How To Become A Youth Pastor

Last updated on: June 24, 2015 at 11:25 am by Jack Wellman

How To Become A Youth Pastor 2015-06-24T11:25:25-05:00 Jack Wellman

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Here are a few things that may help you know how you might become a youth pastor or if God is calling you to be one..

Are you Called?

I believe that to be a youth pastor, one may need a calling of God first. A good way to find out if you are called to be a youth pastor is to first volunteer as a youth worker to see if you enjoy it. God typically gifts us, equips us, and calls us into something that we thoroughly enjoy doing. It’s like you would be miserable doing anything but what God has called you into. Like the runner in Chariots of Fire, you will feel God’s holy pleasure in doing what you do. You will know with an absolute certainty that this is what you were called to do and would be unhappy doing anything else. It closely resembles that of a pastoral calling. It is an overwhelming sense that this is what you were created for. Being a youth pastor is sometimes the first step into becoming a church pastor. This gives the man good experience in working with youth in teaching biblical principles that will later be useful if you are called into a part-time or full-time ministry. Some churches require a background in education like an associates or bachelor degree but this is not necessary always the case.

Required Skills of a Youth Pastor

Since God equips every believer with at least one or more gifts of the Spirit, we also need certain physical skills that are required for certain functions within the body of Christ and for a youth pastor particular skills are essential. These include public speaking experience, decision making, active listening, instructional skills, leadership tendencies, creativity, enthusiasm, and most importantly, a public and private demonstration of faith in God. Part of your responsibility is to equip and encourage young people to learn more about their own faith and show them how to use that in their everyday lives like in witness to their friends and family, in doing community service and in providing young people with activities that broaden their faith and utilize their own skills so that they too can learn what God is calling them to do in their lives. This means that you must be a positive and influential role model because this can help them keep the Word of God going from their own generation to the next.

The Need for Youth Pastors

Did you know that America’s teenagers are the largest unreached group of people in America today? There are hundreds of churches today looking for youth pastors who can lead and guide the next generation into faith and it might be in your own church! They are not the future of the church; they are the here and now of the church. Churches today, as I write this, are all looking for heroes and role models and maybe that’s you. Sadly, during the adolescent years in which this God-ordained “window of opportunity” is open, they rarely meet up with a real live disciple of Christ who can introduce them to Jesus! Many of these young men and women are currently waiting for someone to come and help build a Christ-centered community where they can grow in their faith and that someone could be you. It is possible that you are one of those people that God is calling to ministry at this moment and you feel like crying out, “Here I am, Lord, send me!”

Seek Godly Counsel

I strongly urge you to speak with your own pastor about this or other church leaders who are involved in the ministry, including youth ministry. Maybe you can sit in as a substitute, volunteer, or full-time Sunday school teacher to see if it’s right for you. Surround yourself with those who have been or are presently in the situation that you desire to be. The indication that you might be called is that you have this passionate desire to make a difference in the lives of young men and women and to mentor them, to disciple them, and to train and equip them into become disciples for Christ. It is true that great rewards only come to those who take great risks. The worst thing that could happen is that you can try it and see that it’s not right for you but even worse is to not try at all and then you’ll never know if this is what God was calling you into. The very fact that you are reading this might suggest that God has put a burden for the youth on your heart because if it wasn’t there, I believe that you wouldn’t even be reading this right now. My inclination is that if you are still interested and haven’t changed your mind by the time you’ve reached this point, God may indeed be calling you for this great purpose. He may want to use this experience as a youth pastor to launch you into something else down the road but it must always be for His glory for nothing else matters.

Conclusion

The church has never had a greater need for youth pastors or youth ministers. If this is your calling, you will know it. Maybe you’ll hear the confirmation of others in the church or from the youth themselves but most importantly, maybe you’re feeling this calling from an inward sense. The call of God is usually expressed outwardly by others and inwardly in yourself and upwardly from God. You have nothing to lose except an opportunity to make a difference in the kingdom. You won’t regret trying it…you will regret at least not trying to see if this is what God is calling you to do.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon.

Previous Post

June 24, 2015

How To Teach Your Children The True Meaning Of Christmas

Next Post

June 24, 2015 How To Find The Right Church For You And Your Family

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Answers Bible Definitions Bible Story Bible Study Bible Verses Christian Books Christian Entertainment Christian Fathers Christian Mothers Christian Quotes Devotional Famous Christians Music News Parables Prayers Quotes Sunday School Lesson Uncategorized Youth Sermons

Select a Month October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Commanded to go to Nineveh, I fled in the opposite direction on a ship to Tarshish. Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Elijah Jonah Hosea Jeremiah