SUBSCRIBE by email to download for FREE my SURVIVOR LOCK-IN
How Do You Live Up to some Youth Ministry Job Descriptions Out There?
- 8 Comment
Looking for a youth ministry job? Do you feel that you have what it takes to step into a church by faith and the training that you have received? Are you Super Youth Pastor?
From time to time I will take a look at youth pastor job openings on places like ChurchStaffing.com and YouthSpecialites.com to see what churches have deemed what they would like to see in their youth leader. It amazes me sometimes at what the job description ends up looking like.
Below are three different job descriptions that I found and would like to know what you think. I have removed who the churches and locations are, however, I do know that if you search well, you can find them. Please don’t send any hate mail.
- “**************”
The ideal candidate should be motivated and gifted to:
Demonstrate Godly character, personally and professionally, for the glory of God.
Cast a compelling ministry vision and execution strategy based on student need and God’s will.
Lead a team of Godly adults and students who passionately work out the ministry mission.
Design creative, relevant, Christ-centered programs that glorify God and evoke life change.
Partner with parents and other godly adults in building Christ-like character in students.
Develop regular evangelistic events to reach non-believing students for Christ.
Facilitate weekly fellowship groups to connect students with each other in faith.
Produce daily discipleship resources to help students grow their faith in God.
Provide training and opportunity to help students discover their spiritual gifts and serve others.
Teach within weekly worship experiences that inspire students to glorify God with their lives.
Train adults and student leaders to be learners and genuine servant leaders.
Organize systems for volunteer recruitment, ministry training, and program evaluation.
Establish policies and procedures for delivering edifying, efficient, and effective programs.
Propose and manage a youth ministry budget and evaluate ministry financial stewardship.
Cultivate meaningful relationships with students that promote sharing openly about real life issues.
Maintain an element of fun within the program structure.
Respond to specific ministry requests from the senior pastor. We would prefer someone with a degree from a seminary or Bible collegeand someone having experience working with youth. - Wanted: Pastor of Student Ministries
MinisterSearch (http://www.MinisterSearch.com) is excited to represent ”*********”
If you have the experience, gifting, and desire for such an opportunity, we want to hear from you! The Student Ministries Pastor is responsible to develop and implement a strategic plan for ”******” student ministries (7th-12th grade) that is fulfilling the mission of ”*****” and making steady progress towards fulfilling “*******”’s vision (1:1:1) among those students living in our ministry area.RELATIONSHIPS:
The Student Pastor is directly responsible to the Senior Team Leader/Executive Pastor.
He must work cooperatively with the Business Administrator. The Business Administrator’s functions are to implement Board policies and procedures and to facilitate the various ministries of the church by means of managing the facilities, human resources, insurance and legal issues.
The Student Pastor enjoys the same responsibilities and privileges shared by the other pastoral staff members as outlined in “*****”’s policy manual.
He will be assigned secretarial staff by the Senior Team Leader.
The staff and any volunteers assigned to him and serving in the areas for which he is responsible have a direct line of accountability to him regarding his area of ministry.
The Student Pastor is not a member of the elder board.RESPONSIBILITIES:Responsibilities to Students:
To win students to Christ and build disciples who are committed to God, His church and to His work in a lost and dying world.
To develop student leadership and provide opportunities for them to use their abilities to serve God.
To develop relationships with the students and their families.
To provide weekly instruction from the Scriptures.
To develop new programs and/or continue programs that will accomplish these goals.
To develop a strategy to meet the spiritual needs of our community as it relates to teenagers.
To make maximum use of modern technology to reach and relate to the young people.
Responsibilities to Parents:To cultivate relationships with families and help assimilate them into our church body.
To work along side of the families in assisting with the spiritual growth of their student(s).
To be available for consultation with parents concerning their student(s).
Responsibilities to Volunteer Staff:To recruit, train and develop volunteer staff.
To work together as a ministry team to develop goals and programs that will further the work of the ministry.
To be sure that all senior and junior high youth programs are adequately staffed.
To make sure the Student Ministry staff is well trained, sufficient in number and able to oversee the various programs and ministries of the Student Ministry department.
To develop a strategy to meet the spiritual needs of our community as it relates to teenagers.
Other Responsibilities:Be available to teach and preach as needed by the Senior Pastor.
Be available periodically to conduct weddings, funerals, baptisms and baby dedications as needed to assist the Senior Pastor.
Actively participate as a member of the senior leadership at ”******” to develop strategic plans and programs for the church.
To provide counseling, pastoral care and visitation as needed, especially among students, their families, and to volunteers working under your supervision.
