The following article is an excerpt from one of elementum’s modules in the process we coach our partner ministry leaders through as they prepare to launch a college or young adult ministry.
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Ten years ago this August myself and a few other college students launched what became Threshingfloor communities. One of the best things we did in that process of starting a new ministry was to take 2 1/2 years of time to intentionally keep things incredibly simple, limiting ourselves to a small group of several college students who shared a meal and spent time in prayer and in God’s word, along with the occasional other book or sermon.
During those first years I felt a significant pressure to launch something big, quickly. Most of the college and young adult ministry’s we’d all seen or been a part of were large group (30-150 people) weekly gatherings with worship bands, polished sermons, and paid staff. We didn’t have any of that. And, looking back, that was a very good thing.
At the outset of any ministry there are two major pressures; to copy what works elsewhere and to operate as if more and bigger is better. Both of those pressures can overwhelm and misdirect even the most mature leader, so at the outset of starting your ministry it’s crucial to hold this truth in mind: simple ministry is better.
Simple is better
Jesus was the master of simplicity. In their book Simple Church, Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger write,
“The religious leaders had developed a religious system with 613 laws. They chose 613 because that was how many separate letters were in the text containing the Ten Commandments. Then they found 613 commandments in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament). They divide the list into affirmative commands (do this) and negative commands (don’t do this).
Simple Church, p.16-17
“There were 248 affirmative commands, one for every part of the human body, as they understood it. There were 365 negative commands, one for each day of the year. They further divided the list into binding commands and nonbinding commands. Then they spent their days debating whether the divisions were accurate and ranking the commands within each division.
“Enter Jesus. Jesus has the ability to take the complex and make it simple. A prime example is Matthew 22:37-40, where Jesus gives what has become known as the Great Commandment…
“He was not lowering the standard of the Law. He was not abolishing it. He was capturing all its spirit, all of its essence, in one statement. He said all of it hangs on this. He summed up 613 commands in two. Jesus took the complexity and the advancement of the law and made it very simple.”
Jesus’ incredible simplification of the fullness of the law provides a far clearer pathway for following God than the Pharisees’ overwhelming mass of laws.
Similar to the Pharisees many modern ministries assume that more is the solution to a lack of maturity in their people. We’re struggling to do evangelism so we start an evangelism ministry. We have a lot of married young adults so let’s start a young marrieds ministry. We want a deeper community so we start a community group ministry. While none of these are bad in and of themselves – in most cases each of those ministries are great things – the continually increasing complexity of an “add something new” ministry causes distraction and loss of momentum in the areas that really matter.
As Jim Collins wrote in his book Good to Great, “See what is essential, ignore the rest” (Good to Great, p.91). The reality is, and this is particularly when it comes to ministry, simple is better.
This is especially true when you’re starting something new. Rather than trying to launch a massive once-a-week worship service, consider how you can determine the absolute minimum you can do to be faithful and effective in following Jesus’ model of ministry.
Four reasons simple ministry is better
1. Simple is humble
Too often we try to play God in launching a ministry, using our own skills and gifts to draw people in through events, powerful preaching, passionate worship, and the like. In contrast, when we start simple it demonstrates our humble dependence on God to make it grow. As both Peter and James write in their Epistles, “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5-6, James 4:6-7). Humble beginnings attract the power and grace of God.
2. Simple is sustainable
Odds are that you’re leading ministry while juggling a dozen other things in your life. Don’t create a ministry that becomes a burden and slowly drains your joy. Simple is sustainable and can last for the long run.
3. Simple is natural
We can learn much from God’s creation. Almost every organic system starts with simplicity and grows toward complexity. Every human started from two cells and multiplied into an incredibly complex living system. Every plant starts from a single, simple seed. Follow the natural flow of creation and start something simple rather than trying to force growth, and growth will happen.
4. Simple is replicable
Jesus’ model of disciple-making was incredibly simple (simple and easy are not the same thing!), which empowered his followers to carry on his message and methods. The ability to replicate is crucial for a disciple-making ministry. When we build simple ministries it makes it far easier to empower others to make disciples and lead with us.
Keep it simple, stupid
The point is simply this – simple ministry is better. As you make disciples and lead, don’t let the pressure to create something impressively complex distract you from the massive power of the Gospel and great commission basics.
Keep it simple and rejoice as you get to watch God work.
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