Book Review: Emerge - Equipping College Leaders to Continue a Life of Vision and Purpose

I've been waiting a while for this book to come out. My oldest son, Henry Michael, has been participating in a program at his church called Lead Team which is run by the book's author, Ken Jibben. It's a program aimed at mentoring college upperclassmen who have a leadership track record, to help them transition into life and church leadership after college. I've watched the impact it's had on my son and been impressed with the vision and structure of this ministry.

The book lays out the foundational vision and strategy for this kind of ministry that can be multiplied in other churches and, I believe, adapted to other situations beyond college students. At the core of Ken's approach are mentoring relationships and helping students seek emotional wellness. But I also saw how reading leadership books and the practical help my son got on budgeting and other topics had an impact on him. Students meet with their mentors every other week, participate in four overnight retreats during their year in training and read three books on leadership. Ken's list of things they don't try to do is very helpful (e.g., they don't do ministry together since these students are already leading in campus ministries or churches).

I'd like to see Ken start a blog or web site dedicated to spreading this vision and helping others who are trying to establish this kind of ministry in their churches. I came away wanting more practical direction on the content and approach to the mentoring and the retreats. A web presence would be a great way to share his experience along the way.