Seek opportunities to grow and learn how to become effective in student ministry to better serve the church.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE/SKILLS:
Minimum 3 years full-time staff experience in a church of at least 350 in weekend attendance
Minimum 3 years full-time experience leading a student ministry of at least 50 students
Experience teaching students regularly, recruiting and training volunteer leaders, coordinating Sunday School and small groups for students
Bachelor Degree
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE/SKILLS:
5 years full-time experience leading a student ministry of 100 or more students
Seminary degree from a conservative, evangelical seminary
Please make sure you meet all requirements/qualifications. If you do, immediately click the APPLY button at the top of the page.
All candidate submissions will require a cover email and a resume in word.doc format attached. - Next Level Youth Pastor for an awesome church. This is a non-denominational, SPIRIT-FILLED (charismatic) church located in “********”. If you like being part of a TEAM, love WORSHIP, and are a STRATEGIC thinker, please read the job description below.
Please make sure you meet all requirements/qualifications. If you do, immediately click the APPLY button at the top of the page.
All candidate submissions will require a video. Please mail DVDs to: “*******”
SALARY RANGE: COMMENSURATE WITH EXPERIENCE
JOB DESCRIPTION / DUTIES:
Reports to Senior Pastor
Leadership of the entire youth ministry
Oversee the entire youth ministry - cast the “big picture” vision
Sr. High Ministry - communications, evangelism, discipleship training, events and activities, and fundraising aspects of that ministry
Jr. High Ministry - outings, activities and discipleship training
Conduct personal ministry, as needed, to all who are part of the Jr. High Youth and Sr. High Youth
Communicate the word to the youth of the church
Speak/Teach at youth ministry Wednesday night service
WEDNESDAY NIGHT SERVICE - progressive youth service - band is alternative - highly motivational message - challenging teens in their walk
Set up and organize youth services
Manage full-time admin assistant
Responsibility and oversight of the youth ministry budget (within church guidelines)
Oversee youth band
Oversee home groups
Develop campus ministries
Leadership of annual summer camps
Plan outreach events
Fun events
Mission trips
Personal discipleship - ministering to students right where they are
Develop youth leaders
Lead parents
Be highly motivated
Actively support the mission, vision, and programs of the ministry spiritually, materially, and physically
Attend services and special meetings
Be loyal to the ministry in conversation and action, informing the Senior Pastor of situations which could be detrimental to the ministry, and/or offering suggestions which would help strengthen the ministry and increase its effectiveness.
Attend pastoral staff meetings and meet personally with the Senior Pastor on a weekly basis.
Willingly assume responsibility for the performance of other duties and projects, as assigned by the Senior Pastor
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE/SKILLS:
At least 3 years youth ministry experience in a church with at least 500 in weekly attendance
Experience leading a youth ministry with no less than 70 students
College degree
Excellent communicator
Good sense of humor
High energy
Baptism of the Holy Spirit - evidenced by speaking in tongues
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE/SKILLS:
Bible college degree
Experience in a church of 1000+
MinisterSearch (www.MinisterSearch.com) is proud to represent an exciting opportunity for a Next Level Youth Pastor for an awesome church in Michigan. If you like being part of a TEAM, love WORSHIP, and are a STRATEGIC thinker, please read the job description below.
Please make sure you meet all requirements/qualifications. If you do, immediately click the APPLY button at the top of the page.
All candidate submissions will require a video.
If you are still here and not in a coma congratulations!
So how does or should the church come up with a job description that has the expectations in there without over doing it? Maybe it’s reverse psychology: “If the job description is long enough…he or she will have to have faith in God or pass out.”
Does anyone feel equipped to do some of those job descriptions (honestly)? Do these job descriptions produce “I’m better than all you inadequate youth pastors out there attitude if you get the job?”
Do more churches need to go this direction and expect more from their youth leaders? Are these job descriptions tied with better pay?
I’ve got questions, but hoping for some answers or responses.
8 Comments on this post
Trackbacks
-
Brian Kirk said:
Holy Moley! Some of those job descriptions sound like they are looking for a cross between Jesus, Superman, and Wonder Woman. I particularly had to chuckle at the one that repeatedly describes the pontential minister as “he.”
What about meeting a candidate and letting his or her particular gifts for ministry help to mold the job description? Where is there room in many of these listings for a new vision for the church’s youth ministry?
Note also how many times they use terms like dynamic, high energy, energetic. So in addition to being thelogically trained, having every leadership skill under the sun, being the world’s most organized person, I also have to be a cheerleader?
January 16th, 2008 at 2:05 pm -
Paul said:
I have interviewed in youth ministry for the past ten years. I am constantly astounded at how out of touch the job descriptions and “committees” are for the interview process. The last go round, I set my own guidelines, which I was very up front about with the teams.
