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Associate Pastor Jobs in Cottage Grove, MN (NOW HIRING)

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Associate Pastor information

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$15.6K

$53.4K

$87.5K

How much do associate pastor jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 7, 2026, the average yearly pay for associate pastor in Cottage Grove, MN is $53,408.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $43,300.00 and $64,100.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an associate pastor?

An Associate Pastor is a clergy member who assists the Senior Pastor in leading and managing a church congregation. Their responsibilities often include preaching, teaching, organizing church programs, providing pastoral care, and supporting various ministries within the church. The specific duties can vary depending on the size and needs of the church, but Associate Pastors play a vital role in fostering community and spiritual growth. They often work closely with church staff and volunteers to ensure the smooth operation of church activities.

What is an associate pastor?

An associate pastor works with a senior pastor at their church to serve their congregation. As an associate pastor, you assist with worship services and lead other religious activities for various ministry groups. Other job duties include collaborating with the senior pastor on service liturgy, giving sermons, leading prayer sessions, and reaching out to the community. The qualifications you need to pursue a career as an associate minister include a bachelor’s or master’s degree in religious studies or a seminary degree, along with ordination in your faith denomination. Because you work with people on a daily basis, you need excellent interpersonal and public speaking skills.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an associate pastor, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Associate Pastor, you need a solid theological background, pastoral training, and often a degree in divinity or ministry. Familiarity with church management software, digital communication tools, and curriculum resources is typically required. Excellent interpersonal skills, empathy, leadership, and the ability to communicate effectively help build trust within the congregation and staff. These skills are vital for providing spiritual guidance, supporting church operations, and fostering a welcoming and engaged church community.

What are some common challenges associate pastors face when balancing administrative duties with spiritual leadership responsibilities?

Associate Pastors often juggle a variety of responsibilities, from planning and leading worship services to managing youth programs and overseeing church operations. One common challenge is finding the right balance between administrative tasks—such as scheduling, budgeting, and event coordination—and dedicating time to pastoral care, teaching, and spiritual mentoring. Successful Associate Pastors typically prioritize effective time management, delegate tasks when possible, and maintain open communication with senior leadership and ministry teams to ensure both administrative and spiritual needs are met.

What is the difference between Associate Pastor vs Youth Pastor?

AspectAssociate Pastor
AspectYouth Pastor

While both roles serve within church leadership, an Associate Pastor typically has broader responsibilities across various ministries, including pastoral care, administration, and supporting the senior pastor. A Youth Pastor primarily focuses on youth ministry, engaging teenagers and young adults. Both roles often require similar credentials such as theological degrees and involve working in a church environment. However, the Associate Pastor role usually encompasses a wider range of duties, making it more comprehensive in church leadership.

More about Associate Pastor jobs

What are the most commonly searched types of Pastor jobs in Cottage Grove, MN?

The most popular types of Pastor jobs in Cottage Grove, MN are:

What are popular job titles related to Associate Pastor jobs in Cottage Grove, MN?

For Associate Pastor jobs in Cottage Grove, MN, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What cities near Cottage Grove, MN are hiring for Associate Pastor jobs?

Cities near Cottage Grove, MN with the most Associate Pastor job openings:

Associate Pastor jobs near you
Infographic showing various Associate Pastor job openings in Cottage Grove, MN as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 69% Full Time, 28% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $53,408 per year, or $25.7 per hour.

Kids Ministry Associate

Eagle Brook Church

Woodbury, MN • On-site

$23/hr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 12 days ago

Key responsibilities

  • Supports the Pastor of Kids Ministries by creating safe, welcoming environments and fostering relationships with children.

  • Recruits, trains, and develops volunteer teams, manages schedules, and oversees volunteer resources to ensure effective service delivery.

  • Prepares environments and materials for weekend services, ensuring all areas are equipped and ready for a smooth experience.

