Purpose-Driven® Youth Ministry [Hardcover]

Doug Fields (Author), Rick Warren (Foreword)

Book Description

Release date: February 3, 1998

If you long to reach kids and see their lives changed by God, this comprehensive guide shows you how. Purpose Driven Youth Ministry will do for youth ministry what Rick Warren's Gold Medallion award-winning, The Purpose Driven Church is doing for pastoral ministry. It's an indispensable guide to creating and maintaining youth ministry for the long run. It will help you create a solid spiritual team that builds the foundations of the Christian faith into the hearts and lives of young people. Forged around the fundamental purposes of evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, ministry, and worship, Purpose Driven Youth Ministry uses the experiences of Saddleback Church to illustrate what a healthy Youth ministry can be. Nine transferable principles help you - Connect with the power of God for passionate, committed leadership - Define the purpose of your ministry and communicate it effectively - Identify your potential audience - Create programs that reach your audience and fulfill God's purposes - Implement processes that move students to maturity - Enhance your ministry with clearly defined values - Team up with parents to involve the whole family - Find volunteers and develop them into participating leaders - Persevere through tough times and thrive in an ever-changing environment. Balancing both theory and practice, Purpose Driven Youth Ministry can be applied to any church setting, regardless of size, denomination, facilities, resources, and existing leadership. Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry will help you develop a ministry that equips students rather than a ministry that coordinates events. Doug Fields says, 'My goal for this book is to coach you through a plan to build a healthy youth ministry that isn't dependent on one great youth leader and won't be destroyed when the youth worker leaves the church. It's not a book on how to grow your youth ministry with six easy steps; it's about identifying, establishing, and building health into your church's youth ministry.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

From the youth pastor of Saddleback Church--a revolutionary approach to building a self-sustaining youth ministry. What The Purpose-Driven Church has done for pastoral ministry, this book is about to do for youth ministry. Doug Fields, the youth pastor at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, reveals the foundations for a powerful, Purpose-Driven? Youth Ministry (PDYM). Youth leaders passionate about a ministry that fulfills the five scriptural purposes of evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, ministry, and worship will discover a proven, team approach that reduces burnout and incorporates the strengths of the church as a whole. What they won't get is another Six Easy Steps book. Says Fields, You will not find the PDYM to be a cookie-cutter approach promoting do it my way because there's only one way. Rather, it's a model that can be adapted to fit the unique needs, personality, and circumstances of any church. Developing a Purpose-Driven? Youth Ministry is a flexible and exhaustive approach to building a healthy, self-sustaining youth ministry based on nine components: Power of God Purpose Potential Audience Programs Process Planned Values Participating Leaders Parents Personnel Here in detail and depth is the theory behind effective youth ministry. And here is the application--the means for translating sound principles into practical action. From developing a purpose statement, to drafting a plan for spiritual growth, to the ins-and-outs of family involvement, to keeping the ministry focused, fresh, and vibrant, this volume meets virtually every concern of student leaders with up-to-date insights and seasoned, frontline advice. For almost twenty years, I've been living with the overwhelming responsibility to develop a youth ministry that equips students rather than a youth ministry that coordinates events, says Fields. I don't want to direct programs; I want to disciple students. This book captures the sweep of Fields' experience and vision. Destined to become a youth ministry classic, Developing a Purpose-Driven? Youth Ministry is an absolute must-have for today's youth minister.

From the Author

Doug Fields, youth pastor at Saddleback Church, has been an instructor for Youth Specialties for ten years. The author of over 20 books, including Creative Dating and The One Minute Bible for Students, he lives in Trabuco Canyon, California

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan/Youth Specialties; Believe this to be 1999 edition edition (February 3, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310212537
• ISBN-13: 978-0310212539
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 1.3 x 8.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,947 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #58 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Ministry & Church Leadership > Church Institutions & Organizations

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.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wish I had read it sooner April 20, 2003

