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Associate Pastor Jobs in Topeka, KS (NOW HIRING)

Topeka, KS seeks FT Staff Associate I YL Staff Associate I Summary: Through both formal training ... pastors, parents, potential committee members as assigned by the area director. * Learn to plan and ...

Topeka, KS seeks FT Staff Associate I YL Staff Associate I Summary: Through both formal training ... pastors, parents, potential committee members as assigned by the area director. * Learn to plan and ...

Associate Pastor information

See Topeka, KS salary details

$14.1K

$48.2K

$79.1K

How much do associate pastor jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for associate pastor in Topeka, KS is $48,226.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $39,100.00 and $57,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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 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 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.

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 the most commonly searched types of Pastor jobs in Topeka, KS? The most popular types of Pastor jobs in Topeka, KS are:
What are popular job titles related to Associate Pastor jobs in Topeka, KS? For Associate Pastor jobs in Topeka, KS, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What cities near Topeka, KS are hiring for Associate Pastor jobs? Cities near Topeka, KS with the most Associate Pastor job openings:
Infographic showing various Associate Pastor job openings in Topeka, KS as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $48,226 per year, or $23.2 per hour.
FT or PT Direct Ministry Associate for Shawnee HeightsTopeka, KS

FT or PT Direct Ministry Associate for Shawnee HeightsTopeka, KS

Young Life

Topeka, KS • On-site

Full-time

Posted yesterday


Young Life rating

9.0

Company rating: 9.0 out of 10

Based on 8 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

1st of 15 rated religious organizations


Job description

If you are currently on Young Life staff, pleasedo not apply through this external jobs board.To apply for internal job opportunities, log in to Workday and use theJobs Hub. Applying externally may delay your application and require you to resubmit internally.

Young Life requires all employees to sign a Statement of Faith. We recommend you read this statement before applying for any position.

Because of Young Life's exclusive Christian purposes of evangelism and discipleship as set forth in its Articles of Incorporation and in these Bylaws, and to reflect what has always been and will continue to be the position of Young Life, specifically the Christian belief thateach and every employee and volunteer of the corporation should minister as a servant of God with the primary responsibility of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and, as such, is an integral part of the Christian mission and ministry of the corporation,
Young Life shall only employ individuals or enlist volunteer leaders who: (a) profess a belief in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord; and (b) subscribe to the statements and policies required of all Young Life staff, including the Young Life Statement of Faith. Therefore, employees and volunteers of Young Life, during working and nonworking hours, shall: (i) be ready, willing and able to fulfill such ministry functions as may be required by the organization; (ii) refrain from conduct and statements that detract from the biblical standards taught and supported by Young Life, and (iii) abide by all policies and practices of Young Life including, without limitation, those related to religious belief or ministry activities.

Job Specific Working Conditions:

Topeka Specific Job Description

Young Life Staff at Shawnee Heights

Part-time or full-time

Description:

Full-time Young Life staff to reestablish and lead ministry at Shawnee Heights High School and Shawnee Heights Middle School in Topeka, Kansas.

Young Life in Topeka began nearly 25 years ago at Washburn Rural High School and has had a long history of reaching students and engaging the community. A decade later, Young Life was launched across town at Shawnee Heights High School. Shawnee Heights Young Life was trending upward, showing exciting momentum before eventually being put into hibernation in 2021. Currently, a team of community members is looking to bring Young Life ministry back to the Shawnee Heights community.

Alongside the committee, the job of the Young Life staff for the Shawnee Heights district will be to reestablish and lead ministry at Shawnee Heights High School and/or Shawnee Heights Middle School. This staff member will work alongside the Topeka Young Life staff team and Shawnee Heights committee to form a volunteer leader team, ministry plan, and donor base to generate deep and formative ministry.

Located on the southeast side of town, the Shawnee Heights district is increasingly diverse with 37% minority enrollment. There is significant room for growth in this role with the hopes of having excellent ministry at both the high school and middle school. This opportunity for growth also creates an opportunity for the Young Life staff member to hire additional staff, contingent upon budget and committee health.

