Help! I'm a Student Leader: Practical Ideas and Guidance on Leadership (Youth Specialties

by Doug Fields

You are a student leader for a reason. Maybe you chose to be, maybe someone else chose it for you—no matter how you got here, God has a plan to use you in ministry. You and your youth worker know that you’re new at this thing. You have leadership abilities, but you’re still a student—so how do you do it? Doug Fields has been a youth pastor for a long time, and he has helped a few students here and there figure out how to be leaders in his ministry. Now he’s here to help you. You may be afraid or overwhelmed, or you may feel privileged … or even a little cocky ... whatever the case, the tools in this book will help you get the most of your time as a leader. Here’s a little bit of what’s inside: • Learning how Jesus led others • Lightening the load of your adult leaders • Discovering the secrets of getting others involved• Deepening your own faith by serving others • Balancing your schedule—family, school, faith, leadership • Becoming an encourager You’ve been entrusted with leadership responsibilities, and Help! I’m a Student Leader! is full of hands-on leadership ideas and guidance that’ll help you discover the leadership role that you were created to fill.

Genres: Christian, Leadership, Nonfiction, Church

144 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2005

Reviews

[samantha aly]

read for youth group leadership

[⋆ ˚｡⋆Evie⋆｡˚ ⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for my school's student council. It was a great book and really helped us throughout the year.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone looking for a Devotional, this is a great one!

Though, this does not have to be read as such, I read it with that intention, and it was wonderful!!! I prayed and meditated after every chapter, took notes on what was stuck out to me, and I feel 20x more encouraged about really committing to my spiritual life, so that God may use me!

I was offered a Student Leader role at my youth group, but I have said no (for now) due to stress and commitments in multiple areas of my life. But my friend still offered this book for me to read, and after possibly two years of not touching it, I can say I read it and feel a lot more joyful after such!

I believe you can take away different things from this book, as The Holy Spirit will speak and emphasis things to you as you need.

Even if you are not 100 percent committed to being a student leader, and am just thinking about leadership period, I would still encourage you to read this book, because it helps in many areas that leads to direct leadership.

[Jayden Wetzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid and practical book for student leaders. It’s not super long or complicated, but it gives really clear advice on what it means to lead by serving, staying consistent at home and at church, and keeping your focus on Jesus. I appreciated the real-life stories and challenges at the end of each chapter that made me stop and think about how to actually apply what I was reading.

I wouldn’t say every chapter was groundbreaking, but overall it’s a really helpful and encouraging read, especially for young leaders who are just getting started. I’d recommend it to students who want to grow in leadership without losing sight of their faith.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great book to put in the hands of the targeted audience: the young people (student leaders) helping in youths ministry. Easy to read, concise and great principles. It's a good ressources for the pastor/leader to sparkle conversations and go deeper in the mentoring process. I wished it was translated into French to be used easily :)

[Joshua Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I plan to use this book with the Student Leadership team for the Student ministry at my church. This book is easy to read, written to a young audience, and full of practical tips for leadership.

I wish there were more scripture references and methods/application rooted in scripture. The ones are not bad and have ties to scripture- I just wished it had a little more emphasis.

[Kristin]

Started this in 2016ish for SLT - just finished the last chapter because I just never read it in high school..?? So I don’t remember much and I think I’ll pass it off to someone significantly younger than me.

Anyways, Taylor inspired me to finish books I’ve started and never finished, so here goes nothing!

[Brittney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this with a group of youth leaders. It's geared toward teenagers ("student" leaders), but there was still plenty to get from it. I wasn't the target audience, but it was still good information for discussion.

[Clay Copeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very practical and helpful book with things you may not think about

[Mylee McLean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all the ideas presented in this book. They definitely were points I am choosing to ponder and maybe apply in my leadership and walk with God.

[Juliet]

read for student leadership

[DJ Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic guide to navigating and training student leaders in a youth group. I read it when I was in middle school and it still informs how I do ministry to and with students today.

[Logan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I finished this book, and really when I finished the first chapter, I realized that I am not who this book is intended for. This book is intended for students who are going to be, or already are, or maybe even unsure about, being leaders in their youth group. As a youth pastor, I liked a lot of what Doug wrote and will share with some students in my youth group who I want to see become leaders. It's an incredibly brief read that I believe any student in a youth group can sit down and read with ease.

My only gripes with the book were it's odd formatting (aligning all the paragraphs to the right? Really?) and Fields' off-the-mark "dad-joke" style of humor. I previously read "Your First Two Years in Student Ministry" by Fields, which had the same kind of jokes. Sure, they're funny at times but overall, are just kind of...flat.

Overall, if you're a youth pastor looking for ways to equip your students to be leaders in youth group, this book provides practical applications and advice that will help.

[[Inactive Member] · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Doug Field's book, "Help! I'm a Student Leader." I'm an adult youth leader. I've been in ministry for several years, but I still found this book to be very helpful. The main theme of the book is service with the right heart. Come to serve. Serve for God. Be a willing servant. Doug offers great suggestions for how to serve: be available, encourage, look for needs and fill them. The principles are applied with personal illustrations and practical suggestions. I popped into the bookstore for something else and ended up reading the entire book right there in one sitting. I was blessed and refocused. I highly recommend this for any current or prospective student leader!

[Ama · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book at SYMC 2011! It greatly impacted my view on my youth ministry and how I can impact it! Definitely a must read

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

helpful book for guiding students into thinking about leadership in ministry. This book is not all inclusive, but it is a good thought-provoker and a tool I will be using with students.

[Hannah Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not the target audience for this book, but it was helpful and practical, especially as I try to encourage young leaders in my youth group small group. Short and easy ready.

[Chris Frakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for what it is, an introduction to middle and high school students who want to serve the Church.

[Deb Wendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book, it has helped me alot in my ministry.

[Clint Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for anyone in leadership in a youth ministry. Even for adults!

[Aimee Bhatia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very, very helpful.