that, that I began to slip into worldly things.  When I was in high school and college, I lived like the world and my faith was barely existent.  I didn't go to church, and I certainly wasn't living for Jesus.  But, there was always a small voice telling me, "Derrick.  You are meant for more."  At the time I didn't know what that voice was and I certainly didn't know what that "something more" was either.  Finally, I stopped ignoring that voice and turned to God in desperation and asked for the answer.  That's when He put on my heart, ministry and I've been doing it ever since.

List your top 3 spiritual gifts/strengths/skills that others recognize in you.

1) Leading and developing others

2) Preaching/Teaching God's Word

3) Shepherding/Counseling others

What do you love most about ministry in the local church?

I absolutely cherish being a part of lost people finding Jesus.  The church is where people find hope and purpose and the local church is often where it all happens.  I love teaching God’s Word and helping others learn to understand it for themselves so they can continue to grow in their faith.  I truly enjoy helping people discover the joy and the fulfillment of being a true disciple of Jesus.  I love the community that the local church offers.  Life is hard and we have to be there for each other.  And, finally, I love doing church with others.  We aren’t meant to walk alone.  No one person has all the answers.  Let’s learn together, walk together, have fun together and do life, together.

Please describe your personal theological absolutes.

1) There is one God.  He exists in three persons that are all equal: The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.

2) Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved.  His death paid for our sins.  His resurrection gives us eternal life.  You cannot earn your salvation.  You can only receive it.

3) Baptism is by immersion.  It must follow salvation.

4) The Bible is the inspired Word of God.  It is without error.  It is a guide and a means to better know our Heavenly Father.

5) No one is without sin.  The only person to live a perfect life is Jesus Christ.  Everyone else is destined for hell unless they accept Christ as Savior.

6) One day, Jesus will return to defeat Satan and usher in a new age where there is no more sin, only creation living in perfect harmony with God.

Education

Grad School: Liberty University (Online)

• M.A. in Christian Leadership
• (Expected Completion: Spring 2025)
• Will be pursuing an advanced theological degree in the near future after taking time to adjust to a Lead Pastor position

College/Undergrad: Missouri State University (Springfield, MO)

• Communication

https://www.derrickrnichols.com

For further insight into Derrick, this is a link to his personal website. This website includes four sermons and sections with his thoughts on Teaching the Bible, Leadership Development, Culture and Discipleship

Darrin Sahs

I recommend Derrick Nichols to come to LifeSpring as our new lead pastor because of his heart for the Lord and his heart for people.  In our discussions I saw a humble servant heart and yet a very passionate leader.  Through a discipleship program he grew a group of 15 to 300.  From that group he found and developed leaders, many of whom are in ministry today.  He has led 2 groups of staff and has increased and helped develop his staff in each location.  He loves to preach from God's word and is not afraid to preach about hard topics.  He is a very hard worker and a solid planner.

He desires to have support and accountability in how he pastors a church.  He desires to continue to grow in his education.  He is a younger pastor but that is one of the things we are looking for a pastor who can help strengthen and grow OUR next gen and he has an awesome background for that.

He will continue to grow in wisdom, experience, and knowledge as Pastor Steve did through the years.  I believe because of his heart for the Lord, his love for God's people, his love for the lost, his desire and passion to preach, teach, baptize, and make disciples he should be our lead pastor.  When I look at our church DNA, what the church has said is important for "our church", and our list of qualifications for our next Lead Pastor, I believe God has led us to Pastor Derrick Nichols.

Mark Elliott

Derrick will be a good cultural fit for our church.  He understands the Midwest, has lived in cities of various size, has led staff in larger churches, and has served near a military base.  The search team rated him very high in the seven primary qualities we desired to have in our next Lead Pastor.  He has demonstrated strong leadership skills, is highly relational, and has experienced evangelistic and discipleship growth in his ministry roles.  With the Pastor’s Council to provide support and advice, Derrick will have the opportunity to grow into his new role.

Katrina Thompson

I highly recommend Pastor Derrick Nichols as LifeSpring Church’s next Lead Pastor.  He is humble and collaborative in his leadership, passionate and visionary in his ministry, and relatable and compassionate in his discipleship.  His wife, Kristin, is a supportive partner whose firm faith provides her husband with needed feedback, encouragement, and wisdom.

Our church members believe the furtherance of the gospel and the teaching and living out of God’s Word is of paramount importance.  Pastor Derrick exemplifies these values in the way that he preaches God’s Word truthfully, clearly, and unapologetically whether in front of a large audience or an audience of one.  He models application of the message in his everyday relationships and service.  We have been seeking a shepherd leader.  Derrick is one of the most intentionally relational people I’ve met.  He connects with each person in the room, listens well, employs humor, and inspires individuals in their next steps of faith.

Sandey Bolton

I believe Derrick Nichols is a great candidate to be the next Lead Pastor of LifeSpring Church.  Derrick loves the Lord and is passionate about evangelism and discipleship.  He has a proven track record of discipleship that led to growth in his College Ministry at Metro Community Church.  He has the desire to raise up Christian leaders for ministry and has several former interns and residents that are in ministry either in churches or parachurch organizations.  Derrick is humble and wants accountability and mentorship as he leads his next church.  He is excited to have a Pastor’s Council to provide wisdom, mentoring, and feedback.

Every reference we checked with stated that Derrick was a hard worker with a passion for ministry.  He has experienced a collaborative culture with his staff where they worked together in ministry to further God’s kingdom, disciple believers and connect church members with ministry opportunities.  Derrick relates to people and connects with them intentionally.  While he has never been a lead pastor, he has experience leading staffs.  At Metro he oversaw the entire Next Gen ministry from children through college and he currently oversees staff at the campus for which he is the minister.  LifeSpring is poised to do great things for God, and I believe Derrick is equipped to lead us into what God has for us.

Dave Carter

Pastor Derrick struck me as a man who brings joy, love, and excitement for the Lord.  I felt he was a match to the DNA of our church and has the blessing of our senior leadership.  He and Kristin have a heart for and proven leadership in growing the next generation.