By ANDREW MCHENRY

Format:Hardcover

This is an easy-to-read textbook on youth ministry by a proven professional. Drawing from the same principles as Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Church, Fields (who is Warren's youth pastor at Saddleback Community Church) gives the foundational principles for youth ministry, explaining the different stages of faith commitment in adolescents, and providing strategies for a complete youth ministry.
Good: This book is an easy read, and doesn't require theological or professional ministry experience to understand, and yet is thorough. Any person who has basic relational skills and a heart to reach kids will be set to go after reading this book.
Bad: Fields is constantly uses lists and acronyms to teach his points. Examples: the different stages of faith commitment (core, committed, congregation, crowd, and community); spiritual lifestyle H.A.B.I.T.S. (hang time with God, accountability with another believer, Bible memorization, involvement with the church body, tithing commitment, study of the scripture); his method for discovering spiritual gifts called S.H.A.P.E. (spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences). A little of this goes a long way, and if you try to take it in too quickly it will fry your brain.
Opinion: This is the best book on youth ministry that I've read. Fields leaves no bases uncovered, from working with parents to handling discipline. I wish I had read this book before my first youth pastorate. It would have saved me many mistakes.
Best Quote: Two come to mind, but they're related to the same thing: "Leadership separates a purpose-driven youth ministry from an event-and-activity-driven youth ministry...." The second one is this: "Better to have two high-standard student leaders than fifty students who want to plan activities while they live any lifestyle they please." Read more ›

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Practical yet........ April 28, 2000

By PAUL J KRUEGER

Format:Hardcover

Doug does a great job with this book. It has extremely practical teaching that is easy to apply to any cultural ministry scenario that a youth pastor can face. The problem, however, is that I can design a great program that humms like a machine and sends a message, but that doesn't change a teenager's heart. While I know, first hand, that Doug's ministry has changed thousands of hearts, if not more, I feel that his book understates some important issues: 1) Prayer is the key to any ministry's survival. 2) The issue of shepherding (relationships built with staff, and youth is far more important that simply having an airtight mission statement etc. BOTTOM LINE- This book is a great tool, but not the end-all ministry guide that many have made it in to. I would love to see a sequal by Doug that delves deeper into issues of prayer and shepherding.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Foundational for growth November 18, 1998

By [e-mail]

Format:Hardcover

This book is a clearly written, organized and in-depth look at the foundations to youth ministry. The pillars of ministry are outlined and given in ways that can be applied to any ministry in any setting with proper leadership. Doug Fields is an experienced youth pastor with wisdom and knowledge which has spurred his ministry to dynamic growth. Why we do what we do, who we are trying to reach, how to best accomplish this, what we're trying to do, when to do it and where to do it is the general format of the book. The foundations laid out in this book, when applied to your ministry, will give you a base for growth and development. Keeping in mind that development is more important than growth. Drawing youth into a more personal and deeper relationship with God is the key to this book. A must read for every youth pastor, worker, volunteer and prospective leader.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than expected January 19, 2006

By Bo J. Swenson

Format:Hardcover

I was required to read this for a class and did not anticipate it at all. I thought it would simply be filled with a planned out to-do-list on how to make a successful youth ministry. After reading Rick Warrens (the head pastor of Field's church) book, "The Purpose Driven Life," I thought I would find the same structure. I must say that I was rather surprised and pleased to find the opening chapter to focus on the true purpose of youth ministry. That is: it isn't a compitition for success. Nevertheless it was still proceeded by explanations of successful youth ministry strategies. Of course, the intentions of reading the book probably is to learn them. I was much more willing to listen after reading the first chapter. There are helpful strategies mentioned in the book but it is not the best youth min. book I have read. The biggest fault is that Fields use his church for examples of all ministry. I find a problem in this because not all ministry is alike.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars THE book on youth ministry November 3, 1998

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

Youth ministry is more than recreation. It is a way to reach out to the young generation and grow them in Christ through worship, outreach, ministry, fellowship, and recreation. It shows how to implement the full gospel of Christ into a teen in their formative years. Great job, Doug.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Crash Course for all Youth Ministers December 13, 2002

By S. A. Hildebrand

Format:Hardcover

This book is a must for all beginning youth ministries. Especially if you were thrown into it out of another profession like I was! The book is short enough to read through in just a week. It is also set up in a very "reference friendly" format for return visits. There are countless examples of forms and teaching ideas. You simply cannot go wrong with it! Fields' insight into ministry is priceless! If you're a youth minister just starting out, buy this book. A good companion book for it is "Family-Based Youth Ministry" by DeVries. No youth minister's book shelf is complete without both of these books.

God bless your ministry!