The Reality

America'steenagers are the largest unreached people group in America! And they are all looking for heroes and role models.Sadly, during the adolescent yearsin which this God-ordained "window of opportunity" is open, they rarely meet up with a real live disciple ofChrist who can introduce them to Jesus!

Hundreds of churches are looking for strong leadership for their youth ministries. Their kids are waiting for someone to come and help build Christ-centered community where they can grow in their faith. Maybe you are one of those people that God is calling to ministry! "Here I am, Lord, send me!"

Read on to find out how you can begin the adventure of serving as a full or part-time youth minister in a church. Whether you're exploring a career change, fresh out of college and looking for a job, or a youth ministry veteran, Tentmakers can help ensure a successful next step in the field of youth

Faith

A solid, growing faith in Jesus Christ. A Christ-centered worldview. A devotion to spending time with God in His Word and in prayer. A reliance on the Holy Spirit. These are the keys to servant leadership and an effective ministry in the Church.

Tentmakers looks for people who not only live out their faith but have a vision and passion for drawing young people closer to Christ. Our program will help you clarify and deepen that vision. Opportunities in worship, prayer, and Bible study abound in the training course, and Tentmakers' instructors are committed to building you up as a Christ-centered leader.

Training

One of the most common reasons for youth minister burn-out is lack of training and preparation. Youth ministry is a challenging profession. Running a successful youth ministry takes skills in leadership, planning and organization, building relationships (with youth AND adults), managing and motivating people, vision-casting, creative thinking, and more. Leaders also need to know how to handle conflict, counsel youth in a crisis, lead large and small groups, and strategize for a purposeful ministry.

A key part of the Tentmakers program is a 5-week training course that covers all these areas plus much more. After you interview and secure a position, you participate in this training course. And your church pays the tuition! You will be stretched, built up, encouraged, and challenged in this highly interactive, Biblically-based course. More on the Joshua Leadership Institute for Youth Ministry...

The Right Church

While there are plenty of churches out there that are hiring, it takes work to find the one that fits you. Many churches hire through word-of-mouth---so how can you find out all your options? And there are many factors to consider. For instance, does their philosophy of ministry match yours? Is their vision similar to yours? Do they even have one? What about specific goals and dreams for the youth ministry?

Often we find that a church's idea of staffing is "If we just find the right person, all of our problems will be solved!" If a church is just interested in hiring a warm body, we can't help them. Tentmakers requires every church in their program to go through an intensive planning process to develop a Youth Ministry Management Plan. This process includes developing a vision, mission, goals, philosophies, a strategy, carefully-written job descriptions, and a profile of their desired youth leader. We've got the scoop on these churches--let us do the work for you. More on the Youth Ministry Management Plan...

Tentmakers' churches are offering either full-time or part-time positions, all salaried. You also get paid vacation and medical insurance. See current job openings...