1. Keep Him Informed
Make your pastor aware of all activities, events, counseling situations, new families, attendance, and ministry issues.
2. Adjust
It is up to you to learn his personality, management style, and leadership. It is up to you to adjust to him, not him to you.
3. Encourage Him
We sometimes feel like our pastors are invincible. They are human and need positive words of encouragement just like you and me.
4. Pray For Him
How long has it been since you spent quality time in prayer for your pastor?
5. Love Him Unconditionally
Once you get to know him and find out he is a real human being with weaknesses and faults, are you going to stick with him and love him?
6. Be A Team Player
Don’t limit yourself to just youth ministry. Be willing to handle other needs and situations within the church. You are a minister of the Gospel first, and you specialize in youth ministry second.
7. Respect His Time
Come to staff meetings prepared. Avoid asking him ministry questions prior to a service unless it directly relates to that service.
8. Be Faithful In Tithes, Offerings, And Building Funds
Be committed to the vision of the church with your finances. Your Pastor is committed; make sure you are too.
9. Unite In Faith With Him
It is your job to believe God with him for the finances, the people, growth, the terminally ill, buildings, buses, parking lots, and school.
10. Never Use The Words “Everyone” or “Nobody”
Those terms are many times associated with complaints. Pastors want specifics not generalities.
11. Be Organized!
Stop giving youth ministry a bad name for your lack of preparation and disorganization. Whatever you do is a direct reflection on the pastor and the church. Laziness and lack of organization are twin sisters!
12. Be Loyal To Him
Never speak or allow anyone else to speak derogatory or negative about your pastor.
13. Look At The BIG Picture
Youth pastors are guilty of seeing things only from their youth ministry world. You should always ask yourself, “How will this effect the other areas of ministry in the church?”
14. Do Your Homework
Get hard facts, several bids, realistic figures, and multiple options before presenting an idea to your pastor.
Dean Hawk Ministries and H2O Youth Source
Dean and Kim are the founding pastors of Rock Family Church. They have been married since 1983 and they have five adult children; Alesha and her husband, Aaron, Allyson, and Preston and his wife, Melannie. In addition, they have one grandson, Asher. Since 1981 Dean has served in the full-time ministry. Prior to starting RFC in 2004, he served as a Youth and Associate Pastor in three different churches. You will enjoy Dean's practical and illustrative teaching style as he makes the Bible come alive through both topical and verse-by-verse teachings that you can apply to everyday life. Along with his current pastoral duties, Dean is also an adjunct professor at Charis Bible College in Woodland Park.
Kim serves on our Executive Team as CFO, she oversees the Children's Team and the Women's Ministry. Her energetic and contagious attitude, in addition to her love for her church family is evident.