Inside the Mind of a Candidate During the Search Committee Process
The search committee process is a brutal, yet somewhat fun process. Through lots of answered questions, prayers, and long conversations, the search committee has the final say of who gets picked for the student minister position. For my readers I want to take you through the experience, both good and bad, of going through a student minister search committee process.
For those who do not know me, my name is Matthew Ball. I am a Christian studies major graduating in the spring of 2026 at Dallas Baptist University. I am super grateful and excited to jump right into to this position, and to see what God has in store for the future of Shady Oaks Baptist church.
Looking ahead for the student ministry, I am pumped for what God is going to do. I’m fully expecting growth in numbers, and more importantly in discipleship. Discipleship is the core of what we do downstairs, and without that we’ve missed the mark. I have a vision of creating an exciting and welcoming environment downstairs. What does that look like? Myself, interns, and other volunteers should become so welcoming to newcomers and excited for the gospel and the mission God has called us to in the student ministry, that it translates to students doing the same thing. When students leave excited about what they learned, looking for opportunities to share the gospel, and can’t wait to invite their friends to be a part, I know I have done my job.
You may be asking: How did I find myself here? Well, it all started about 6 months ago, when I was sitting outside the DBU coffeehouse doing homework. I look up and I see Pastor Jay coming my direction. I had previously been mentored by him my first semester of college, so I knew him well. We chat for a minute and then he offers me an internship which I accepted quickly after. Through this internship I found myself falling in love with student ministry. I loved connecting with students and having an opportunity to disciple and guide them in their walk with Christ. After the internship finished, I was named the interim student minister, which takes us to where we are today.
I am now reaching the end of the search committee process, and I am going to take you through what this process is like. Step 1: apply. Once you apply, you are given a list of questions. Six questions are answered typed, the other six are answered orally on a video. I have grown to love answering questions, so this part of the process was fun for me. If you make it through this part, you move on to the final step, the search committee. Every member on this search committee was amazing. They all asked great questions and showed an interest to get to know each candidate personally.
It came up in the interview how they could have an impact on the student ministry without volunteering downstairs. For anyone who is reading this, please understand the student ministry should not be separate from the church. It is as crucial to the church as any other ministry. The student ministry here has been looked at in a negative way for so long in this church now and that needs to change. Imagine what would happen if the students knew they had the church on their side both in and out of the church. What if the church spends more time pouring into students than judging them for their way of life now? If you see a student struggling, help them and meet them with love. If you see a student hurting, comfort them. Be the church we are called to be. The importance of growth within a student ministry is far beyond what goes on downstairs. That is a part, but you as the church have just as big of a role to play in these students lives. The question is what will you do now?