Looking for a good youth pastor can be difficult.
Trust me, I know.
Not only have I served as a youth pastor, but I have also now hired several youth pastors in my various senior-level roles. The role of a youth pastor can be difficult; many people believe they can be good at it—even if they are not. Perhaps they think, I was a youth, so I can pastor them. Or I can’t mess up a youth too bad—might as well give it a shot.
Truth be told, being a youth pastor is one of the most thankless jobs in the church. It is also one of the hardest and most lonely jobs. It calls for pastoring teens who are changing and navigating big life issues every day. You also, perhaps unexpectedly, are called to pastor their parents—who are also changing and facing the big life issues of their teens. Finding the right pastor for this role can be very difficult, but writing a clear job description can help you attract and identify the right candidate.
Questions to be mindful of while writing the youth pastor job description:
What are the primary roles you want this person to fill?
What are the secondary roles?
Do you want him to be directly involved in every youth’s life, or do you want him to mobilize other leaders to do most of the daily shepherding?
Do you want him to teach the teens topically, or expositionally?
What level of administrative skills are needed for this person to carry to ensure the ministry (and many events with many teens) is executed well?
What is the reporting structure you want for the youth pastor?
As we wrote the job description for our most recent youth pastor hire, I thought of these items and many more. We finally landed on a job description that was divided between primary and secondary roles and responsibilities. I also determined that I wanted the Student Ministries to teach the teens in a topical and expository style, preparing them to be a part of what we regularly do with the adults on Sunday.
The job description we wrote is below. Adapt it and make it your own. Comment below or contact me if you have any questions!
