Questions Youth Pastors should ask a potential church

If you have ever been interviewed at a church for the position of youth pastor you know how difficult those can be.  Most of the time a church wants to know how you will handle issues in the youth ministry different than the last guy (this is done with “leading” questions like “what would you do if…”, or “what would you do about…”) and how much money you want. 

But, did you know that if you are interviewing at a church that you also need to “interview” them?  They are asking you to pack up and move to their town so you need to have a good idea of what the church dynamics and leadership is like BEFORE you say yes to the call. 

It is vital that the church know your core values, belief statements, and your leadership style before they hire you…it is also vital that you get as much information you can before you accept the invitation to move to a church.  Here are some sample questions to ask a potential church seeking you as a youth pastor:

1) What is the church mission/vision statement? – If they do not have one or if it cannot be defined it may explain a lot about the church.  This is not necessarily a cause to not accept the position, but one that definitely needs investigated.

2) Why do you need me as your youth pastor? – I have always been asked “why do you want to come here” but it is always surprising to here a potential church answer this question of why they want the candidate for their church.  This helps know if they truly prayed about whom to interview, or did they pick one out of the pile, or was your resume the only one received.  It also helps you understand the written and unwritten expectations of the ministry.

3) What are the biggest needs of teenagers in this church?  -- This helps me know how much of a pulse the church leadership has on the young people in their own church.  The answer to this question tells a lot about how much a church values teenagers.

4) What issues has the church gone through in the last 5 years and what were the lessons learned?  -- This helps you understand church leadership and if there are still unresolved issues that may be carried to your hire.  I learned this one the hard way.

5) What is the WRITTEN ministry description?  -- Get it in writing.  Get it signed.

There are probably more to add to this list, but this should help any of my youth pastor friends who are looking for a church to serve in and should help any church leaders who may be looking for a youth pastor in knowing what questions your candidate should know before coming to your church.

For long term ministry partnerships to happen the right person must be the right fit, and the only way that happens is when a church and pastor pray about being in the right place and they have all the information they need from the Holy Spirit to make an informed decision. 

Thanks for reading!

P.S.  Mt. Gilead people, I am not going anywhere and do not ever intend to go anywhere.  This blog was just on my mind the last week or so and needed to write it.