Hiring A Staff Person                                                                                

How a congregation goes about bringing on a new staff person is crucial!

Many a situation has gone awry due to a congregation not successfully going about the process of bringing on new staff person. Likewise, many youth ministry candidates do not ask the right questions and/or accept poor delegations.

A strong youth ministry staff person willing to work with the children and youth in your congregation can be extremely hard to find and keep.

We believe youth staff positions have to work, for the sake of the youth and the congregation.  If they do not, many congregations will wait years until they "try again", due to broken dreams and damaged relationships.

Keeping this in mind, please consider the following...

First, can your congregation articulate answers found on the page "Questions That Need Answers"?

Second, here are additional questions that should be answered before hiring a Children's, Youth, and/or Family Ministry Position for your congregation.  These questions could be the agenda at a meeting or series of meetings.

 Position Vision
  • What is the vision for the position? Can you articulate the vision?
  • What do you hope will be the result of bringing this person on board?
  • What do you envision the ministry to look like a year from now? 3 years from now? 5 years from now?

Congregational Support
The more members who are onboard with the need for the position the greater chances are for success.

  • Is the church council & congregation onboard with the idea?
  • What have you done to bring the congregation onboard?
  • Does your congregation understand that ministry to young people involves the entire congregation?
  • Does each member understand their specific role in the ministry?
Ministry Philosophy
  • What is your congregational philosophy of ministry as it pertains to young people?

Support Teams
  • Ministry Team: Has a team of people been identified that will give at least a two year commitment of direct involvement?
  • Support Team: Has a team of members been identified that the new staff member can bounce ideas off of? (Members who are aware of the traditions of the congregation and can help the staff person avoid pitfalls and walls as they engage in new ideas, tweaks and changes.)

Position Description
  • Does the Position Description exist?
  • Is it prioritized? By hour or by percentages? By week? By month?
  • Does the position have adequate funding?
  • Are benefits included in the financial package?
  • Is there a budget for programming and other financial needs?
  • How will the new youth staffer receive continued education or training?

Job Posting
  •  Where and how will you advertise the position?

Interview Process
  • Who will be a part of the interview team?
  • Will the process include a chance for interaction with students? Parents?
  • What questions will you ask during the interview?
  • Will there be a chance for a theological discussion with a Pastor?
 
Click Below For More Information on Interviewing:

Be Careful How You Word Questions. Although this document was originally designed for the secular workplace, consider how you word your questions.

Sample Job Interview Questions for Youth Directors