Youth Director Job Description

Community Youth Development: Programs, Policies and Practice

A youth director is in charge of programs and activities for children and adolescents at a church, community outreach organization or social service program. Supplemental education programs for kids in need and alternative after-school activities that provide safe and productive environments are some of the things that can be helped by their work. The youth directors spend a lot of time creating, arranging and implementing various activities and events for the children and adolescents they serve.

Youth Directors find ways to bring the community children together in safe and fun environments. The training and supervision of staff and volunteers is one of the most important duties of a Youth Director. They may be called upon to recruit volunteers, interview prospective staff, create work schedules, and evaluate performance in order to build a successful and supportive team.

They will often organize educational courses for their staff. The Youth Director is responsible for creating, managing and operating within a budget. The Youth Director may be required to build funds through grant applications and donations.

The Church Youth Director

The youth directors are usually in the middle and high school years. The youth directors of the church impart the teachings of their faith through prayer, events, activities and mission trips that appeal to youth while encouraging them to be faithful followers of the church. The church youth director is supposed to help young people in their faith journey.

The middle school and high school years are a time of soul searching and can be used to decide on a belief system. The youth ministry director helps the church youth become believers and active participants by creating a welcoming environment, providing faith direction and encouraging discussion. The youth director must establish and maintain communication channels on many levels, including student channels, email, and the church newsletter to generate overall interest and spread updates.

The senior pastor must be kept informed of all activities. The youth director and children's director need to communicate to ensure continuity of the messages given and progression of experiences from one level to the next. The director attends staff meetings and local council meetings to exchange ideas.

The church youth director prepares annual budget and presents it to the fiscal committee at the start of each new fiscal year, administers the budget throughout the year and submits a financial report at the end of the fiscal year. Youth handbooks, brochures, activity attendance reports, permission slips, health forms and safety guidelines must be maintained and distributed as necessary. Youth ministers should be aware of youthful doubts and hesitations about their faith journey.

The churches want their youth ministers to be faithful disciples by attending church services regularly, participating in church activities and religious study, and having a good balance between work and family involvement. A bachelor's degree in youth religious education, theology or a similar field is required for youth ministry directors. Some churches will accept experience such as working for a youth organization or under a youth director, even if it is only for a year.