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Pastor of Student Ministries, Bellevue, WA
Youth Pastor
Westminster Chapel
13646 NE 24th Street
Bellevue, WA
Job Description for Pastor of Student Ministries
STUDENT MINISTRIES PASTOR PROFILE
A visible passion for Christ:
Young people are looking for leadership that is real in the journey of spiritual formation with students and in their devotion to Him, then they'd better see authenticity consistently from the top dog. We mean a visceral passion and fire that comes from the belly. Young people need to learn about Christ, but they need to also feel it deeply, and that comes from their leadership.
Passionately loves young people:
Young people need a champion and advocate-someone who, passionately loves and celebrates who they are and embraces the highs and lows of this life-stage.
A visionary:
Articulate in crafting a vision for Christianity from the teen years into adulthood: Young people have a hard time connecting the dots and are given to a short-term, path of least resistance thinking. Therefore, they need adults who can consistently meet them where they are cognitively, socially, emotionally, and spiritually and help elevate their understanding levels so as to empower them to apply their thinking to their lives.
A strong teacher, equipper, and leader:
God's Word is inspiring, eternally applicable and meaningful. Young people will look for adults who can speak their language and help forge a "big picture" framework with which to pursue throughout their teen years. This happens through discipleship and by serving God and others.
Honest and bold:
Students are seeking the truth about their world, and they need adults who will love them enough to tell what's up. They don't always like what they hear, but in the end, most develop a greater respect for adults who will give it to 'em straight. A youth leader can't worry about popularity and needs to exhibit a consistent demeanor and character when dealing with hard issues. All students need boundaries, but this particular generation, with rampant exposure to the worst of our culture (via technology primarily) have never needed boundaries and a framework more than they do right now. This person needs to effectively walk the lines between champion, challenger, teacher, and friend.
A proactive communicator:
First, logistics. Parents are vital partners in spiritual and character formation with teens, and the church and home need to be on the same page with what's going on. With events and such, this person needs to be ahead of the game in terms of details and key information.
Second, this person needs to be very intentional and consistent in communicating the "big ideas" about where the ministry is going and how it's planning on getting there. 3 and 5 year-plans are excellent ideas, as are goals and visions specific to JH and HS programs. Churches need to provide consistent topics for dinner table and car-ride moments, and parents can’t do this if they aren't in the loop.
Provides clear boundaries:
We are referring to family and time boundaries. Youth leaders strengthen their programs with their longevity, and longevity becomes the ultimate casualty when the leaders works all the time. This person needs to have (if applicable) clear family-time boundaries and consistently displays delight in spending time in their marital and parental roles. Youth leaders, second only to their faith in Christ, need to model and display a love and delight in their families. Young people seek this out, and this opens the door for them to see how Christian men and women should live as adults in their familial relationships.
Develops emerging leaders:
This person knows that students need to be challenged, equipped, and given leadership opportunities. Emerging leadership happens best when young people are identified, trained and entrusted with responsibilities and ownership. The end game is to guide them to the point where they are leading and training others.
Understands discipleship and service:
Youth need to be grounded in God’s Word. We believe that discipleship comes through strong teaching and relationships and becomes most effective when put into action. Young people want to “get their hands dirty” by putting their faith into action. This happens by living out the “truth” outside the church walls into the community.
Perceives diversity:
Bellevue is a geographical crossroads for the Pacific Rim. This person is open to new ways of embracing and bridging cultural differences, whether ethnic or generational.
Is literate in teen culture and its worldview:
Young people will blow off adults pretty quickly if they sense (rightly or wrongly) that they are out-of-touch with their world. This person understands that teens are grappling with unprecedented hurdles to growth: Today's youth leaders need to be aware the instant information access, and be patient with students as they navigate through the morass that we adults have thrown their way from instant pornography to “sexting.” By being fluent in technology this person can use this as a valuable resource on a variety of levels.
- Job Category: Youth Pastor
- Job Status: Full-time
- Education required: Bachelors
- Experience required (years): 5
- Denomination: Non-denominational
- Church Size: 1001-2500
- Worship Style: Blended
Sondra Beck
sondrab@westminster.org
Tel:425.747.1461
Fax: 425.643.7365
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