Product Description

The sequel to the first bestseller, Purpose-Driven® Youth Ministry, this book addresses twelve valuable steps that will help readers take the first steps as they begin their ministry. An invaluable resource for anyone in youth ministry and ideal for first-timers, veterans, or college students in youth ministry.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13555 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780310240457
• Condition: USED - VERY GOOD
• Notes:
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From the Back Cover
Since forever altering the course of the youth ministry world with his best-selling, groundbreaking book, Purpose-Driven® Youth Ministry, Doug Fields’ mind—but especially his heart—has been focused on the many unique needs of new youth workers.

Doug translated his passion, insight, and vision for his beloved "rookies" into what you’re now reading, Your Fist Two Years in Youth Ministry—hands-down the most comprehensive companion to not only surviving, but also thriving, during the most crucial phase of youth ministry.

Employing his renowned wisdom and humor—as if you and Doug were chatting over a long, relaxing meal—the author disarmingly relates stories and principles from his own successes and failures over 20-plus years in youth ministry. In the end, he offers treasure troves of practical advice, all in the hope that new youth workers can travel a smoother path and achieve real longevity in a church culture that all too often chews them and spits them out.

Doug covers all-important issues such as: · Dealing with discouragement · Establishing a solid spiritual foundation · Building effective relationships with students · Resolving conflict · Ministering to parents and families · Trailblazing change · Working with volunteers · Defining a realistic job description · And many others!

In addition, a chorus of insightful sidebar voices joins your conversation with Doug, among them ministry veterans Jim Burns, Steve Gerali, Mike Yaconelli, Helen Musick, Chap Clark, Marv Penner, Rick Warren, Jana L. Sundene, Bo Boshers, Duffy Robbins, Tony Campolo, and Richard Ross, all who’ve composed extensive, topical essays for each of the dozen chapters.

Your First Two Years of Youth Ministry is a must-have tool for new youth workers, volunteers, seminary professors and students, senior pastors, elders, church boards—even veteran youth workers who’ve been ministering in unstructured environments and are now asking, "What did I miss? What can I still learn?"

The first two years of youth ministry are never easy. But never fear. Doug fervently assures us: "Hang on. Hope’s coming!"

About the Author
Doug Fields a respected youth ministry leader for over two decades, has authored or coauthored more than 30 books, including Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry and Help! I'm a Student Leader. With an M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary, Doug is the youth pastor at Saddleback Church, president of SimplyYouthMinistry.com, and a frequent presenter at Youth Specialties events.

Doug Fields tiene casi 20 años de experiencia en el ministerio con jovenes y es escritor y co-escritor de varios libros incluyendo "La Lecciones Biblicas Creativas en la Vida de Cristo, Videos que enseñan, Melodramas Espontaneos, Ministerio de Jovenes con Propósito." Doug, es pastor de jóvenes en la comunidad cristiana de Saddleback en el Sur de California y con frecuencia sirve de maestro en los entrenamientos de Especialidades Juveniles.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
where do i start? committing to the essentials In 1979 I was a rookie youth worker with no idea what I was doing. I took teenagers to R-rated movies; I had a Jacuzzi party in the baptismal because a 12-year-old thought it would be fun; I yelled at a group of parents; I taught a 15-year-old to drive using the church van, and I almost got arrested for having underage students in an over-21 club. Thankfully, a lot has changed, but it’s been an eventful ride ever since. As I write this, I’m still working with students in the church, and I love to talk about youth ministry, especially with new youth workers! Every day that I worked on this book, I thought and prayed especially for you. If you're just starting out, you're my favorite type of youth worker to help! (If you’ve been in the trenches for a few—or many—years, I love you too, and I’m confident you’ ll find help and encouragement in these pages.) I’m thrilled to play a role in your youth ministry journey. Whether you’re a paid staff member or a volunteer, the principles and ideas in this book are written to help you survive and thrive as you work with teenagers. Youth Ministry as a Marathon One of my life goals (that I haven’t accomplished yet) is to run a marathon. I’ve run several shorter races, but the 26.2 mile monster has eluded me so far. I watch them on TV, eagerly antici-pating the day I finish a marathon. Have you ever watched a marathon? They’re inspiring. When I look into the eyes of the runners, I see two types of expressions. Standing behind the starting line, the seasoned marathoners are focused, mentally preparing for the task before them. They know what it takes to complete a race of this caliber, so they stretch to prepare their bodies, run in place to warm their muscles, and close their eyes to visualize the race’s hills and mile markers. The vets know what’s ahead. This isn't a party; it’s abuse. And since they have to endure pain over the next several hours, the task is to run efficiently. Their bodies have even instructed their faces not to smile or to express any form of joy. Veteran runners know what they're doing. The other runners are rookies. This is a fun group to watch. They typically stick together, taking in all the action from the free race T-shirts to the vendors selling running gear to the maps locating the portable toilets on the route. The rookies are excited, feeling good, smiling, bantering with others, enjoying the pre-race hype. Little do they know that their valuable adrenaline is being wasted long before the one-mile mark. Their actions are to be expected; after all, this is an exciting time, but it’s also deceptive. How so? Watch the race from an elevated viewpoint. At the start, a mass of humanity moves forward as one group, bunched closely together, seemingly inseparable, until the second or third mile when the crowd begins to thin. By mile 10, some have decided to walk and are tempted to stop and watch a matinee. By mile 15, many are eating lunch early. After mile 20, only those who are the most prepared have a realistic chance of finishing well. Finishing is not only a matter of the body, but the emotions and the mind. Running a marathon is a fitting picture of youth ministry. It’s not an easy task within the church. If it were, we’d have more youth workers than ushers. Youth ministry is filled with long, tiring, often unrewarding, complex, unique, intense, humorous, joy-filled, and painful experiences. Many within the body of Christ have entered the youth ministry marathon, but many quit before long, having lost joy and satisfaction. They're wounded and weary. The Race before Us I desperately want you to last in your ministry to students. Longevity in our field is uncommon. This is both unfortunate for the individuals who leave and tragic for the health of the church. The longer you work in youth ministry, the easier it becomes, and the better you minister to students. Quick departures have a lot to do with inadequate preparation and unrealistic expectations. But, like running, setting the proper pace assures long-term results and your ability to finish strong. As I wrote this book, I kept two verses taped to my computer that served as the foundation for my writing. I want to share them with you. “And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1) Youth ministry—like the Christian life—is a race that requires both training and endurance. Fortunately, our endurance and strength increase as we run the race and follow the course God has set out for us. Our success in the youth ministry race has a lot to do with developing a big-picture perspective. Check out the second verse: “Because of you I will weep and wail; I will go about barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and moan like an owl.” (Micah 1:8) Oh wait…that’s not the right verse. Here it is: “But I will not do this all in one year because the land would become a wilderness, and the wild animals would become too many to control. I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to fill the land.” (Exodus 23:29-30) The wild animal reference shouldn’t be viewed as synonymous with the students in your group, but this verse accurately portrays a youth worker’s world. The Exodus passage describes God’s plan for the gradual conquest of Canaan. God didn’t want to overwhelm Israel by giving them the Promised Land in one day. Besides, knowing Israel wasn’t completely prepared, God put together a journey that allowed them to develop their faith and confidence as they learned to depend on him. I can’t believe I just admitted that I watch marathons on TV!

