Church Jobs: How to Get Them and How to Find Them

Have you ever considered applying for a job at a church? It’s one step beyond volunteering and takes serious thought to enter into a career in ministry. Just as with any business, Churches need positions for all kinds of areas. Besides being a pastor, there are more jobs and roles that need to be filled that cover a wide range of skills.

From photographer to children’s director to facilities manager, the job opportunities at a church are endless!

Check out our Complete Guide to Church Job Descriptions

Estimated reading time: 17 minutes

Church Job Websites

There are a few ways to find church jobs. If you’re interested in finding a job at your local church, visit their website and you should find a career page with updated job openings. If you would like more information on any job openings, feel free to email the church for this additional information.

Thankfully, there are many great websites that allow you to search for church jobs.

Church Staffing

Church Staffing is a great website that allows you to search geographically and for the specific position you’re interested in. Not only can you search for jobs, but if you have a job for your church you’d like to post then you can also do that on Church Staffing. They have great tools to help with resumes to help churches easily be able to find what they’re looking for. Search through locations, denominations, and job positions.

Church Jobs

Church Jobs is another great website that is easy to use and has many amazing functions. Find jobs by denomination, position, different categories, and see resumes that have recently been uploaded. Church Jobs allows you to find everything you need whether you’re looking for a job posting or trying to hire someone to fill a position. There’s an “advanced search” function that even allows you to search for the desired salary or worship style of the church.

Just Church Jobs

Just Church Jobs is committed to to helping churches build the teams they need. Between industry leading technology and the personal touch of their staff, they offer everything your church will need to hire effectively. They’re not just a website, but a community of people who care about seeing churches thrive. They’re here to help you find your dream job or the perfect candidate for your church.

Ministry Jobs

Ministry Jobs is a fantastic website that is easy to use and navigate. They started Froot Group to offer consulting services to help grow churches and leaders. Ministry Jobs help churches make a great staff pick for their next worship leader, executive pastor, children’s ministry director, and more. Bottom line, they help churches and worship leaders spend less time stressing, and more time doing what they’re called to do.

Typical Qualifications for a Job at a Church

A career in ministry is a unique one. There are many jobs that don’t require a formal degree, but it’s always helpful to use a degree that you have. The qualifications to get a job in a church depend on the type of work you do. For example, as a pastor or priest, you typically need to have a master’s degree in divinity or theology and several years of practical experience, such as working for your school chapel or in an internship at a local church. Music and choral directors need a background in music as well as religious training. Maintenance personnel should have a high school diploma or GED certificate and strong mechanical or technical skills.

17 Different Types of Church Jobs

There are many different kinds of church jobs. Ministry jobs cover a wide range of skills, and every position is important for a church to function well. Take a look at these 16 different types of church jobs and find one that interests you!

1. Senior/Head Pastor

This one is quite obvious. Typically in churches, this role is filled by the founder of the church or is passed down to a trusted long-time employee the senior pastor chooses. The senior pastor represents the church and is seen on stage most Sundays. Their job is very demanding, as they have messages to write, prepare, and preach each week. A pastor’s job is never done, as people need help each and every day.

2. Music Director

Besides leading the choir (if your church has one), the music director has a number of administrative duties. This includes helping to create a budget for the music program, performing any administrative work, and maintaining weekly office hours. Additionally, a music director might be involved in the training of any volunteers or other staff who perform with the band or sing on stage.

Finally, music directors connect the church to the broader community of church music by attending conferences and seminars to bring back new pieces, techniques, and literature for the development of the music department and singers.

3. Youth Pastor

Youth Ministry is a vital part of any church, as it helps equip the next generation. This job type is not just for anyone however, you need to be called to this and have a passion for the youth. Youth pastors work for churches leading children and teenagers, educate them about Christianity, and encourage them to worship, do volunteer work, and get involved in community outreach. Youth Pastors provide students with Bible study lessons and other services.

Outside of church, they might attend student functions like football games or other sporting events to connect with the students of that community. When students feel safe and that they can trust people in the church, they begin to open up.

