Any interview can be stressful and intimidating. This is especially true for a ministry job. When interviewing for a youth pastor position, you want to make sure to come prepared. One important and often overlooked layer to this is making sure that the church and staff are a good fit for you and your family, not just you being a good fit for them. Far too often, youth pastors don’t ask enough questions during the interview process and end up working for a church or staff culture they don’t enjoy. Some youth pastors regret taking the position and end up frustrated and lost. This can be avoided by asking more key questions during the interview to ensure you know what you’re getting yourself into. Here are 9 questions you’ll regret not asking in your youth pastor interview:
1. What will my relationship with the lead pastor look like?
Every lead pastor has their own style of leadership. Some are very relational, while others are more distant. Some make themselves accessible to their staff, while others have stronger boundaries with how they interact with their staff. Some want to know everything you’re doing and want to be involved with how decisions are made in the youth ministry, while others want you to be fully empowered. You are going to want to know the type of relationship you will have with the lead pastor. This will help set proper expectations for you and let you know if this is a lead pastor you want to work for or not.
2. What is the leadership and accountability structure of the church?
How the leadership of the church is structured helps you know where you fit into that structure. You want to know who your direct report is and who to go to for support and accountability. You’re also going to want to know the checks and balances in place. What is the role of the elders? Who keeps the lead pastor accountable? If something were to happen to the lead pastor or a staff member, what would happen, and who would step in to resolve the matter? Structures and organizational charts are meant to keep reporting and authority structures clear and in check. Knowing there are safety measures in place and who to go to with any issue will help you determine if this is the church for you.
3. What is the history and story of the church and youth ministry?
This may be the most interesting question you’ll ask and also the most insightful. How the church started and the stories of how it got to where they are today can tell you a lot about where the church is headed. Is this a newer or older church? Have there been major transitions in leadership? Has there been a lot of staff turnover? It also helps to know at what stage the youth ministry is. If it’s a brand new youth ministry starting from scratch, that will require a very different strategy than if you’re taking over a ministry that’s well established. You will also want to know if there’s been a lot of turnover in the youth pastor role. If there has, that may be a red flag of a bad culture or unrealistic expectations from the leadership.
4. What is the church’s staff culture?
Knowing the staff culture helps you to determine if this is the best environment for you. Is it more laidback? Is it a more professional setting? Do the staff get along? Are there good dynamics across all the different ministry areas, or are the ministry areas siloed? Is this a fun place to work? A good follow-up question would be to ask what staff values are in place. Do your personal values fit theirs? It’s important to find out the staff dynamics and how you see yourself fitting into it. Every church is different, and every leader creates a different culture with their team. Being well-informed on the overall staff and team dynamics will help you know whether this is the right staff and team for you.
5. What is the average attendance of the youth ministry?
The size of the youth ministry isn’t the most important thing to know. However, it helps you to understand what you would be working with. Is it growing and in a healthy place? Are they stagnant and need an overhaul? Are you dealing with a youth ministry of a few dozen or hundreds? This helps determine where the youth ministry is and where it needs to go. The size and scope will change your responsibilities and priorities and the types of things you’ll focus on.
6. How many volunteers does the youth ministry currently have?
This question helps you to identify two important things. First, you will find out what you would be working with regarding volunteers. The team size helps you figure out if you’ll need to spend a lot of time recruiting new volunteers or take the team you have and build on it. Second, it helps you determine if the volunteer culture is healthy or needs attention. The team size doesn’t always translate to a healthy or unhealthy culture, but it gives you a good idea of where things may be and what may need to change.
7. What did the former youth pastor do well, and what would you like to continue from their ministry?
This question will help you determine if the former youth pastor was well-liked or not and if the leaders of the church were happy with what they were doing. Taking over from a well-loved youth pastor can be intimidating and challenging. There may be specific strategies, events, traditions, or systems they want you to continue. Is that something you’re comfortable with? Is this a culture and expectation you can live up to? Again, you can know what to expect from the church leaders, students, and parents and determine if this is the right place for you.
8. What was the former youth pastor missing, and what would you like to see change?
Similar to the last question, this will help you to know what the former youth pastor wasn’t getting right. Knowing this gives you insight into what they are looking for from their next youth pastor. Is there a lot that needs to be upgraded? Are there specific changes they want to make? Is it a blank canvas, or are you simply coloring within predetermined lines? Having this information allows you to figure out the kind of youth pastor they want and if that’s who you are. Or not.
9. What would my expectations be on Sunday mornings?
Some churches only have one service, while others have multiple services. Some youth pastors are a part of the preaching and communication team, while others are not. Some pastors want their youth pastors to connect with students, parents, and potential students, while others are fine with their youth pastors just attending. Knowing what your responsibilities are from Sunday to Sunday helps prepare you for the level of engagement they want from you. This is especially helpful if you have a family. It may be exactly the type of job you want to be doing, or it may not. You must also take into consideration if this is a setup and tear-down situation or if they have a permanent building. Both will have different Sunday commitments and expectations from everyone.
Entering your youth pastor interview, you need to be interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. Asking these specific questions will give you the understanding you need to decide if this position and church are right for you. Make sure to give yourself space to process the answers you receive. Ask God for wisdom. Everyone wants to end up in a win-win situation where you’re happy, and the church is happy. You’ve got this!
Was this article helpful? You might also enjoy:
