Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry: A Personal and Practical Guide to Starting Right [Kindle Edition]

Doug Fields (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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!'

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!"

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 1693 KB
• Print Length: 304 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Up to 5 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits
• Publisher: Zondervan/Youth Specialties (May 19, 2009)
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishing
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000S1LZKA
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #117,087 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #73 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Clergy > Youth Ministry

More About the Author

Doug Fields graduated from Southern California College in 1984 (now Vanguard), and received his MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1986. Doug has served as a youth pastor for 25 years, and has been teaching pastor at Saddleback Church since 1992. Doug has been a global youth ministry leader through his books, speaking and youth ministry resources. He is the award-winning author of more than 40 books, many of which serve as curriculum in Seminaries and Bible Colleges. Besides speaking regularly to teenagers and the congregation of Saddleback Church, Doug can also be found speaking to youth workers around the world. Doug would say his greatest accomplishment is marrying way out of his league to his wife Cathy of 23 years. They have three teenage children: Torie, Cody, and Cassie.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dude...this was good., February 9, 2006

By 

T. Gibson "another song in you" (Detroit) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry (Paperback)

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.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Youth Ministry Intern Insight, February 8, 2006

By 

Zoe Cordillian - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry (Paperback)

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.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful...Wonderful, July 9, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry (Paperback)

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.