1. If the pastor isn’t at least the second contact I get from the church, I’m done. Why would I want to spend all this time and effort with people who know next to nothing about what I will doing and who I will spending most of my time with.
2. If the team has a long list of expectations (like those above) and they can’t say what they want in three sentences, I’m done. Long lists tell me there is no unified vision for the ministry and everybody got to contribute to the list.
Side note about #2 - If you ask this committee why the last guy left, they will tell you some story. If you ask them what failure would look like in three years for you, THEN they will tell you the reason the last guy left. Long lists mean sideways leadership.
3. If they only want to talk about me as a professional and not me as a person, I’m done. Any church that treats its staff as human resources is an uncaring church that will turn on you if things don’t go the way they think.
IMO, 90% of the job boards out there for youth ministry have ads like these. They also attract people who try to fit into these lists. All of this is sad for the students and families being served in ministry because it basically limits God to that list as well.
January 20th, 2008 at 6:24 pm -
Cory said:
I’d be interested to see what they’re paying (or not paying) these “super ministers”.
January 20th, 2008 at 8:06 pm -
Dj said:
Wow! I’m just in awe of those job descriptions. It sounds like these particular churches already know exactly the mold they want their student pastors to fit. I think these are incredibly unfair expectations to have for any position inside or outside of the church.
I have to completely agree with Brian here. What they’re asking for are on completely different spectrums of the personality rainbow.
This is what I’m currently facing at my church. I work at a smaller church of about 300 and I have the responsbilities of little kids all the way up to college aged. I love all the kids, but I’m not really that gifted with the little kids and people just don’t seem to understand that I can’t have every single youth ministry ‘gift’ under the sun. So you just have to do your best with what you have.
So, I definitely would not measure up to these standards.
January 21st, 2008 at 7:27 am -
Richard said:
Nothing like seeing those posts and at the end the compensation package is a “generous salary and benefits” - $24,000/yr and health insurance. That assuming they are brazen enough to post that. Many times you don’t find that out until you really press for that info. I have spent much time being contacted by churches like this (because I certainly do not contact them with a family and two cars…) only to tell them they need to scale back their description and hire part-time or pay for what they want. Seems many churches cannot seem to do without the all important “executive secretary” who makes 1.5x to 2x what is being offered to the YP who will serve double the secy. hours and quadruple the secy. duties.
My most favorites are those who want P/T of 30 hours a week, mandatory staff meeting once a week - DURING THE DAY - and many extra-curricular appearances and activities. Problem is when are these slaves… I, mean YP’s, supposed to make their living? All for the generous pay of $200 - $600/month.
Guys, there are younger, if not younger-minded, pastors out there who do understand and are upfront about pay and real world hours/duties that match the pay. These are the guys that tell you that two nights a week your phone needs to be off for your family (and sanity), tell you to take off Mondays since Sundays are usually a 12-16 hour marathon of activities and ministry, push to let your other leaders share the load so you aren’t a one-man/woman-program and many other good things.
WAIT for these. Your sanity, ministry and family (if applicable) will thank you. Do not be so zealous that you throw away common sense and ignore that lack of inner peace that is probably churning like an old fashioned ice cream maker. It is a sad situation for those affected youth, but even worse for the YP who loses their family, desire for ministry and God and who knows what else after being beaten down by churches that do not have a clue.
January 24th, 2008 at 7:57 pm -
Joecephus said:
I’ve been applying for many youth pastor jobs and there is one main thing I think has been over looked here. THEY WANT IT TO BE A MARRIED MAN, SO HIS WIFE WILL HELP FREE OF CHARGE. I dont think some of these churches actually care whether or not a person has a true passion and desire to be a youth pastor. They would rather higher a “cool guy with a wife” than a man who “has a passion and desire to lead youth to become completely on fire for God!”. . . this is my problem, I have the calling, the passion and the desire, but I am single and thats a no no.
April 4th, 2008 at 10:38 pm -
Carrie said:
Joecephus, you forget the all important YP’s goatee, can’t get hired without one. My fiance is a YP, and my college major was Christian Counseling, my master’s degree is youth and family counseling, so church’s really think that they will get two for one, while paying 1/2. I may have to work at a secular job just to make ends meet until I find a church job, preferably one for us together.
April 19th, 2008 at 3:14 pm -
John said:
Wow…those descriptions are right on (an pretty insane). I often wonder how the guys like Doug Fields and Louie Giglio have acheived the posistions they have. I heard Duffy Robinson say that the only reason he’s still in youth ministry is b/c he’s hard headed. This is a do or die field and it is sad that to many good men and women die trying to make a difference for the Kingdom.
August 25th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
