In the three years that Chris and Amy Fields have been in Artesia, they have seen God move mightily in the hearts and lives of students through First Baptist Church and the multi-denominational student ministry, First Priority/Campus Revolution.
"When I first moved to Artesia, I had no idea how I was going to reach Artesia students for Christ," Chris Fields said in an interview Tuesday.
Fields said he began to pray for God to give him some direction for reaching the students. Through one of his best friends, he was introduced to First Priority/Campus Revolution, a student-led campus evangelism club.
Fields, along with several other area youth ministers and pastors, began to develop a program through Campus Revolution that would include Artesia's intermediate, junior high and high schools.
Campus Revolution's goal is two-fold:
— To enable students to reach their lost friends for Jesus Christ; and
— To give students the courage to stand and publicly be a witness for Jesus Christ.
Fields said God has continued to bless Campus Revolution since it began two- and one-half years ago, resulting in hundreds of students attending meetings on the campuses of the local public schools each week.
"My prayer for this community is that it will continue to actively support Campus Revolution in the school system," he said.
Fields, who is the Minister to Students at First Baptist Church, came to Artesia in June 1998 from Carnegie, Okla., where he had served as a minister of youth and education.
Since that time, in addition to the campus ministry, God has worked through him to develop an active youth ministry at First Baptist Church.
"Since God led Amy and I to Artesia, I have been privileged to see Him working to develop a dynamic Wednesday night program called 'FROGG' here at First Baptist Church," Fields said.
F.R.O.G.G., which stands for "Fully Relying On God's Grace," provides an environment of exciting praise and worship and challenging Bible studies designed to equip students to live their life daily for Jesus Christ, Fields said.
"It instills in them a passion for a daily relationship with Jesus Christ," he added.
More than 130 students are participating in the F.R.O.G.G. program at First Baptist Church each Wednesday evening. A number of adults have taken on leadership roles in the program as well, and lives have been changed.
"It has definitely been exciting to see God move in the hearts of students in this great community," Fields said.
Now the Fields are facing changes in their own lives.
They are expecting their first child in December and are clearly ecstatic about becoming parents.
Additionally, in recent weeks they have felt God leading them and their ministry in a new direction that will require a move from Artesia.
Fields said that during the past six months he and Amy have been struggling with what they believed was God prompting him to return to school and complete his master's degree in Christian education.
After much prayer and consideration, the Fields have made the decision to move to Ft. Worth, Texas, where Chris will attend Southwestern Seminary.
Although this change is sure to lead the Fields in a new direction in their ministry, no doubt he will continue to be active in ministering to young people.
"As soon as I finish my master's, I'm prayerfully considering pursuing my doctorate in Christian Education. But I will always be involved in the lives of students wherever God leads Amy and I," he said.
Leaving Artesia, however, will be difficult.
"We will definitely miss Bulldog football, Bulldog and Ladydog basketball, volleyball, softball, track and everything else that the students are involved in.
"But most of all, we will miss developing relationships and being a part of the lives of Artesia's students as we all seek to do what God has called each and every one of us to do," he said.
"It has been a great privilege to be a part of laying a foundation of a strong student ministry at First Baptist Church. I believe that God is already preparing the next individual who will lead our students to a more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ."