Doug Fields at YSpalooza Live Blog

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January 20, 2012

This is my first YS! Palooza, and I am stoked to be here. I live 1.5 miles from the venue so it was super convenient. The price is right and, who doesn’t need a day or two to refresh the youth ministry batteries? Here is a running blog of Doug Fields’ message to us all!

 

Doug just took the stage!

Bait and Switch- a tactic in which a seller advertises a product with the intention of persuading customers to purchase a more expensive product. (aka What happens when you do online dating)

“Maybe you have never thought of the bait and switch as it relates to your ministry”

  • We grab this bait of ministry and somehow it gets switched to something else.
  • Volunteering in YM turns into you being the youth director!
In ministry it is not the goal to “trick” people.
The BAIT:
  • To be good in youth ministry all I have to do is love teens.
  • All I have to do is eat pizza, tell gross stories and talk to teens about Jesus.

The SWITCH:

  • You gotta develop leaders

The BAIT:

  • To be good in YM you gotta grow the ministry.
  • Reduction is typically not the plan.
  • You have to manage ministry growth.
  • From ministry to meetings.
  • The ministry never ends.
Doug just admitted that he often fantasized about working at a McDonald’s to escape some ministry pressure.
The BAIT:
  • Growth requires strong leadership
  • “John Maxwell be came a stronger voice in my life than Jesus”
The SWITCH:
  • Ministry pressure requires “inner-world” management.
  • I wanted to spend less time with the “how-to” and focus more on the “how-come”
  • Doug just promoted “What Matters Most” over and above PDYM and First Two Years…
This Bait and Switch principle creates tornadoes in our lives as youth workers. It’s difficult to be honest when you spiritual life is spinning.
Are you “performing” more than “following” Jesus?
“When you preach at a church with 20,000 people and 10% don’t like you, that ends up being a mega-church of hate!”
The Disciples didn’t see the wild ride that they were walking into. But for the disciples the SWITCH came with a ministry depth where they could see the blind healed, and Jesus calm the seas. They got to watch thousands be fed by a snack pack.
In the same way—You thought you were just going to be a chaperone, but you didn’t see that a girl would be opening up to you about how she cuts herself.

 

A Few Things that Never Change: Healthy youth ministries need leaders who…

  • can authentically say, “Follow me as I follow Jesus.” Youth ministry can move so easily from Jesus to programs. Youth ministry should be a place where students should rub shoulders with people who love, and follow Jesus
  • value a collective vision. Being is visionary is highly overrated. The body needs the eyes, and splines, and sphincters. ” I’ve never done anything significant in my ministry ALONE. We are better together!
  • are willing to play A part in reaching that vision. “The starring role is reserved for Jesus.” Wow, what a statement!

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