Hiring a Youth Minister

Is your parish looking to hire a youth minister, someone to coordinate ministry to middle school and/or high school teens?  THANK YOU!  We hope this page will serve as a helpful resource for you!

Why Should Our Parish Hire a Youth Minister?

Having dedicated ministry to the young people at your parish can help in these ways:

• Salvation of souls!
• Reverse the trend of young adults walking away from the Church
  • 13 years old - the average age when 'Former Catholics' made the decision to leave
  • There is only a 10% chance young people will remain Catholic in adulthood if they are not involved in youth ministry in high school
• What helps the faith 'stick' for young people?  If teens have these three things, there is an 80% chance they remain Catholic as adults:
  • Weekly gathering (in addition to Mass)
  • Mountain top experience (generally in the form of a Catholic retreat, conference, and/or camp experience)
  • Another adult to accompany them in the faith (in addition to parents; BEST chance is to have five adult Catholic role models - volunteers are key to this)
• Create a space for vocational discernment
  • 100% of the men at Borromeo Seminary in 2022-2023 came from a parish with youth ministry, or were involved in youth ministry at another parish 
• Increased donations (generally takes three years after launching youth ministry to see increase in collections)
• Longevity for your parish

Hiring Resources

Youth Ministry positions are hard to fill. Be patient and search for the best fit for your parish.  What sets your parish apart as a place someone would want to work? Make sure you sell your parish in the job description and you take the time to post it on a variety of job boards.

Suggested Job Description

• This document is intended to be a starting point as you create one for your parish.  Modify, add, and subtract things as needed.

Where to Post the Job 

• This document has links to websites where you can post your job. The list is not exhaustive.

Suggested Pay Scale

Please note that this document was created in 2021 for Lay Ecclesial Ministers.  As of February 2024, inflation has increased by 19%, according to this government inflation webpage. The vast majority of youth ministers in our diocese would be best described by Level 3 or 4 in this pay scale in terms of responsibilities. Youth ministers generally leave their job (or do not accept a job for which they applied) due to low salary.  Please offer a living wage with regular raises to increase the likelihood of retention.

Interview and Selection Process

• This document give suggestions for your search committee and how to move forward with the interview and selection process of your new youth minister.

We’ve Hired Someone… Now What?

The average youth minister lasts 9-18 months at a church.
How can you make sure your youth minister receives the support they need?

• Send them to the “New Youth Minister” webpage
• Diocesan Onboarding
  • Subscribe to Office of Youth Ministry eNewsletter
  • Schedule time to meet with Francine Costantini, Director of Youth Ministry.  She will share information about how the diocese can support the youth minister, and the youth minister can share what needs and questions they have.
  • First Things in Youth Ministry Cohort - a seven-session formation program for anyone new to youth ministry in the last four years, including an Orientation Day at the Diocese. Whether volunteer or paid, this training provides direction for the first six months of taking on a new leadership role. Think of it as Basic Training in Comprehensive Youth Ministry, developed by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry and run as a diocesan cohort by the Cleveland Diocesan Office of Youth Ministry.  The next session will launch in September 2024.  Registration is required. Cost is $50 and includes all cohort materials and 1-year of membership to the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry.

Suggested Parish Onboarding

Check out this document for detailed onboarding suggestions. It is important to have a plan for onboarding so your new employee isn't left to flounder and figure it out on their own.

CLE youth ministers, priests, seminarians, and volunteers attending the Catholic Youth Ministry Convention in Arizona in June 2022.

Do you have other tips for hiring a youth minister you would like to share?  Please email Francine.