Middle School Ministry Made Easy: Book Review Essay

Author Information Kurt Johnston has been serving in junior mettlesome ministry since 1988. (Simply Youth Ministry n. d. ) Currently, he oversees all of student ministries and is hands on in junior spunky ministry at saddleback roof Church in Lake Forest, CA. (Oestreicher 2011) Kurt excessively likes encouraging junior high youth workers and has written confines and created resources with that goal in mind. (Simply Youth Ministry n. d. ) The growing list of harbours Kurt has written include such titles as, The 9Best Practices for Youth Ministry, and 10-Minute Moments Smart Stuff Exploring Proverbs 10 Minutes at aTime.Kurt has deductnered with other experts in the field of student ministry like position Oestreicher President of Youth Specialties, (Oestreicher 2011) Scott Rubin -Director of Elevate, the junior high ministry at Willow brook Community Church, (Simply Youth Ministry n. d. ) and Katie Edwards Junior High Director at Saddleback Church, (Doug Fields 2011) to produ ce resources for those in student ministry such as The midriff School Survival Series, Kurt & Scotts Junior High Adventure, Amigos, 99 Thoughs rough Girls For Guys Eyes Only, and 99 Thoughts near Guys For Girls Eyes Only.Kurts get a line and expertness in student ministry is accessable at all times through a network of websites such as simplyyouthministry. com, youthministry. com, and juniorhighministry. com. Kurt authors a subscription based email unsandedssheet that claims to be, Al approximately daily deas, thoughts, & penetrations for your youth ministry, and has proven to be beneficial to my minsitry. sum Summary The main view of Middle School Ministry Made wide-eyed is stated on the back cover of the 4 book. It says, You dont have to be an expert to minister to midriff(a) schoolers. The pagesJohnstons book atomic number 18 filled with practices and strategies that could be tremendously useful in a pith school ministry setting. The tools that Johnston shares are b ased on twenty-three historic period of ministry experience, and have the personal stories of success and failure to offer authenticity and relevance to their use. Throughout the chapters of Middle School Ministry Made Simple, Johnston address issues that those engaged in center school ministry are certain to face, like recruiting other adults to clothe in the lives of teenagers.He emphasizes seeking out leadership who are non only willing toserve but who are also a good fit for the ministry. Johnston says, Having fewer of the right type of junior high leaders is always better than having more of the wrong type. (Johnston 2008) Other subjects in Johnstons book address partnership with parents, middle school ministry programming, track middle schoolers and volunteers, and the importance of a lasting ministry. Johnston emphasizes ministry programming that focuses on the tail fin purposes of the church evangelism, worship, fellowship, discipleship, and ministry. (Johnston 2008 )He alsohighlights targeting the five types of junior high students in your theater of operations community, crowd, congregation, committed, and core. (Johnston 2008) The foundation of Purpose Driven ministry and targeting different types of students is the hope that as students are reached, they might progress from the outside of the fellowship, community students, to the inside of the fellowship, core. Johnson touches on some principles of leadership, and shares that his graduate degree is in the very subject.This may be why he has so much to say, and so much sagacity to share when itcomes to leading, either as the leader of a ministry or as a volunteer within the ministry. He 5 talks about being the leader as leading from the front, and serving as a volunteer as leading from the middle. In both positions, Johnston emphasizes the importance of leaders nurturing their soul or walking closely with the Father, and gives insight into how to lead from variable levels of responsibil ity.Middle school ministry deserves adults who are committed for the long haul, says Johnston when it comes to perseverance. (Johnston 2008) He offers insight that emphasizes thelasting impact of remaining in a position of leadership for a long period of time, and shares expert advice on how to make that happen. His lecture garner tremendous respect, as he has proven that the principles about which he writes must be true by demonstrating incredible endurance in his own ministry.As a result of his ministry experience, Johnston lists in an alphabetical fashion, xxvi tips and tidbits that he hopes will be helpful to readers who are involved in middle school ministry. Evaluation One of the things I enjoy most about Middle School Ministry Made Simple, is that sequenceJohnston may arguably be the authority on middle school ministry, he doesnt claim to have his field figured out. He even shares in the introduction, despite twenty-three years (twenty years upon the books publishing) of m iddle school experience, I am non an expert. This attitude of humility makes his advice in the chapter concerning leadership, in which he advises leaders to pass the praise, as well as the rest of his knowledge, even more authentic. Johnstons advice on recruiting volunteers is tremendously insightful. I particularly likethe way he contrasted the stereotype of an effective middle school volunteer with the list of seven key qualities he looks for in a potential ministry volunteer. While the other information in this chapter is helpful, the same comparison is the most valuable in my estimation.I 6 say people do have a stereotype of what a middle school volunteer should look like or how they should act. Unfortunately some(prenominal) outstanding volunteers are missed because they dont meet expectations, while others are recruited based on faulty ideals who may not be the best for the students or the ministry team.Johnstons handling of partnership with parents is not the military gr oup of this book. I felt like he treated the issue as a necessary evil, but not an area of ministry focus. He emphasizes that parents are a part of the equation and so we should be involved with them. unless I dont get the impression that Kurts idea of partnership with parents is about bearingening the family as the primary disciple makers of students, as much as it is about leveraging their contributions to ones ministry.The strength of this book is Johnsons time proven expertise, and ability to convey hisexperience in ministry in a way that is helpful to other middle school ministry workers. I believe that this book should be on the ledge of everyone who serves in middle school ministry, regardless of tenure of ministry. Five new things that I have learned from this work that I will hold in my future strategy are 1. A key part of empowering others is allowing them to make decisions. 2. Develop accountability to encourage longevity. 3. Not every chance is a good opportunity for me. Just say no.lead new things I can do today in the area of personal student development are 1.Develop a presence on the local school campus. 2. Too many rules can be a hindrance. Focus on respect for others. 3. Develop a system of dogma topics that will guide students through middle school/ Some questions this book raised that I would like to discuss in class are 1. Once a leader is aware that a volunteer is not going to work out, how does one remove 7 him or her from helper without damaging the relationship?2. What is the balance between strengthening the influence of the category and strengthening the programs of the church through student ministry? 8 Bibliography Doug Fields.Katie Edwards is coming to SLC2011. 2011. http//www. dougfields. com/katie-edwards-is-coming-to-slc2011/ (accessed 10 7, 2011). Johnston, Kurt. Middle School Ministry Made Simple. Cincinatti, OH Standard Publishing, 2008. Oestreicher, Mark. The Youth Cartel. 8 8, 2011. http//whyismarko. com/2011/kurt-j ohnston-offers-5-reasons-hes-excited-for-the-middle-school- ministry-campference/ (accessed 10 7, 2011). Simply Youth Ministry. http//www. youthministry. com/user/kurt-johnston (accessed 10 7, 2011). Stier, Greg. Outbreak Creating a inherited Youth Ministry Through Viral Evangelism. Chacago, IL Moody Press, 2002.