Customer Reviews

Dude...this was good.
Mean parents?
Not everybody will like me?
Kids won't remember all of my message points?

The elder board might not think turning the baptismal into a hot tub is a good idea!? OH MAN!

Maybe you're like me (a new youth leader) and you have a crazy list of "must read" books and you have no idea where to start. I know the feeling folks (I'm there right now). But one book that everyone agreed that I start with was this book.

I was stepping into a ministry where the demographic difference (education, church background, age) was so different I had no idea where to start.

Do I host a huge event? Tell stories? Go through 1 Chronicles!? AHHH!

Doug Fields put together a very helpful,practical and honest book. The entire book is put together in a readable way.With writings from both Doug Fields and other ministers from around the country who are in the battlefield right now. The contributing writers do more than validate, but they relate the topics to their real world experience. Finally a book with more than just concepts and theories!

First you'll probably read it straight through, but afterwards it will turn into a quick reference book. If anything just to re-affirm how you're going to handle a difficult situation.

As a single new minister, I felt absolutely clueless about parents. What do they really want from me? A couseler? A listener? A babysitter?
Doug very clearly lays out what parents need from you and how you can pour your life into their's without telling them how to raise your kids. I loved it when he talked about parents being experts on their children, so don't treat them like an idiot when you don't agree with how they want to raise their own children.

It is because of this book that I have already learned ways of forming relationships with distant parents, learned how to find the needs of my attending kids, and build a foundation for a relationship based ministry.

I would have paid 10 times the price for this book. The wisdom of these pages are truly beyond value for me a new minister to kids.

Youth Ministry Intern Insight
I'm a senior in high school and I'm working as an intern with my church's director of youth ministry through a program at school. My mentor gave me this book as recommended reading. It was an interesting read from the stand point of both student involved in the youth and as an intern. I felt many of the points made about teenagers - we're watching you (sounds creepy huh?), we want something bigger than ourselves, we want adults to invest and believe in us - were hit right on from a student perspective. I really liked that he breaks down practical ways to approach the challenges of working in ministry; I felt many of these principles could be applied to different types of ministry. Fields does an excellent job of taking Biblical principles and walking you through how to handle them. He provides guidelines to implementing what the Bible asks of us and that's very helpful. I'd also like to say that I really admire his emphasis on relationships over programs and using programs as a tool to build relationships. This is unbelievably true and it works: I am evidence of it. I love my church and my relationship with God has grown dramatically because of relationships through the youth ministry. I can't say enough how important that is!

Stylistically/technically speaking, the book has some typos that really surprised me. I love English so things like that are glaring to me and frankly shocked me in a final publication of a book. His writing style is lighthearted, which is nice, although his jokes become predictably placed; still nice, but not as effective.

Overall I believe this is a great resource for guidance through ministry life.

Wonderful...Wonderful
This book is wonderful for anyone interested or involved in youth ministry. It provides an amazing Biblical foundation, as well as a plethora of advice from seasoned ministers. I would surely recommend this book to anyone in youth ministry.