Other job responsibilities:

• Attending and participating in staff meetings.
• Overseeing, growing, and coordinating the church’s youth ministry.
• Designing, overseeing, and examining curriculum for all programs, events, and classes.
• Leading middle and high school students to encourage their spiritual growth.
• Interacting with students during Sunday services.
• Developing positive relationships with students and their parents.
• Sharing program plans through social media.
• Displaying a Christ-like approach and lifestyle, and praying regularly for young people in the church and community.

4. Kids Director

Much like the youth pastor, the kids director is a very important role. This job will have many of the same responsibilities as the youth pastor, but with a focus on younger children. Children’s ministry often has to devote more time to summer camps, Sunday curriculum, crafts and other group events. As a kids director, you will be responsible for creating a fun and exciting worship experience for large groups as well as small groups.

Typically, children’s ministry has a lot of volunteers, so it’s important for a kids director to be able to train and delegate roles to others. Day-to-day operations may include performing background checks on volunteers, assigning roles, training and gathering supplies for each week.

5. Office Secretary

A church secretary oversees the operation of the church office and then assists the pastors and staff with a variety of administrative duties. As a church secretary, your responsibilities include answering phone calls, managing schedules, filing, and generating programs for services.

You also record personal data regarding new members of the congregation, visitors, and a variety of other issues affecting the church. Some of this data may involve church finances, so basic bookkeeping is a good skill for candidates for most church secretary positions. Your job is to ensure that the church is running efficiently, accurately, and with discretion for people’s personal information.

6. Worship Leader

Similar to the role of music director, the worship leader may be filled by the same person depending on the church. They will need to put together a worship team and spend time each week rehearsing. A worship leader will need to create schedules and set lists for upcoming weeks, and therefore know how to operate certain software such as Planning Center.

7. Associate Pastor

An associate pastor is an employee who assists the senior pastor with the church’s daily operations. His/Her tasks include managing events for church ministries, supervising church volunteers, and assisting with all church services and ceremonies. The skills that an associate pastor needs to possess to fulfill his/her responsibilities include knowledge of community outreach and youth development and good public speaking skills. The education requirements to qualify for the position include obtaining a college degree in theology or pastoral counseling.

8. Human Resources

The Human Resource Manager leads and directs the routine functions of the Human Resources (HR) department including hiring and interviewing staff, administering pay, benefits, and leave, and enforcing company policies and its hiring practices.

Other job responsibilities:

• Recruits, interviews, hires, and trains new staff in the department.
• Oversees the daily workflow of the department.
• Provide constructive and timely performance evaluations.
• Handles discipline and termination of employees in accordance with company policy.

9. Graphic Designer

Graphic designers are an important part of any church. Often, churches will hire from outside and get help contracting the work. It can be beneficial however to have someone in-house for this position to make any changes quickly. A graphic designer’s role may include strong typography, layout skills, color theory, and a working knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite to create print, presentations, and online graphics.

Responsibilities:

• Reports to supervisor or manager level in the Training Department
• Assist instructional designers with layout, typography, photo manipulation, and design of instruction materials.
• Designs booklets, brochures, and presentation graphics.
• Assists in sign making and other miscellaneous projects.
• Meets with developers and designers to discuss the scope and graphic requirements of projects.

10. Photographer

As we move into a time when social media is becoming part of how a church markets themselves, this is where photography comes in. A photography role will be in charge of scheduling volunteers for church services and training them. Their main job is to capture images, edit them and upload them onto a church’s preferred photo storage system. They will need to maintain all the equipment and order anything that will assist them. As well as scheduling volunteers, they need to coordinate with other teams in the church for events that need photos.

11. Social Media Manager

A Social Media Manager is a professional who provides the voice for a church across social channels. They are responsible for responding to comments and creating content. This can be a demanding job as social media is fast paced and always changing. The person in this position will need to understand social media as well as fast changing trends.

