So You Were Doug Fields' Youth Pastor?

I wish I had a dollar for every time someone has stopped me at a youth worker event and said, “So you were Doug Fields’ youth pastor?” It is a bit like when my own children became teenagers and I became “Christy’'s, Becca’'s or Heidi’'s dad.” Actually, I love being identified as the dad of my girls and one of the great privileges of my life is when someone asks me about being Doug’s youth pastor. Even though I must admit it does make me feel old!

Doug was a student leader.I didn't have a book like his new one to read on the subject. I'm not sure I knew what I was doing in the area of student leadership, but I thought I would write about three experiences we had together to help you think about your own student leadership ministry.

The Leadership Trip
The summer before Doug's junior year in high school my wife, Cathy, and I piled 8 students in a van for a three week leadership experience. We spent a week on a houseboat, studying leadership principals (and waterskiing!). Another week was spent where I spoke at a camp in the state of Washington to junior high students and my student leaders were “counselors in training.” We spent another week doing other leadership type experiences. To be honest, I don't think it really matters what you do. Some of the other leadership trips we did included backpacking, mission trips and a host of other adventures. The important part of a trip like this is to include leadership experiences, challenge, adventure, fun and building relationships. With a leadership experience you can challenge the students in a more meaningful way because of the quality of people on the trip. As Doug and I look back on that particular trip, we realized that all 8 of those students are still involved in Christian leadership 20 some years later.

The Small Group Bible Study
I picked three guys to spend Thursday evenings studying Romans for most of a year. I really don't remember much about the Bible study. I do remember the times of laughing, eating, praying, and doing life together. Doug, Ned, and Craig are now in their 40's but all of them are still close to me. Two of the three are in ministry and the other one is actively involved as a lay person in our mission at HomeWord. I talk to them at least monthly. Why? It definitely wasn't the Bible study! It was doing life together at a key time in their spiritual formation. It was putting three key student leaders together so they could challenge each other. Even today the guys will remind me of something we did together when they were in high school, and I am always amazed at the impact it had on their life. Years go by but the teenage years are key times of spiritual formation.

Doug's Sermon in Church
When Doug was in 10 th grade, I asked Doug to speak at a Youth Sunday Service. The students were in charge of the worship service and I usually did the preaching. This time I asked Doug to do it. I still remember that he wore a clip-on tie. I tell his son Cody that he was a nerd in high school and the clip-on tie helps me make my point! (Actually he wasn't a nerd, but don't tell him that because I think his son believes me!). At the beginning of the sermon he introduced himself and told the congregation that he was trying to impress his parents by wearing a tie. Then he unclipped the tie and hung it over the pulpit to give his sermon without a tie on. He got a great laugh and I leaned over to our pastor and said, “Look out, Doug Fields wants your job one day!” I still remember what a remarkable job he did as a 10 th grader.

A few weeks ago I watched Doug give the general session at this year's National Youth Workers Convention. He did a wonderful job. I remembered back to times when he would speak as a student leader and then I would spend time critiquing him. He is so good, but everyone needs a coach and the best of communicators still use coaches to improve. Student leaders need to be pushed and challenged and most of all believed in.

Putting It All Together
There were other times of student leadership with Doug that come to my mind but these three can teach us three very valuable lessons.

Student Leadership is about focusing time and attention on key leaders. Working with student leadership can't just happen by circumstance and chance. It takes being proactive with teaching, modeling, and experiences. Jesus spent more time with three disciples than the other 12 and he gave more time to the 12 disciples, than he did to the crowds. I would suggest you look at the key leaders in your group and ask yourself the question, “What do I hope to have happen in their lives this year?”

Student Leadership is more about relationships than traditional teaching. All three of the illustrations had a teaching component, but it is my guess Doug doesn't remember the teaching as much as the experience and relationships. I love what Paul said to the Thessalonian church, “We loved you so much that we not only gave you the Gospel but our very lives as well.” You have got to ask the question, “Am I building a healthy relationship with my student leaders?” It takes time and energy but the results are worth it.

Student Leadership is experiential. The trip, the small group and the sermon were experiences that Doug still remembers. Studies show that students retain 85% of an experience and only 5-10 % of a talk. Keep most of what you do with student leaders experiential. Doug's first sermon was good but today he is a great speaker. He needed to have that first experience to give him the confidence to keep going. Never underestimate the power of experiential education. And never underestimate the power of coming alongside leaders who will influence the next generation of kids.

As odd as it sounds, the next Doug Fields could be in your youth group!

Be on the look-out...