Lunch & Learn with Doug Franklin

Lunch & Learn with Doug Franklin, President of LeaderTreks

Thursday, Feb 27th
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Cost: $10 (Includes Lunch)
Location: City Church, Chattanooga
7122 Lee Hwy Chattanooga, TN 37421

What if your students could clarify God’s calling for their lives? Too often, students drift through life without a clear sense of calling, purpose, or direction—but what if you could help them connect their burden, passion, and vision to step into God’s mission for them?

Join us for a Lunch N Learn with Doug Franklin, President of LeaderTreks, as he unpacks a practical framework to guide your students in understanding:

✅ Burden – What breaks their heart? What problems do they feel called to fix?
✅ Passion – What brings them to life? What do they love to do?
✅ Vision – Where is God leading them? Who is He calling them to impact?

This interactive discussion will equip you with key tools and insights to help students connect their burdens, passions, and God’s vision to live out their mission.

Doug Franklin

Founder and President of LeaderTreks Youth Ministry

I have a passion for Jesus, students, and youth ministry. I believe the church is the best place for students to stretch their leadership muscles and grow.

I studied Christian Education at Wheaton College and I have served in a few churches and as a youth pastor – but it all started when I fell in love with youth ministry as a junior high small group leader.

As a youth pastor I noticed that every time I put students in charge, the youth ministry increased. Naturally, I began looking for tools to help me develop my young leaders, but I found none. That’s when God laid on my heart a desire to make leadership development resources for youth ministry. In 1994, I started LeaderTreks as a response to that burden.

Today LeaderTreks Youth Ministry offers trips, leadership training, and curriculum all focused on making disciples and developing leaders.

What I value:

Small
I believe that large is inspirational and small is transformational. I want to spend my time working in small groups of youth workers and students because I want to see change happen. Real transformation requires time and relationship.

Intentional
When youth workers tell me they have used a LeaderTreks resource, my first response is “did it work?” I want to create experiences and resources that are practical and actually work for youth ministry. Purpose drives me – I don’t want to just make products, I want to make tools that help students make decisions to follow Christ.

Experiential
A student’s learning is not as dependent on how much they hear as it’s dependent on how much they do. That’s why our motto at LeaderTreks Youth Ministry is Principals + Experience = Transformational change. Everything we create—every training, every lesson, every trip—has an experiential component.

Books and resources I have written:
The Disconnect
Bridging the gap between Senior Pastors and Youth Pastors

Student Leaders Start Here
A practical, interactive workbook to help students grow in leadership. Includes 5 leadership assessments for students.

Moving On
Helps students identify the mission God has for their lives.

Know Growth
A resource to help youth workers make a individual spiritual development plan for each student.