Churches all over the country are trying to hire quality Youth Minister’s.  They are looking for someone who is responsible, trustworthy, married, 15 years of experience, look like a teen, acts like a parent, is personally wealthy and has a heart for God.  If you fit all of these things then finding a ministry is not very hard.  However, most of us don’t.

I have decided to write this post to share some proven ways to get your foot in the door of a church and not just be a resume in a pile.

1.  Resume – in a digital age everyone wants to just email their resume to the church.  Only to find that the person you sent it too did not print it off or it got stuck in junk mail.  I would encourage you to send in through Fed Ex.  Put together a professional resume in a binder with some examples of what you have done.  This gives them a tangible copy of your resume and a way to be remembered over the other fifty that they are receiving.

2.  Research – you will need to take some time to find out who the church is and what has been going on in the life of the people that attend.  What big programs do they have?  Who is on staff?  What is staff saying on-line?  What do they believe?  Take the time to find out if this church is a fit for you.

3.  Call ahead – before you even send your resume give the Sr. Pastor a call.  This will let you introduce yourself before they look at you on paper.  Take the research that you did and ask some constructive questions about the church and the style of ministry that they have.  Then talk about the position and what they are looking for.  Do not try to pre-interview just have a generic conversation.  Remember you are only introducing yourself.  When you are finished let them know that you will be sending your resume and they should receive it in the next two days.

4.  Follow-up generally I would wait three days to a week to give a quick call back to see if they received your resume.  This gives you a chance to see if they have any questions and to find out where they are at in the process.  Thank them for you time and wait to see what happens.

Trying to get a ministry position can often be very difficult.  There is a lot of competition our there and you want to be noticed above the rest.  Being intentional in this process will let them know that you will be intentional with their students as well.  If you have any additional thoughts share them below in the comments.