Develop Your Replacement

By Doug Franklin July 25, 2013

It’s summer; for youth ministry that means mission trips, pool parties, camp and finding a new youth pastor. So many churches are looking for a great youth pastor. My phone keeps ringing with churches who want the right person. I usually laugh when I hear the requirements. I just want to tell these churches the truth, it’s over. The days of calling your network or looking on the YS job board for a youth guy are over! If you want to hire a great youth pastor you need to develop them yourself. The law of supply and demand is at work. With all the multi-site churches these days the pool of youth workers is drying up. You must start a internship program, or a minor league, with a few bright young people and develop them into leaders and pastors. Don’t make the same mistake that most churches make and hire some young guy, give him the crappy jobs, never really connect with him and pay him nothing. That’s not going to build your minor league. You will need to help them discover their gifts, give them meaningful roles, pay them a living wage and mentor them as leaders. The key is mentoring. I know a number of churches who have done this and they have a pool of great youth workers ……. and no I am not giving you their names so you can pick off their people. Do the hard work of development and it will pay off.