What makes a great youth pastor?
BY: Bobby Jones
What Makes a Great Youth Pastor
When given the opportunity to choose a topic from the list provided by my friends at Strength to Stand, why in the world would I choose, “What Makes a Great Youth Pastor?” Is it because I think I am one of the most qualified to share on the topic? No. Is it because I’ve been serving in youth ministry for 30 years? I have but no. Is it because I’ve got this youth ministry thing all figured out? Definitely not!
Two reasons:
I have been called to serve the next generation. This is a privilege, an honor and an awesome opportunity that comes with great responsibility. This is NOT a stepping stone to senior pastor, church planter or the next best position. It is an investment that requires time, Holy Spirit giftedness, and lots of prayer and patience. If you have been called to serve in youth ministry, praise God! The next generation desperately needs you to provide every opportunity to understand and live out what matters most. They need youth ministers to give priority to relationships where they build trust for open and honest communication. Youth deserve our very best. I want you to be great for their benefit and God’s glory.
I had the very fortunate chance to have, what I believe to be, one of the very best youth pastors when I was growing up. And I had the same youth pastor from seventh through twelfth grade. Bill Hughes has been serving in youth ministry for over 50 years and he continues to serve at Priscilla Baptist Church in Bell, Florida. He loves Jesus and he loves his family. But Bill has been called to share the the gospel with and disciple the next generation. He does so faithfully year in and year out. God gets the glory and his students get his very best.
For those two reasons alone, for the benefit of the next generation and from what I have personally experienced, I hope to give you a few insights on what makes a great youth pastor. Now being a youth pastor myself, I know you probably have a staff meeting coming up, prospects to connect with, a Wednesday message to finish, social media posts to update, rooms to set up, snacks and supplies to purchase, explanations to give to the senior pastor of why there is another hole in the hallway, and the list goes on and on. Just since I started typing this out, I’ve had four different staff members walk into my office. I get it. Will you give me five minutes of your time? I’ll give you a list with a little explanation of what makes a great youth pastor. If you’d like to talk further, ask questions or just reach out, I’ll post ways to connect with me at the end.
So here you go! Top Five Things that Make a Great Youth Pastor:
A great youth pastor puts God first. There is a popular leadership quote, “you cannot lead someone where you have not been.” The most important thing you will do in youth ministry is lead students into a growing relationship with God. If this is not the number one priority in your personal life, you will not be able to lead others to make it true in theirs. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” God has no other place in your life if He is not first. Focus on your personal, growing relationship with Him. Let Him fill you up to overflowing. Let your youth ministry be the result and the recipients of the overflow.
A great youth pastor loves and serves his family well. When my sons where four and two, we were driving my in laws around the town where we were serving. We had been there for about two years and we were just on the other side of the hardest year and a half transition I had ever experienced in ministry. My wife asked if I was sure that God had called us there and not Satan. It was hard! I spent countless hours in meetings. Countless months doing events and connecting and building relationships with students. When wepassed by the church in the car with my in laws, one of my boys said, “That’s where my daddy lives.” I knew what he meant but he said what he said. Do not sacrifice your family on the alter of ministry. Spend as much or more time planning your family life as you do your ministry. God will honor your ministry as you love your wife as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25) and as you train up your children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6).
A great youth pastor genuinely loves students. When most people are put into a room full of teenagers, they begin looking for the nearest exit. Those called to serve the next generation see teenagers as God sees them. I see their desperate need for the gospel, their craving to be a part of something that is bigger than themselves and their potential to be what Shane Pruitt has labeled as the “Revival Generation.” The youth that you and I serve have been through so much: the introduction and navigation of social media, COVID, distance learning, debates and divisions about gender identity, politics, religion, sexual preferences and race, along with skyrocketing suicide rates from anxiety, loneliness, bullying and depression. Youth need you to point them to the Source of love, stability, truth, help, and purpose. Let your love for them fuel your passion for sharing the gospel and discipling them to become disciple-makers.
A great youth pastor has staying power. “Youth ministry is tough” may be the biggest understatement of all times. Youth ministry is a thankless job, but I learned this lesson a long time ago: “if you want applause, join the circus.” Youth ministry is a difficult job. You are expected to be the spiritual leader, event planner, creative genius, budget manager, bus driver, parent counselor, pastor, mentor, and friend. On top of all of that, there will be times when adversity seems to be your new best friend: exhausting schedule, demanding parents, painful circumstances, strenuous relationships with team members or staff, problematic youth, and insignificant growth. What do you do in the middle of all of this? You stay. Some studies show that the average tenure of a youth pastor is down from eighteen months to just fourteen months. Stay! Staying communicates to students they matter more than the situations we face. Staying communicates that the gospel matters more than mayhem. Staying allows God to build leaders in your youth ministry that take ownership in and responsibility for reaching new students. Leaving is easy. In 50+ years of youth ministry, my youth pastor, Bill Hughes, has served in four churches. I am currently in my thirteenth year at Parkway Baptist Church in Auburn, AL. Stay!
A great youth pastor never stops learning. A great leader is a consistent learner. Learning does not happen by accident. You must be intentional. Reading is a great way to learn. I know, I know, you do not have the time. Jeff Henderson, former pastor with North Point Ministries and author of “Know What You’re For” and “What To Do Next,” once told me that if you read 10 pages a day, you’ll likely read close to 3000 pages in a year. How many books could you learn from, benefit from, process with 3000 pages of opportunity? Ten pages a day usually takes me fifteen to thirty minutes depending on what I am reading. There are many other great ways to learn. Join a youth pastor network. If you do not know about the STS Network, you can check it out here: https://www.strengthtostand.org/ network. The STS Network exists to engage, equip and encourage youth pastors. Find what works best for you whether it’s podcasts, blog posts, Facebook groups, books, in- person and online conferences and/or a youth pastor network. Make it a priority. Put it on your schedule.
My five minutes is up! There’s someone else at my door. I hope and pray that God will use this post to encourage you in your ministry to youth. This list was not exhaustive, but I do believe it is the best launching point. If you would like to connect beyond this blog post, you can find me at https://parkwayauburn.org/people/bobby-jones/. If you found this content helpful, please share it with your friends and colleagues.