Job description

KIDS MINISTRY ASSOCIATE // EAGLE BROOK CHURCH
JOB OBJECTIVES
  • Supports the Pastor of Kids Ministries by creating safe, welcoming environments and fostering meaningful relationships that enable children to know and follow Jesus
  • Recruits, trains and equips volunteer teams to serve effectively
  • Collaborates with parents and families, coming alongside them to support their spiritual growth and involvement in their children's faith journeys
  • Prepares Kids Ministries environments for weekend services
  • Participates in Eagle Brook's Pastoral Development Program, gaining valuable insights into pastoral leadership and developing leadership skills and spiritual growth to be able to succeed in this role and potentially transition into a pastoral position
  • Reports to the Pastor of Kids Ministries

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
  • Leads under the direction of their assigned Pastor of Kids Ministries
  • Recruits, onboards and develops core volunteers for Kids Ministries by:

o Providing an excellent onboarding and training experience that equips volunteers with the tools and knowledge they need to serve effectively
o Overseeing volunteer schedules to ensure adequate coverage and organization
o Coordinating volunteer teams to maintain safe adult-to-child ratios
o Directing volunteers to resources such as the ministry website, curriculum and other materials to support their role
o Partnering with the Pastor of Kids Ministries in the care and development of volunteer leaders (Directors, Team Leads and Large Group Leaders) to multiply leadership and expand the ministry's impact
  • Serves as a spiritual influencer and encourager to volunteers, parents and kids
  • Executes centrally designed ministry strategies by:

o Leading in-room experiences that align with ministry objectives
o Implementing content that supports the spiritual growth of children
o Facilitating curriculum that engages and educates kids
o Managing small groups to foster meaningful connections and relationships
  • Ensures environments are prepared for weekend services by:

o Preparing curriculum and supplies for three key environments: nursery, early childhood and elementary
o Coordinating materials to ensure all areas are fully equipped and ready for a smooth and effective service experience
o Ordering supplies and managing inventories to maintain stock and ensure timely availability of necessary resources
  • Upholds Kids Ministries safety policies and procedures
  • Participates in pastoral duties, including baptisms, weddings, funerals and hospital visits
  • Participates in pastoral development training for the purpose of becoming a licensed pastor at Eagle Brook Church

OTHER JOB FUNCTIONS
  • Works with other campus staff to support the ministry needs of the campus
  • Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum Qualifications
  • Follower of Jesus and aligns with Eagle Brook Church's nine core beliefs
  • High school diploma
  • 1+ year(s) of related experience
  • Experience working in a team setting as a participant or leader
  • Experience in ministry as a volunteer
  • Driven to reach kids who do not know Christ and to support families
  • Strong attention to detail and administrative skills
  • General understanding of kids emotional, physical and spiritual development

Preferred Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience
  • 3+ years of related experience

JOB DETAILS
  • Location: Woodbury, MN
  • FSLA Status: Non-exempt/Hourly
  • Fixed Pay Rate: $23.00
  • Employment Classification: Full Time
  • Regular/Temporary: Regular
  • Workdays: Saturday-Wednesday
  • Work Hours: Vary. Include weekend and Wednesday evening servcies plus some evening hours for meetings or events. Need to be able to meet when volunteers are available or pastoral care is neeeded.
  • Remote Eligible: may be eligible to work remote 1 day per week
  • Ministry/Department: Campus Ministry
  • Team: Kids Ministries

WORK ENVIRONMENT / PHYSICAL DEMANDS
  • Regular assessing the accuracy, neatness and thoroughness of the work assigned
  • Regular communicating with others to exchange information
  • Regular working in sedentary work that primarily involves sitting/standing
  • Occasional ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like
  • Occasional moving about to accomplish tasks or moving from one worksite to another
  • Occasional moving of self in different positions to accomplish tasks in various environments, including tight and confined spaces
  • Occasional repeating motions that may include the wrists, hands and/or fingers
  • Occasional working in noisy environments
  • Occasional light work that includes moving objects up to 20 pounds
  • Occasional medium work that includes moving objects up to 50 pounds

BENEFITS
Eagle Brook Church's benefit plan is designed to help you stay healthy, feel secure and maintain work/life balance. Offering a competitive benefits package is just one way we strive to provide our employees with a rewarding workplace. We offer the following benefits to our full-time employees:
  • medical, dental and vision coverage
  • health savings account (HSA)
  • dependent care FSA
  • employer-provided life insurance + additional voluntary life insurance
  • accident and critical illness insurance
  • employer-provided short-term and long-term disability
  • paid family and medical leave (PFML)
  • member assistance program (MAP)
  • generous paid time off and holidays
  • 403b retirement plan with company contribution
  • development dollars for team members to invest in their professional growth
  • casual dress and work environment

APPLICANTS WITH DISABILITIES
Eagle Brook Church provides reasonable accommodation for their employees and applicants with disabilities. If you have a disability and need assistance in searching or applying for jobs with Eagle Brook Church, call 651-429-9227 or email staffing@eaglebrookchurch.com and let us know the support you need.

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