Student Pastor

Ministry Boost; Odessa (FL); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

The Church at Odessa in Odessa, FL is seeking a Christ-centered Student Pastor to cultivate a 50–60 student ministry. You will teach Scripture clearly, model relational leadership, and create a welcoming environment for middle and high school students across campus and community venues.

You will recruit and train 10–15 adult volunteers, lead retreats and trips, and report to the Lead Pastor. This role calls for heart, consistency, and a long-term commitment to students and families.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a student ministry with 60 teens or more.
• Ability to teach Scripture clearly and engage questions
• Proven ability to recruit, train, and mobilize volunteers
• A heart for relational ministry beyond Sunday gatherings
• Willingness to stay long-term with a growing youth community

Responsibilities

• Teach Scripture weekly in middle and high school environments
• Build a discipleship chain where older students invest in younger ones
• Maintain relational presence beyond Sunday services
• Create pathways for students to serve and lead
• Recruit and train 10–15 adult volunteer leaders
• Lead annual retreats, Disciple Now, a mission trip, and summer camp
• Report to the Lead Pastor

Skills

Leadership

Student Ministry Experience

Teaching Scripture

Developing Leaders

Relational Presence

Humility & Teamwork

Job description

The Church at Odessa is looking for a Christ-centered, relational Student Pastor who teaches Scripture clearly and builds a welcoming community for 50-60 middle and high school students. This is not an office job. It's a calling to meet students where they are, on campuses, at ball fields, and in coffee shops, and to give them real opportunities to lead and serve.

Key Responsibilities:

• Teach Scripture weekly in distinct middle school and high school environments
• Build a discipleship chain where older students invest in younger ones
• Keep a steady rhythm of relational presence beyond Sunday
• Create pathways for students to serve and then lead
• Recruit and train 10-15 adult volunteer leaders
• Lead annual retreats, Disciple Now, a mission trip, and summer camp
• Report to the Lead Pastor

Requirements

• A leader whose first instinct is to go to students rather than wait for them to show up.
• Someone who has led a student ministry before and can hold a room of 60 teens with warmth and clarity.
• A teacher of Scripture who welcomes students’ hard questions and keeps every answer anchored in God’s Word.
• A builder of leaders who can raise up high schoolers to invest in middle schoolers and train adult volunteers to disciple alongside them.
• A humble teammate who is quick to credit others, receives correction well, and pitches in wherever the moment calls.
• Someone looking to put down roots and stay, because the students and families are ready for a pastor for the long haul.

Why We Love This Opportunity

I’ve been struck by how much heart this student ministry already has. The students stayed faithful through a leadership transition, are rooted in God’s Word, and want someone to help them go deeper. Around them stands a church full of parents, volunteers, and staff who are ready to roll up their sleeves, and a Lead Pastor who encourages new ideas and gives his team room to try them. For the right person, this is a chance to join a healthy, relational church, build on a strong foundation, and be the pastor these students and families are hoping will stay.

About The Church at Odessa

The Church at Odessa (TCO) is a Southern Baptist, elder-led church with an average weekend attendance of about 250-300 people in Odessa, Florida, in the northern Tampa Bay area. TCO began as a church plant of Idlewild Baptist Church and is celebrating 10 years as an independent church. Odessa sits across Hillsborough and Pasco counties. It still has a bit of a rural feel, with horse farms and open space, even as the surrounding community keeps growing. This area is full of young families who love the outdoors and their sports teams. TCO exists to glorify God through worship, know God through disciple-making, and share God through evangelism. Scripture is at the center of everything. The Lead Pastor teaches expository sermons that move through books of the Bible, and the church grows together through Sunday Grow Groups and midweek Bible studies. TCO believes parents are the primary spiritual influence in their children's lives, and the church works to equip them to do so. TCO is intentionally a church where people know one another. If the church ever outgrows its building, the plan is to plant another church rather than keep getting bigger. Members roll up their sleeves and serve. The church reaches out to local schools, runs a monthly food pantry, and sends teams on mission outreaches. It also has a strong culture of fostering and adoption. TCO shares its campus with La Iglesia de Odessa, a Spanish-speaking church plant, and several of those students are part of the student ministry. The staff team is small and close: a Lead Pastor, a Worship Pastor, a Director of Children and Family Ministries, and a Ministry Assistant. The Student Pastor will lead 50-60 middle and high school students alongside a team of 10-15 adult volunteers, and will report to the Lead Pastor.

About Odessa

"The Tampa Bay area is a great place to raise a family. Tampa’s great weather allows families to enjoy year-round activities, such as hiking, boating, fishing, and sports. The area is also a short drive from beautiful beaches and major theme parks like Walt Disney World, which offers discounted admission to Florida residents. Families also benefit from access to top-ranked medical facilities, including Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, as well as the advantage of having no state personal income tax. Tampa Bay offers excellent school options, and qualifying college students can receive tuition assistance through the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship program, saving families thousands of dollars in college costs. Overall, the Tampa Bay area offers families a wonderful place to live, work, and grow together!"

Marta Cortez - Director of Children & Family Ministries