Stories: Volumes 1, 2 & 3
By Doug Fields
BluefishTV, 2005.
Doug Fields, the former youth pastor at Saddleback Church, has published a multitude of excellent youth resources. The Stories DVD series includes short video illustrations on topics important to youth groups. Each video features a real teenager talking about an issue they have faced in their real life. There are three volumes in the series and each volume features six videos. Each video runs an average of two minutes long making them excellent discussion starters with which teens can relate. Maybe teens in your youth group are experiencing these problems or know someone who is? Maybe they are judgmental of other youth that are dealing with these issues? Hearing the personal testimonies of these teens may give them a new perspective in an environment focused on providing care and finding solutions.
Each volume features three topics with two videos on each topic. The topics are: sex, betrayal, sharing faith, drugs and alcohol, parental conflict, overcoming obstacles , self-esteem, stress, and broken homes. The videos may or may not talk about how becoming a Christian has helped or changed the teens in the videos, but the teens always express regret for past wrongs (done by them or to them) and insecurities that they may feel. There is much talk about wrong actions being unable to fulfill their true needs and desires, especially the need to feel loved and accepted. They are very open and vulnerable, and teens may recognize parts of themselves in their peers. Although some of the videos are about troubling issues, others are uplifting and encouraging to allow for a good variety of discussion between positive and negative behaviors and their effects on all aspect of a teen’s life. All of the videos leave much open for discussion. Together with the Bible verses, youth and youth leaders can work together to form Christian opinions about these issues. These videos give youth leaders the chance to be the voice in real situations that teens may be facing.
The DVD includes background information, lesson topics, and Bible verses for each video helping you to build a lesson plan based around a topic or use the video as a multimedia enhancement for a study that you are already doing. The media files can be downloaded to your computer and used in PowerPoint presentations. One of the videos from each volume can be viewed on the BluefishTV.com website.