How to Apply for Ministry Jobs
Discerning what form your ministry will take is the first phase of a spiritual process that can lead you to a life of fulfillment and service to God and your fellow human beings. Search for avenues of ministry, which include, but are by no means limited to teaching, missionary work, hospital ministry and youth ministry positions. Approach church leaders with your credentials, references and your desire to serve. Follow a ministry job search as you would most other types of career searches.
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Instructions
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Search Christian job boards and job boards in your particular Christian denomination (see "Resources"). Contact your pastor, youth ministers and other community servants in your church. Ask them to keep you in mind for available positions. Stay in touch with contacts as your network grows.
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Prepare a resume and have multiple copies ready to send, to scan or to hand-deliver. Create a combination of a functional and a chronological resume to give potential employers an idea of your skills and commitment to ministry as well as a quick view of your employment history.
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Visit organizations serving people in the way you want to serve. Make an appointment, for example, with a local homeless shelter to visit the premises and meet the staff. Volunteer to help in an administrative or housekeeping capacity to show your interest and to learn more about the organization.
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Prepare your ministry job search in advance of potential need for your services. Visit a Christian youth camp, for instance, in the autumn to begin laying a foundation for a summer Christian camp counselor position the following year. Apply to religious schools early in the year in anticipation of contract time, which generally occurs in February or March for the following academic year.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep a contact list of directors, pastors and non-profit administrators with whom you meet during the application process. You never know when you might be of service to them and vice versa.
Go the extra mile to communicate your sincerity, your energy and your commitment to the people who can bring you into an organization and to those whom you can serve. Let people know it's not just about a paycheck.
References
Resources
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