When a church has a large amount of youth in it, one thing that the administration will seek to hire is a youth pastor. That’s because they are well-aware of the fact that young people tend to go through many stages during their adolescence and so they need to be around people who can relate to what they’re going through in a very user-friendly kind of way while still being able to uphold the beliefs within the Church.

If you happen to be at a church that is currently looking for a youth pastor, to make sure that you get a great one, we wanted to take out a moment to provide you with what we feel are five must-have qualities below:

Make sure they have your same beliefs. Sometimes, people are so busy looking for someone who is “young” and “hip” that they overlook the most important thing: that the youth pastor believes in the same fundamental things that your church does. Teenagers are extremely impressionable and so you want to be sure that the information that they receive correlates with what your religion stands for.

Make sure they really like kids. It seems simple enough but there is a big difference between those who tolerate kids vs. those who love being around them. So, as you’re conducting your search, be on the lookout for people who are passionate about helping teens become the best possible version of themselves (trust us, the people who are like this, you’ll be able to see it).

Make sure they are knowledgeable about pop culture. Remember that a big part of the reason why it’s important to have a youth pastor in your church is so that teens will have someone they can relate to. This means that they need to know what’s going on in music, film, fashion and all other things pop culture-related. If you’re considering someone who doesn’t have a clue in these areas, honestly, they’re probably not going to be a very good fit.

Make sure they’re good listeners. If you’ve ever had a one-on-one with a youth pastor before about all of the demands that come with their position, one thing that they’ll probably share with you is the fact that being a youth pastor also means that you must be willing to be a part-time counselor too. As teens start to develop a trust with their youth pastor, he or she will hear all kinds of stories about their personal, academic and family lives so you need to select someone who can listen well and also offer good, biblically-based advice.

Make sure they are committed. If you’ve ever read quotes about religion as it relates to what makes some churches stronger than others, one of the things that you might have come across is that it’s important for people to come on staff who will be committed to being there for as long as possible. This is especially the case when it comes to youth pastors because once teens develop a true connection with them, you don’t want that bond to be disrupted. So, when making your final selection, inquire about how long they plan to be a part of the ministry. If it’s longer than a couple of years, then you know you’ve got the right one.