Review: Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry by Doug Fields

The following is a review of Doug Field's Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry that I wrote as part of a lifelong learning project for a class at Emmanuel.
     I have served in youth ministry for almost four years; I was the minister at Buffalo Valley Christian Church from June 2007 to October 2010, and last October, I was hired as the Associate Minister of Youth at Harrison Christian Church. On the face of it, this book would not be for me, if it concerns only the first two years. However, my experience at Buffalo Valley was such that youth ministry was only a small part of my responsibilities; Harrison is my first true youth ministry position. When he heard about the lifelong learning options, Paul, the Senior Minister at Harrison, recommended that I read Fields’ work. He had been in youth ministry himself and had found it to be a valuable resource. On his recommendation, I picked up a copy and am glad I did.
     In Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry, Doug Fields offers a wealth of practical insight into youth ministry; it truly is a guide to succeeding as you begin your ministry. Over the past couple of months, I have had to wade through difficult interactions with parents, a seeming lack of support from the elders, non-responsive teens, and a request from parents to “do more stuff”—not better programming, just more activities to keep the youth busy. Reading Fields’ book has reminded me that I am not the only one fighting these battles; in fact, these battles are fairly common at the beginning of a new youth ministry. The stories Doug and other contributors shared from their own youth ministries provided comfort, for it reminded me that I was not alone in youth ministry.
     The emphasis Doug Fields places on establishing a solid spiritual foundation was especially challenging; I was convicted to reexamine the spiritual foundation I was working from. As a result, I picked up a copy of The Bible in 90 Days, and that experience has been incredibly uplifting. Reading twelve pages a day, a pace much faster than most Bible reading programs, has helped broaden my perspective on what God is doing throughout Scripture. The larger narrative, as well as connections between events, has been easier to grasp. Fields’ call for a solid personal spiritual foundation has helped strengthen my own and, by virtue, my ministry as a whole.