Pastoring: Interviewing a Youth Pastor
17. If everything goes according to plan for you, what will you be doing in five years?
Provided they don’t pander, this can be a helpful area of discussion. Do they plan to ultimately pursue another area of ministry? Do they want to be the director of youth ministry in a larger church?
Their ambition is actually a good thing for your organization, but you might want to talk about it if they ultimately don’t want to be in youth ministry.
2. How would your previous pastor describe you?
Is this candidate a team player? Do they respect authority? Look to see if their previous pastor is a reference. If they’re not, ask why. Then ask if you can contact the pastor see how their question matches up. If they tell you no, thank them politely for visiting.
15. Tell me about some theologians and writers that have had a big impact on you.
Similar to the book question, this question does a good job of revealing a lot about how your applicant sees the world and what’s important to them. It’s kind of a red mark against them if they stumble around in response to this question and then list off a couple really mainstream answers.
2. How would you lead students to develop a proficient understanding of the balance between God’s grace and human accountability?
As much as God is love and full of mercy, He has high expectations of His children. Listen for the prospective hire to explain this give and take in relationships with the Creator effectively.
What Your Interviewer Will Look For
If you’re being interviewed for a youth pastor position, understand that there are other people being interviewed as well. It’s essential that you do the following:
These tips listed above are useful at every interview, but being a youth pastor isn’t like every other interview. Expect your interviewers to look for traits that will make you a successful youth pastor.
These characteristics include but are not limited to:
In some interviews, being serious is expected. As a youth pastor you’ll need to know when to be serious and when to have fun. In general, a jovial and energetic personality are likely great characteristics of a youth pastor.
8. Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a superior. How was it resolved?
This is another question that reveals the personality of the candidate. Not really having an answer isn’t a sign that they’re not being forthright, but it can be a sign that they won’t fight for what they believe is right.
Any church team of passionate people is going to have some conflict—it’s how they resolve conflict that’s important.
2. Can you describe your theological and religious education?
Youth pastors might come from a wide range of educational backgrounds, though many have degrees in theology, religion or Christian education. An interviewer might ask this question to learn about your education and theological foundations, which might affect how you relate to members of your youth group. When you answer this question, explain how your degree or relevant courses helped you develop key skills for the position.
Example: “I earned a degree in religious studies from North Houston College, where I focused my studies on theology and philosophy. In my major courses, I learned about key spiritual disciplines from a wide range of religious faiths, including Christianity. This experience helped me to develop my own spiritual identity and served as my call to ministry. During my undergraduate career, I completed an internship with the National Church Education Organization, I learned about youth outreach and education programs, served as a youth mentor at the organizations retreat center and developed curriculum for groups of different ages.”
