Youth ministers tend to be expected to wear a variety of hats . . . Dodgeball referee. Game show host. Comedian. Inspirational speaker. Social media influencer. Family counselor. Here are the top duties of a youth pastor, and what might be included in a youth pastor’s job description.
Youth Pastor Job Description
When you read through a pastoral job description for a youth minister, you may see a broad spectrum of who they impact — from children, to teens, young adults, or families. No matter the focus of your ministry, a youth pastor should be investing in students through prayer, teaching God’s words, building relationships, and raising up leaders.
A youth pastor is expected to manage the youth ministry’s budget, and coordinate events for the ministry. This may span across all ages, or it may be specific to middle and high school students. Grow Students Curriculum provides youth pastors with guides for events ranging from midweek service, small group gatherings, summer camps, and spring retreats. A youth pastor’s job also includes connecting youth with local service projects. These are tangible ways youth can apply what they are learning about their faith from a youth pastor, who plans and prepares weekly sermons.
Youth Pastor’s Top Duties
These 10 duties of a pastor encompass the broad range of responsibilities of someone working in youth ministry. Each church is different, so duties may vary, but this can be used as a pastoral job description framework for a youth minister.
-
Pray for The Ministry
The Bible mentions one of the most important duties of a pastor — to be devoted to prayer. It’s a great example for those of us working with students to remember to pray regularly.
-
Teach God’s Words
A youth pastor gets to meet students where they are at, and share the message of God’s grace in a way they connect with. Using a curriculum is an excellent way to ensure a solid teaching framework with key topics of study.
-
Create Safe and Welcoming Environments
Each week, a youth ministry gathers for teaching, worship, Bible studies, and outreach activities. From the moment a student steps through the door, to the tone of the gathering, and volunteers the students interact with, the youth minister is responsible for fostering healthy and beneficial spaces.
-
Build a Leadership Team
No youth pastor can run a ministry on their own, and you shouldn’t have to! A healthy leadership team is necessary for a thriving ministry. Build a team with different ways for volunteers to contribute — from leading small groups, to providing hospitality, running tech, leading worship, or planning events.
-
Disciple Others
When it comes to important duties of a youth pastor, making disciples is absolutely essential. When discipleship happens, students are growing in their understanding of God and the Bible, and their lives are producing the fruit of that growth.
-
Build Relationships With Families
A youth pastor comes alongside a family or trusted adults in their lives to invest in that teenager. This looks like weekly emails detailing what small groups are discussing, parent nights, and being available to meet with families when needed.
-
Connect With Local Schools and Community Organizations
Most pastoral job descriptions will list something about growing the ministry with the purpose of reaching more people with the love of God. By fostering these relationships, a youth pastor will open the doors for service opportunities in the community for the students to participate in.
-
Connect the Youth Ministry With the Whole Church
A youth ministry should feel connected to the whole church. Trusted adults from the congregation can help by taking time to mentor and disciple the youth and children. It’s important for young people to see that they are a valuable part of the bigger church family. Whether it’s through service opportunities, mentorships, or by worshiping together, a youth pastor has the responsibility to facilitate this.
-
Provide Spiritual Guidance and Counsel
As a leader in the church, students and families will look to their youth minister for spiritual guidance and counsel — especially in times of crisis. This looks like being someone available to meet with, listen to, pray over, read God’s words with, provide wise advice, or direct to a biblical counselor when necessary.
-
Have Fun!
So far, the 10 duties of a pastor listed are invaluable to a thriving youth ministry, and this one is no different! Having fun together builds trust, breaks down barriers, and relieves stress. Joy is God’s gift to us — despite the circumstances we experience in this world, God’s love saves us. Why wouldn’t that be exciting and fun-filled!
Youth Pastor’s Skills and Qualifications
Depending on the church and its specific pastoral job description, skills and qualifications may vary. Here’s a starting point when considering what would make a person a good fit for the role:
- Belief in Jesus as Savior and evidence of a relationship with God
- Great communication and interpersonal skills, especially when building trust with teens and children
- Passion for sharing biblical, gospel-centered messages to young people
- Creativity and a willingness to try new things for reaching kids, teens, and young adults with the gospel
- Excellent organizational skills for managing events, programing, and teams of people
- Availability and flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and long hours
A youth pastor should meet basic educational requirements for the role. A high school diploma may suffice but a college degree with a biblical focus may be preferable. Experience working with adolescents and teenagers and an understanding of their needs and challenges is vital. A willingness to grow and further their knowledge in the field is also valuable.
Youth Pastor’s Experience Requirements
A youth pastor should have experience working with kids, teens, and families. This will give them the general understanding of protocol, safety measures, and empathy needed to facilitate a youth ministry. They should also have some level of Biblical education or certification. Most of all, a youth pastor should be a team player — someone who is able to communicate well with leaders of other ministries in the church community.
Industry and Job Growth Trends
The youth pastoral industry typically includes work within a church setting, or a community setting such as schools or hospitals. It is also possible for a youth pastor to find work internationally on the missions field, as well as with other non-profits outside of their home country. This industry is not expected to increase in coming years, with a steady job growth development.
Youth Pastor and Teens
A youth minister sees the value of building genuine relationships with young people. They see the different needs of this group, but understand their equal importance in the community. Teens know when someone is sincere. Showing youth that they matter through making time and providing beneficial ministry is key in engagement.
FAQ
Should a youth pastor have a seminary degree?
Depending on the pastoral job description, a seminary degree may be preferred but experience and other educational backgrounds may suffice. A youth minister should possess experience and skills in teaching the Bible, providing wise counsel, managing multiple projects, and working with young people.
What’s a youth pastor’s day in the life like?
The daily life of a youth minister will look different depending on the week or season. From planning events, to studying for messages, to meeting with students, to training new leaders, to building stage sets, the daily to-dos will change. Ultimately, youth pastors must be well-organized and flexible in meeting the needs of their ministry and people.
What qualities make a good youth pastor?
A good youth pastor is intentional about the youth they work with. In reality, the youth pastor only spends an hour or two a week with a student who regularly attends, and even then, it’s not entirely one-on-one time. To do this, a youth pastor can communicate regularly with families and provide resources for discipleship. In order to grow a ministry, a youth pastor can try getting outside the church walls regularly. They can find ways to serve their community by connecting with local schools and organizations. This will allow youth ministers to tailor outreach opportunities to their community’s needs.
The responsibilities of a youth pastor will vary depending on the church and the ministry context, but these 10 duties of a pastor span the key areas for health, growth, and flourishing. The call to serve students and families is an important one, with it’s own unique challenges, but the reward of serving, equipping, and sending out this generation of Christ followers is great!
We created Grow Curriculum because we know goals aren’t easy to set or achieve without some help. The Grow Curriculum and Annual Strategy (now available for kids, students, or adult small groups) is designed specifically to help you set and achieve your ministry goals and more by giving you all of the tools, teaching material, discipleship activities, volunteer training, family resources, and planning assistance that you need.
