Articles Youth Ministry Articles Hire Me! Finding a Place God Can Use You in Youth Ministry
| Hire Me! Finding a Place God Can Use You in Youth Ministry |
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 By Jonathan McKee and David R. Smith So, you believe that God has called you to invest your life into loving and leading teenagers? Awesome! The rewards of a job as a youth worker are great, but so are the challenges. On top of working long hours for a meager salary which forces you to survive on pizza and Mountain Dew, you’ll also have to contend with budgets, parents, and teenage mood swings. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves.
First, before you enter this “Promised Land,” you’ll have to face the search committee. The following are just a few “lessons learned” from the daunting process of finding and landing a job in the crazy world of youth ministry.
Denominational Websites simply cannot be overlooked, especially if you have a particular affiliation. Most denominations have websites that allow you to search for youth ministry jobs by state. And don’t forget about the cafeteria at Christian colleges and theological seminaries; they often have job openings posted on a board. First Impressions: Resumes and Interviews OK, so you found the “perfect fit” for you (and your family). Now what? The old saying, “You never get a second chance to make a great first impression,” is never truer than in this instance. Their first glimpse of you will probably be your resume and your first interview. If you mess up either of those, you won’t get a second chance at anything! A few months ago I passed a friend’s resume to a church looking for a youth pastor. When he first sent it to me, it was full of misspellings and grammatical errors. I asked him if he proofed it and he said, “My wife proofed it.” Even if your spouse is an English teacher, don’t just have your spouse proof it. Put your resume in front of several sets of eyes. Include a pastor and an English teacher in the mix. Your resume is your FIRST impression. Interviews are just as vital. Don’t walk into an interview without considerable preparation. First, know yourself and the organization. Before meeting with the search committee, read up on the church’s/ministry’s mission statement and/or core values. Do you even meet their criteria? Are you aligned with their doctrine? There’s no sense in trying to get a job at a Presbyterian Church if you’re not predestined! And you can kiss that Baptist job goodbye if you spilled your beer last time you went dancing. Second, practice the interview with friends or colleagues. Not only does this give you a chance to get feedback on your answers, it also allows you a “heads up” peek at some of the standard questions often asked in a ministry interview. TheSource4YM.com has a fantastic sample youth ministry job description, a sample job interview guide, and similar resources on its Logistical Crud page. Third, and most important, maintain integrity. It’s unfortunate, but too many people vying for ministry positions intentionally misrepresent themselves to get the job. You’re not Doug Fields; don’t turn in a resume that looks like it! Just last week we looked at a youth worker’s resume that was full of misrepresentations. This individual documented himself as “Assistant Youth Pastor” for four years at a church. When we called his old “boss,” we found out that he was actually a Wednesday night volunteer… not even a very dedicated one at that. Don’t stretch the truth. Authenticity shines. Be mindful of balancing genuine humility with personal confidence. Last, interview back. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of THEM! “Do you have any expectations as to what percentage of my time should be devoted to outreach and what percentage devoted to spiritual growth?” “Do you have a job description?” “Do you like to see youth in ‘big church’ on Sunday, or at their own youth service?” “How would this church respond if we started reaching out to skaters and they started attending on Sunday morning?” “What happened to the last youth pastor?” “What does the job pay?” “What are the benefits, if any?” “Who does the position report to?” This helps eliminate those “nasty” little surprises that might arise after a hire. Make a Plan for Making the Decision Jonathan McKee, president of The Source for Youth Ministry, is the author of numerous youth ministry books including the brand new 10-Minute Talks, and the award winning books Do They Run When They See You Coming? and Getting Students to Show Up. He speaks and trains at camps, conferences, and events across North America, and provides free resources for youth workers internationally on his website, TheSource4YM.com. David R. Smith is the Director of Content Development at TheSource4YM.com, providing truly free resources and ideas that help youth workers reach kids. David speaks and trains around the U.S., sharing the gospel, and equipping others to do the same. |
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