Youth Pastor

Benefits: Health, Dental & Vision Insurance (Employee), 3% Retirement Match, Professional Development Stipend, PTO, Housing Allowance

About Harbor Church

Harbor Church exists to Welcome Home the Hurting, Equip and Launch the Called, and Make Jesus Tangible—one life at a time.

Located in Westminster, Colorado, Harbor Church is a healthy, growing, and community-focused church committed to helping people experience the life-changing love of Jesus Christ. Harbor is known for authentic relationships, biblical teaching, intentional discipleship, and developing leaders who influence their homes, schools, workplaces, and communities for Christ.

The church embraces six core values that shape every ministry and decision:

Unmerited Grace

Unconditional Love

Unwavering Truth

Real Community

Irrational Generosity

Harbor Church believes healthy churches build healthy leaders, healthy families, and healthy communities. Every ministry exists to help people take meaningful next steps in their relationship with Jesus Christ while discovering their unique calling and purpose.

The Opportunity

Harbor Church is seeking a relational, visionary, and spiritually mature Youth Pastor who is passionate about discipling students while partnering with parents to build lifelong followers of Jesus Christ.

This opportunity is far more than leading a weekly youth gathering. Harbor Church desires a Next Generation leader who will shepherd students, develop volunteer leaders, invest deeply in families, and build a ministry that intentionally prepares students to follow Christ throughout every season of life.

The church believes some of the most significant moments in a student's spiritual journey occur during seasons of transition. The Youth Pastor will intentionally help students navigate the critical milestones from elementary school into middle school, from middle school into high school, and from high school into college, the workforce, military service, or young adulthood.

Equally important, this leader will provide practical resources, encouragement, and biblical guidance to parents as they disciple their children through each developmental stage. Harbor Church believes parents are the primary spiritual influencers in the lives of their children, and the Youth Pastor will become a trusted partner alongside families throughout those formative years.

This is an exciting opportunity for a gifted leader to shape the future of Harbor Youth while building a sustainable ministry that impacts students for generations.

About Harbor Youth

Harbor Youth serves students in grades 6–12 and exists to create an environment where every student can experience authentic relationships, discover biblical truth, grow in spiritual maturity, and become a disciple who influences others for Christ.

Current Ministry Snapshot

Average Weekly Attendance: 63 students

Volunteer Leadership Team: 12 - 15 adult leaders

Annual Ministry Budget: $25,000

Full-time Youth Pastor position

Reports directly to the Lead Pastor

The ministry has a healthy foundation and is well-positioned for continued growth as Harbor Church continues investing in the next generation.

Position Summary

The Youth Pastor provides visionary leadership and strategic direction for Harbor Youth by developing environments where students encounter Jesus, build authentic relationships, develop biblical foundations, and discover God's calling on their lives.

Working closely with the Lead Pastor and church leadership, the Youth Pastor will oversee every aspect of the student ministry while creating intentional pathways that help students remain connected and spiritually engaged through every season of adolescence.

This leader will work collaboratively with Children's Ministry, adult ministries, and families to build seamless transitions that encourage students to continue growing in their relationship with Christ from childhood through graduation and into adulthood.

Primary Leadership Responsibilities

The Youth Pastor will serve as:

Vision Caster

Develop and communicate a compelling vision for Harbor Youth that aligns with the overall mission, vision, and values of Harbor Church.

Build meaningful relationships with students and families through intentional discipleship, pastoral care, encouragement, and spiritual leadership.

Leader Developer

Recruit, equip, mentor, and multiply volunteer leaders and student leaders who serve with excellence.

Relational Presence

Maintain an active presence in the lives of students by engaging with schools, extracurricular activities, athletic events, community gatherings, and other environments where students naturally gather.

Key Responsibilities

The Youth Pastor will:

Design, lead, and continually improve weekly Harbor Youth gatherings.

Develop and implement a comprehensive three-year strategic ministry plan.

Recruit, train, mentor, and develop volunteer leaders.

Lead and develop Youth Ministry interns alongside the Lead and Executive Pastors.

Build healthy and thriving student small groups.

Develop a student leadership team that prepares students to serve and lead.

Build intentional relationships with students outside church through schools, sporting events, performances, and community activities.

Partner closely with parents by providing practical resources, biblical encouragement, training opportunities, and regular communication to help them disciple their students at home.

Create intentional transition strategies that successfully bridge students from Children's Ministry into Student Ministry.

Develop discipleship pathways that prepare graduating seniors for successful transitions into college, trade schools, military service, careers, or young adult ministry while remaining engaged in their faith.

Work collaboratively with Children's Ministry and other church ministries to create a unified Next Generation strategy from childhood through young adulthood.

Participate on the Sunday Teaching Team approximately 3–5 times annually.