Other job responsibilities:

• Planning and developing social media campaigns
• Crafting compelling content or getting it developed
• Posting content across social media accounts
• Engaging with customers on different channels
• Analyzing running campaigns
• Being on top of the latest social media trends

12. Accountant

The Church Accountant or Bookkeeper serves as the internal accountant for the Church and shall assist the Pastor in the care and oversight of the Church and its membership. The Church Accountant/Bookkeeper shall be responsible for and shall maintain oversight of all financial and business transactions of the Church. They typically report directly to the Pastor.

13. IT (Information Technology)

The responsibilities include overseeing the development, implementation, maintenance, and use of technology to support our church. In addition, the IT director will be responsible for day-to-day operations of information and telecommunication systems, directing all IT operations, managing IT staff, supporting and maintaining existing technology, and developing new technical solutions.

Other job responsibilities:

• Recommending information technology strategies, policies, and procedures by evaluating organization outcomes: identify problems, assess trends, anticipate requirement.
• Accomplish financial objectives by forecasting requirements, and prepare and manage an annual budget that utilizes resources effectively, and maximizes outcomes.
• Research and implement new technologies, upgrades, and equipment.
• Manage, maintain, and purchase IT equipment including computers, software, and phone systems.
• Serve as the technical and IT adviser for all church departments and leaders.

14. Video Team

Church video production jobs are those in which you record Sunday services and other events for live streaming or uploading for remote viewers to watch later. The responsibilities of these jobs may cover sound, lighting, or operating equipment. You film the service, edit the footage, add additional sound or audio as needed, and upload the finished product to the appropriate platform. You may assist with these duties as the video camera operator, church video production manager, church videographer, sound or audio engineer, video production specialist, or church video editor. Depending on the size of the church and the production requirements, these jobs may overlap.

15. Pastoral Care

A Pastoral Care Worker is a trained, experienced, and compassionate person who joins a business, school, or organization to provide additional spiritual support to clients, their families, and staff. A Pastoral Care Worker services provided are often non-denominational, although they may represent a particular church.

Pastoral Care Workers are positive role models who bring genuine compassion, understanding, and practical ongoing support to their clients. They achieve this by providing a safe space for the client to talk about their experiences, share concerns, and provide spiritual and emotional support as required. Pastoral Care Workers work alongside and complement other welfare staff, such as social workers and counselors, to advance the well-being of clients and employees.

16. Facilities Manager

The Facilities Manager will oversee the management and operations of all the physical facilities of the church. They will also provide oversight and responsibility for the buildings, grounds, parking lots, equipment, building systems, general security, and housekeeping, ensuring the facilities are fully operational, safe, clean and neat, and prepared for services and ministry activities. Oversee and perform maintenance/repairs for the church building, equipment (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, mechanical), and property, or act as church representative with outside contractors and inspectors coming onto the property or into the building.

17. Copywriter

Excellence in writing is necessary in every format of communication. Concise, clear, attractive, and engaging writing is how this person will communicate in this role. The Copywriter will help craft messages on the web, print media, advertising, social media, and on video. It’s not only what we say that matters, but how we say it. This person will focus on viewing our messages from an ‘outsiders’ perspective to help us eliminate vague or unclear language across all methods of communication.

Other job responsibilities:

• Write copy for communications pieces as assigned. Includes print collateral and digital and social media.
• Implement copywriting project plans by setting, communicating and meeting milestones
• Track projects using the project management software, Basecamp
• Support the Social Media Coordinator and Website Developer in scheduling and executing copy for posts
• Research, draft, and drop press releases; maintain press list

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Summary

As you can see, there are endless opportunities for church jobs. These great church job websites want to connect the right person to any of the popular locations. Hopefully these websites can prepare you for interview questions from any church staff. It’s important to be a team player whether it’s the job seekers or the church looking to fill a role.

Related Links:

• A Complete Youth Pastor Job Description for Your Church
• A Complete Children’s Ministry Director Job Description for Your Church
• A Complete Guide to Church Job Descriptions
• Top 7 Church Staffing Services For Finding Your Best Hires
• Why Your Next Hire Should Be A Church Communications Director

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