Associate Pastor for Youth and Children

Associate Pastor for Youth and Children

Coast Community Church of the Nazarene • Santa Barbara, California

Reports to: Lead Pastor  |  Full-time salaried ministry position

Primary focus: Approximately two-thirds youth ministry and one-third children’s ministry

The opportunity
Help young people respond to God’s grace, follow Jesus, and grow in wholehearted love for God and neighbor. We are seeking a pastor whose primary calling is to teenagers and who will also equip and support our children’s ministry volunteers.

Rooted in the Wesleyan–Holiness tradition of the Church of the Nazarene, we trust the Holy Spirit to transform our lives into the likeness of Christ. We believe God’s grace is already at work in the lives of young people, and we want to help them recognize and respond to that grace within the worship, relationships, and mission of the church.

Compensation and schedule
Salary and SECA allowance: Annual base salary of $58,150, plus an $8,500 taxable SECA allowance to assist with the pastor’s Social Security and Medicare self-employment taxes—for total regular annual cash compensation of $66,650.

Benefits and paid time off: An annual $1,800 employer retirement contribution through NBUSA, subject to plan terms; vacation, paid holidays, and sick leave according to church policy. Accrued vacation becomes available after six months. Relocation assistance is available.

Weekly schedule: This is a full-time position with flexibility to arrange the workweek around ministry responsibilities. Sunday morning worship and some evening and weekend commitments are expected. One full day each week is set aside for Sabbath rest. Camps and retreats involve occasional travel.

About Coast Community
We are a small, loving, intergenerational church in the foothills of southern Santa Barbara County. We walk together through the joys, challenges, and sorrows of life. Volunteers sustain our ministries, and young families have joined the long-time core of our congregation. We gather each week for worship and Communion, seeking to know and share God’s loving and redeeming purposes for our neighbors and the world.

Our directory includes 125 active people, including 45 children and youth. Average worship attendance is 85, including 30 children and youth each week. We value worship that shapes everyday life, growth in discipleship, caring community, support for households, relationships across generations, and love for our city.

Youth ministry today: 13 students in grades 7–12 are on our roster. We have recently restarted mid-week youth group and have already started growing. 3–4 students participate in weekly Sunday School (volunteer-taught) and 10–12 students currently attend up on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month for youth group. We have 5 committed volunteers and are looking to grow this team as the ministry continues to expand.

Children’s ministry today: 32 kids from birth through 6th grade are on the roster and attend regularly. On a typical Sunday, 20+ kids are present, with two classrooms. Our Littles class (birth through kindergarten) averages 3–5 kids while our Bigs class (1st–6th grade) averages 15+ each week. Kids often join the adults for other gatherings. However, volunteers provide childcare during some discipleship gatherings. We have 17 regular volunteers.

Church location: 4973 Via Lost Santos Dr., Santa Barbara, CA 93111

Coast’s approach to ministry
We seek to form young people in Christlike love through Scripture, prayer, worship, baptism, Communion, and acts of mercy. We invite them to trust Jesus, receive forgiveness, and discover their place in God’s story of redemption and new creation. Parents and caregivers are essential partners in the congregation’s shared responsibility for their formation.

Fuller Youth Institute’s Growing Young offers practical guidance for this vision: keychain leadership, empathizing with today’s young people, taking Jesus’ message seriously, warm relationships, prioritizing young people and families, and being the best neighbors. These are shared commitments of the lead pastor and congregation. Familiarity with Growing Young is welcome; willingness to learn and apply its principles is essential.

You will have freedom to shape gatherings, curriculum, events, and volunteer roles around your strengths and our context, with clear priorities and a sustainable workload. We will discern together how these practices help young people recognize and respond to God’s presence.

Youth ministry
Approximately two-thirds of the ministry focus

·       Build caring, appropriate relationships with teenagers and their families in church and everyday life. Listen patiently, welcome questions, and accompany young people through joy, doubt, grief, and suffering. Help them bring their lives before God and discover the hope of Christ’s resurrection.

