Despising none: Joe Ball

Simple Student Ministry - A Review

Borton, Jeff and Eric Geiger. Simple Student Ministry: A Clear Process for Strategic Youth Discipleship. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group, 2009. 217 pp.

This review was originally posted at sbcimpact.

Anyone involved in student ministry understands the frustrations that come along with the territory.  There always seems to be a plethora of events and programs that compete for the time of both the leaders and the students.  For the leaders, it seems like there is never anytime to stop and smell the roses.  As soon as one event ends, it is time to begin planning the next one.  For students, there is always the hype of the next event to try and combat the sure-to-come crash from the spiritual high they got while attending the last big event.

Is there some way to change this busyness and start truly affecting the lives of students?  That is what Eric Geiger and Jeff Borton hope to accomplish with Simple Student Ministry.  This book builds on the same principles contained in the book Geiger coauthored with Thom S. Rainer, Simple Church.  There is no new research added in this book and it is not necessary to have read Simple Church to understand what is discussed by Geiger and Borton in this book.

The authors simply hope to help student ministry leaders make a “renewed commitment to the essence of the gospel” (Pg. 2)—making and maturing disciples.  If you are looking for a new model for your student ministry, then this book is not for you.  The book is not another model for student ministry; this book is about a new way to do ministry.

The fact is that many student ministries wander aimlessly about hoping they are making a real difference in the lives of students.  There is no real goal in mind, no purpose to the events and programs, and no clear understanding of how discipleship is being accomplished.  For real discipleship to take place there must be a process.  Process is what Simple Student Ministry is about.  Geiger and Borton explain how to go about establishing a process of discipleship in any student ministry.  How does this process accomplish discipleship?  It is the process that “creates space for relationships, engages students in ministry and mission, fosters less dependence on programs, and operates with great intentionality” (Pg. 20).  This is accomplished through four key elements: clarity, movement, alignment, and focus.

Clarity breathes life into the process.  A student ministry without clarity is a complex student ministry.  On the other hand, a student ministry with clarity is a student ministry that knows exactly what it is trying to accomplish in its students’ lives.  It is present in a ministry that can clearly articulate how discipleship is taking place.

Movement naturally follows clarity.  Once a process has been identified, there must be movement along that process.  To put into my own words what the authors caution though is that this movement must move people along the process, not simply rearrange for the sake of movement.  Ultimately, the process must be moving the students to action—to living out what they have learned.

Alignment must take place for the process to be successful.  All the leaders of the student ministry must be committed to the process.  When the leaders are aligned, there is a sense of ownership as well as unity among the team.

Once the process has been developed and implemented, there must be focus to keep it on track.  Without focus, every ministry will begin to deviate and become complex.  Part of remaining focused is eliminating the nonessentials, limiting the a ddition of programs, and reducing special events.

The book also contains case studies of mega churches, small and midsize churches, and parachurch organizations that have implemented the simple student ministry process.  Along with the chapters on the different case studies, there is a chapter on how to go about implementing a simple process for ministry wherever you serve.

This book contains some great principles that can be applied to ministries of any size and any cultural context. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to simplify their student ministry and increase the effect upon the lives of the students to which they minister.  Eric Geiger and Jeff Borton do an excellent job of explaining how to make any student ministry simple in an entertaining and easy to read format.

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sbc IMPACT! published this review as part of an ongoing partnership with Broadman & Holman Publishers.