Youth Pastor
(Male, Age 29) from Brooklyn Park, MN
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Male aged 29 who works as a Youth Pastor in Brooklyn Park, MN. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Youth Pastor |
|---|---|
| Salary | $29,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 30 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Brooklyn Park, MN |
| Years Experience | 3 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I work in a medium-sized contemporary suburban church affiliated with the EFCA.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
Speak/teach, program and budget events, counsel students, perform admin duties, media and creative elements, and facilitate some adult ministry duties.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
None, I get those through my second job.
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
Under
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I deal with others most of the time, but it depends on how my week breaks down. I typically get a day or two per week to do my office work with few distractions.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Office, home, coffee shops, and in the community. I’m all over the place. Some days I like this, while others I abhor it.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 2
Benefits: 6
Hours: 3
Co-Workers: 4
Supervisors: 5
Job Title: 8
Level of Responsibility: 7
The Actual Work: 1
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | OFF |
| 8am to 9am | OFF |
| 9am to 10am | Meeting with the student ministry intern. Discussing his goals, progress, and an area of ministry leadership that he needs to learn. |
| 10am to 11am | Event planning for an upcoming event. Budgeting for a large student event in August. Weighing projected attendance with costs and determining viability of event. |
| 11am to 12pm | Lunch meeting with staff. Discussing what’s going on with the youth ministry, talking about upcoming church events, scheduling meetings. |
| 12pm to 1pm | Going home to do final sermon preparations for youth group tonight. |
| 1pm to 2pm | Final sermon preparations: looking over material, making minor adjustments to content and presentation. |
| 2pm to 3pm | OFF |
| 3pm to 4pm | OFF |
| 4pm to 5pm | Set up/prep youth center, including lights, powerpoints, media run-through’s, sound checks. |
| 5pm to 6pm | Meeting with the volunteer team and worship leader. Discuss topic for the night, student needs, prayer together. |
| 6pm to 7pm | Youth Group: open gym with students, hanging out with them, meeting friends, etc. |
| 7pm to 8pm | Youth Group: worship band up, followed by up-front triva and contests, followed by sermon for the night. |
| 8pm to 9pm | Youth Group: closing music, praying with kids. Tear down around 8:45 and debriefing with staff. |
| 9pm to 10pm | Home for the night around 9:30pm. |
| 10pm to 11pm | |
| 11pm to 12am |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
Website
What was the application process?
Resume
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes. Several rounds of interviews were conducted with many different people.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
Many questions regarding vision, practice, and those “what would you do if…” questions.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Not at all, but it’s not their job to prepare me, per se.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes, 4-year undergrad, 2-year graduate/interships, and 8 years of volunteering.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
In theology, yes. In practice, no. It’s all trial, error, and experience with this.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
Absolutely. Watching good leaders is critical.
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Believe it or not, youth ministry is very competetive. At minimum, a 4-year degree is required (I recommend a Bible/Theology degree with a youth emphasis). Seminary is a good idea, too. Get as much time volunteering in youth ministry under the belt as well; gain those practical skills.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Organizational/administrative skills, people skills, wisdom, responsibility, love of teenagers, patience, teaching ability, creativity, knowledge of media, culture, and tech. You must wear many hats in this job! If you’re boring and/or lazy, you will not do well.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Absolutely, kids ask hard questions and expect a lot.
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Visit a church before you apply. Talk with people who attend there. Ask tough questions about working conditions and personality types. Be specific when asking questions while candidating.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes.
What are your current career goals?
To be doing this, but better and more effectively.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
Ministry is great, but you need thick skin. There’s negatives about every occupation and people love to whine about everything, so don’t listen to that junk. If you want in on this career, go for it. It’s hard work, but it’s a blast.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Behavior Spc. | 5 yrs | 23000 | |
| Prior Job 2 |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:3.6
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.4 | Bethel University | |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
Berean |
Ask a Question of this Mentor
This mentor has opted to receive questions from people interested in this career or job position. Please be respectful of their time and willingness to help. Include some basic relevant background so they can intelligently answer your question.