The first 90 days for any new youth pastor or leader carry more weight than churches often realize. Students are intrigued, parents are hopeful, pastors are relieved, and search committees are done. In some churches, the new youth leader arrives and is launched with thoughtful planning and support. In others, they are left to fly on their own.

I’ve seen it happen both ways.

I’ve seen new youth leaders introduced to a congregation with joy, prayed over by elders, and ushered into staff meetings where their voice was welcomed from the start. And I’ve seen others handed a clipboard (do people still use those?), an old curriculum, a 10-year-old computer, and a quiet, unspoken message: “You’re on your own.”

The difference between these two approaches isn’t budgets, denominations, or even how many students show up. It comes down to leadership—specifically, the kind of leadership that’s willing to see people as people, not just program directors (or even worse, resources).

3 keys to setting your new youth pastor or leader up for success

If you are hiring or supervising a new youth pastor, director, or leader, the effort you make to develop trust, communicate expectations, and build support in their first 90 days is crucial to their wellbeing and longevity in the role. 

Building relational trust

At the Fuller Youth Institute, our research tells us that the way young people grow in faith is shaped by adult disciples who build trust and model growth with teenagers and parents. So it stands to reason that the way senior pastors, lead pastors, and elders support youth leaders—especially in the beginning—shapes whether those leaders will have the capacity to become rooted, resilient guides for the long haul. In other words, if you want your youth leader to be a faithful shepherd to your young people, start by shepherding them.

Imagine what it might look like if we, as supervisors, senior pastors, and ministry directors, treated the first 90 days like a shared journey—a time not simply to assign tasks, but to nurture trust. Not just to implement a new curriculum, but to build relational safety.

That journey begins with a posture shift. What if we treated our new youth leader not as someone to bring up to speed, but someone we get to learn with at the speed of trust? Someone whose perspective adds richness to our team, whose unique gifts and calling deserve room to breathe?

Trust begins when we slow down long enough to listen. In the first few weeks, that might mean setting regular check-ins focused on asking questions and learn rather than giving directives. Here are a few questions that may spark some good conversation:

• What are you noticing about the (health, communication, connection, etc.) of our team? 

• What has grabbed your attention since arriving? 

• Where do you feel unclear? 

• Does your experience match what we told you in your interviews? 

This isn’t just onboarding trivia; these questions are invitations into ownership. When you ask a new leader what success looks like to them, you’re not just managing, you’re providing space for them to help shape the direction of the ministry. Young leaders need this space to ask, question, try new things, and recover from missteps without shame. People support what they help create.