Utilize digital communication and social media to engage students and parents.

Participate fully in weekly staff meetings and church-wide ministry initiatives.

Oversee annual ministry planning, budgeting, calendar development, and event coordination.

Building Lifelong Faith

Harbor Church believes student ministry is about much more than creating excellent weekly programs.

It is about developing lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.

The next Youth Pastor will champion a comprehensive strategy that intentionally bridges every major season of adolescent development by:

Creating smooth transitions from Children's Ministry into Student Ministry.

Helping middle school students establish ownership of their personal faith.

Equipping high school students to confidently live out their faith beyond graduation.

Preparing seniors for successful transitions into college, careers, military service, trade schools, or young adult ministry.

Equipping parents with practical resources, biblical encouragement, and ongoing support as the primary spiritual leaders in their homes.

Building a culture where every student feels known, connected, discipled, and sent.

The vision is not simply to graduate seniors from Harbor Youth, but to launch lifelong followers of Jesus who remain rooted in their faith and actively engaged in the local church wherever God leads them.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a relational leader who naturally connects with students while possessing the organizational ability to build sustainable ministry systems.

They are equally comfortable teaching God's Word, mentoring volunteers, coaching student leaders, meeting with parents, building ministry strategy, and engaging students where they already live and learn.

They understand that one of the greatest opportunities in student ministry is helping students successfully navigate life's major transitions and partnering with parents throughout those years.

This leader demonstrates:

A vibrant and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Emotional maturity and humility.

Biblical teaching ability.

Strategic thinking.

Strong interpersonal communication.

Organizational excellence.

A shepherd's heart.

Collaborative team leadership.

High integrity.

A teachable spirit.

A passion for reaching the next generation.

Education & Experience

Preferred Education

Bachelor's degree in Ministry, Theology, Biblical Studies, Christian Leadership, or a related field required.

Seminary education or graduate theological training is welcomed but not required.

Preferred Experience

The ideal candidate will possess:

2+ years of full-time youth ministry experience.

Demonstrated success leading middle school and high school ministries.

Strong biblical teaching and communication abilities.

Experience creating ministry systems and strategic plans.

Experience mentoring student leaders or ministry interns.

Ability to build strong partnerships with parents and families.

Experience managing ministry budgets and planning annual ministry calendars is preferred.

Personal & Spiritual Qualifications

Candidates should demonstrate:

A clear and growing personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Full agreement with Harbor Church's Statement of Faith.

A lifestyle consistent with biblical leadership.

A heart for discipleship and evangelism.

Passion for investing in students and families.

Ability to work collaboratively with church leadership and staff.

Successful completion of a background check.

Flexibility for evenings, weekends, camps, retreats, conferences, and ministry events.

Benefits Include:

Health Insurance

Vision Insurance

3% Retirement Matching

Professional Development Stipend

PTO

Full-time position

Westminster & the Denver Metro Area

Westminster, Colorado, is ideally situated between Denver and Boulder, offering one of the most desirable places to live in the Rocky Mountain region. Families enjoy outstanding parks, hiking and biking trails, excellent schools, vibrant neighborhoods, and convenient access to world-class outdoor recreation.

The Denver metropolitan area is known for its thriving economy, diverse culture, its professional sports, arts, higher education, and year-round access to the Rocky Mountains. Whether enjoying skiing, hiking, mountain biking, camping, or exploring the city's restaurants and cultural attractions, Westminster offers an exceptional quality of life for individuals and families alike.

For ministry leaders, the region presents tremendous opportunities to reach a growing and diverse population while enjoying one of the nation's most sought-after communities.

Why Harbor Church?

Harbor Church offers a unique opportunity for a gifted Youth Pastor to build upon a healthy ministry foundation while helping shape the future of the church's next generation.

You will join a collaborative staff team, work alongside supportive leadership, and have the freedom to innovate, lead, disciple, and develop students and volunteers in meaningful ways.

If your passion is helping students know Jesus, equipping parents, developing leaders, and launching lifelong disciples, Harbor Church may be where God is calling you to serve.

Application Process

The Aaron Hur Group has been retained by Harbor Church to conduct this national search.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following through the Aaron Hur Group Career Portal:

Cover letter describing your calling to student ministry and why Harbor Church resonates with your ministry philosophy

Ministry philosophy (optional but encouraged)

Links to teaching videos or sermons (if available)

Applications should be submitted online through the Aaron Hur Group Ministry Opportunities page:

Following the initial review process, selected candidates will participate in a confidential interview process coordinated by Aaron Hur Group. Due to the anticipated level of interest, only those candidates selected to move forward will be contacted.

We appreciate every applicant's interest in Harbor Church and their commitment to serving Christ through vocational ministry.