·       Lead youth gatherings that connect Scripture’s unfolding story with students’ lives and invite a response to the gospel. Nurture faith through prayer, testimony, and reflection, and help students participate meaningfully in the congregation’s worship, baptism, and Communion.

·       Recruit, equip, and support adult volunteers who share the work of teaching, relationships, and pastoral care. Help students build trusted relationships with adults across the congregation.

·       Give students meaningful opportunities to shape ministry, lead, and serve. Connect service with reflection on God’s renewing work and Christ’s self-giving love.

·       Partner with parents and caregivers through clear communication and practical support.

·       Plan a manageable rhythm of gatherings, neighborhood engagement, and occasional camps or retreats, including L.A. District NYI events as appropriate. Share planning and logistics with volunteers.

Children’s ministry
Approximately one-third of the ministry focus

·       Lead children’s ministry primarily by recruiting, equipping, and supporting its volunteer team, including scheduling, encouragement, and periodic training. Share direct teaching as agreed with the team and lead pastor.

·       Oversee age-appropriate resources that help children encounter Scripture, respond to God’s love, and practice prayer, worship, and care for others.

·       Support parents and caregivers in nurturing faith at home.

·       Help children participate in congregational life and build relationships across generations. Work with the lead pastor to maintain volunteer screening, training, and ministry safety practices across both ministries.

Shared pastoral participation
Participate in weekly staff meetings, ministry planning, and occasional worship leadership or broader pastoral care suited to your gifts. Maintain clear communication, a coordinated calendar, participant records, and ministry budgets. These responsibilities fit within the overall workload; the lead pastor and associate pastor will agree on priorities and adjust expectations during busy seasons.

Partnership and the first year
The lead pastor will partner with you in theological reflection, planning, volunteer development, and setting realistic priorities. Together we will listen for God’s activity in our congregation and neighborhood. You will have room to bring your gifts and judgment, try ideas, and shape ministry as relationships grow.

In the first year, we will look for students becoming known and cared for, volunteers receiving encouragement and clear direction, young people taking meaningful responsibility, and stronger connections across generations. Early listening to students, children, parents, and volunteers will help us agree on specific goals.

Who we hope you are
·       A follower of Jesus whose faith is evident in relationships, character, and daily life, with a calling to pastoral ministry and a particular love for teenagers.

·       A relational leader who listens well, teaches clearly, works collaboratively, and equips others to serve. You bring meaningful ministry experience through volunteering, an internship, or a staff role; emerging pastors are welcome to apply.

·       Someone committed to Coast Community’s mission and to the doctrine and conduct of the Church of the Nazarene, with willingness to pursue appropriate ministerial credentials and continue growing in theology and leadership.

·       A thoughtful communicator who can organize ministry, work with parents and volunteers, and use everyday office tools and appropriate digital communication with students.

·       Someone willing to learn and apply best practices in youth and children’s ministry, support intergenerational discipleship, and adapt ministry methods to the gifts and needs of the community.

Preferred preparation includes two or more years of ministry experience and a bachelor’s degree in ministry, theology, or a related field. Equivalent ministry preparation and experience will be considered. A completed degree is not required; candidates pursuing education or ministerial credentials are welcome.

Appointment requires completion of a background check, Live Scan, and sexual abuse prevention training. Safe ministry practices apply to in-person and digital relationships. The position involves evening and weekend ministry and occasional travel for retreats and camps. A valid driver’s license and automobile insurance are preferred.

How to apply
Email your résumé and a brief introduction to employment@sbnaz.com. Tell us what interests you about this role, the ministry experience and strengths you would bring, and your connection to Wesleyan–Holiness theology.

You do not need to submit a full ministry philosophy or teaching sample to begin the conversation. Later in the process, we may request a teaching sample and three professional or pastoral references. References will only be contacted in the final stage.

If you are drawn to this ministry but your experience does not fit every preferred qualification, we welcome your application.