The Shawnee Heights Young Life Area is one of eight areas that make up the Greater Topeka Metro, which encompasses 14 total staff members, 65 volunteer leaders, and committee members across 11 campuses who know more than 1,200 students by name.

The city of Topeka has been the beneficiary of substantial investments made by local entrepreneurs who want the town to be a place where people are happy to live. Located an hour away from the Kansas City International Airport, Topekans appreciate a low cost of living, a small-town feel with all of the amenities you need, and generous hospitality by folks all across town.

Ministry Functions:

Spiritual Development - The job of Young Life staff is to not only pursue their own spiritual development, which is crucial, but to also grow those on their teams spiritually. This looks like:

  • Developing a yearly personal growth plan that fosters a vibrant spiritual life including time for solitude, retreat, reflection, prayer, and a sincere commitment to understanding God's Word.

  • Seeking and maintaining relationships and disciplines, in the context of active participation in a church community.

  • Actively participate in the spiritual life of the Young Life community.

  • Leading teams and individuals in spiritual development.

  • Keeping prayer as our first strategy and maturity in Christ as our end goal for everyone involved in ministry.

Leadership Development - The job of Young Life staff is not only to do the ministry work with students, but to build teams that are also doing that work, multiplying our impact. This looks like:

  • Meeting with volunteer leaders and area leadership on a regular basis.

  • Learning to recruit and train new leaders to build a leadership team that reflects the community.

  • Modeling excellence in contact work, club, Campaigners and camping to other leaders.

  • Assisting in training leaders, team leaders, and committee members in how to work effectively in teams.

  • Developing a yearly ministry strategy.

Resource Development - Ministry demands resources, which is one element of life on Young Life staff. This includes:

  • Fundraising an agreed upon dollar amount.

  • Keeping donors up to date and invested in the ministry.

  • Participating in city-wide fundraising events.

  • Engaging the Young Life committee as they work to develop resources.

  • Remembering that ministry resources include time, talent, and treasure, all of which need to be developed.

Direct Ministry - This is the work Young Life staff do with students, which include:

  • Contact Work

    • Young Life staff lead the charge as they build a team that goes where kids are, earning the right to be heard.

  • Campaigners

    • Young Life staff not only lead their own campaigner group (small group), but set up volunteers to do the same.

  • Club

    • Leading the team that plans and executes a Young Life club with excellence.

  • Camp

    • Young Life summer camp is the best week of a student's life. Trips to Young Life camps also happen in the fall for Weekend Camp.

    • We also ask Young Life staff to be available to serve on a summer assignment (3-4 weeks) at a Young Life camp property.

Ministry Support - Young Life staff includes much more than hanging out with kids. It includes taking care of business like internal accounting/cash flow, administration, communication (internal), data management and strategic plan.

  • Adhere to all Young Life policies and procedures and maintain professionalism concerning office hours, dress, conduct and time management.

  • Manage finances with stewardship, accountability and transparency using the mission-wide applications.

  • Maintain accurate information on kids, leaders and donors for area records.

  • Provide clear, prompt, appropriate and professional communication to everyone involved in ministry.

  • Set yearly strategic ministry plans and initiatives to reach every kid; review them on a regular basis.

  • Perform other duties as assigned and congruent with gifts, experience, and area needs.

Training - We want to invest in our staff! Young Life staff are lifelong learners, so we offer and require different training to ensure continued development. This includes:

  • Local Training: Leadership I, Leadership II, Biblical Interpretation, and others as assigned by your supervisor.

  • Winter Training: New Staff Training, New Testament Survey, Systematic Theology, Christology, Old Testament Survey, Ministry as a Person, Area Director School, etc.

Education:

  • College degree preferred.

Qualifications Required for the Job:

  • Paid or unpaid experience in student ministry.

  • Proven relational skills with both kids and adults.

  • Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills.

  • Ability to maintain confidentiality.

  • Ability to serve as part of a team and lead a team.

Work Conditions:

Includes the extremes of a camp including: heat/cold, dirt, long hours and the physical demands of hiking, horseback riding, boating and more. Staff person must be able to handle these conditions. This description is not intended, and should not be construed, to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with this job. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the principal job elements essential for making compensation decisions.

Direct Ministry