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The Fuel & the Flame: Ignite Your Life & Your Campus for Jesus Christ
A four-year (or more!) window of time where a student can become and accomplish all that God has for them. This book will help you do just that as you discover a vision for your life, the kind of personal and spiritual foundation you need to build, and practical ways to share your faith, disciple others, and impact the world for Jesus Christ. The challenge? If you will fully submit yourself to the Lord to be the fuel, God will ignite your life and spread the flame of the gospel across your campus and world. So beware, what you hold in your hands may forever change you. You in?
This is the totally revised and updated version of The Fuel and the Flame! This one was written with students in mind. The original version was published in 2003 and quickly became the go-to book for a myriad of campus-based and church-based college ministries around the U.S. and beyond. However, it is high time we reexamined everything for this new generation of students in light of the challenges and opportunities that lie before you.
Our goal in this book is to focus on a few of the simple commands and modeling Jesus provided us. To be able to easily remember these commands, we will refer to them as EDM (evangelism, disciple-making, and mission mobilization). We hope that God uses the basics of EDM shared in this book to transform your everyday life and change your heart to be more like His own.
So, if you want to walk with God more closely, have a vision for your life and ministry, develop a practical plan for you to lead others to Christ and make disciples, and to impact the world for the glory of God…you’ve come to the right place! Read this on your own. Or take a small group through it. Encourage your whole college ministry to use it as their semester training tool or summer project book. Not everything in here will work for you and your group, but—as long as you are seeking to be an obedient (and teachable!) disciple of Jesus Christ—a lot will!
This is the totally revised and updated version of The Fuel and the Flame! This one was written with students in mind. The original version was published in 2003 and quickly became the go-to book for a myriad of campus-based and church-based college ministries around the U.S. and beyond. However, it is high time we reexamined everything for this new generation of students in light of the challenges and opportunities that lie before you.
Our goal in this book is to focus on a few of the simple commands and modeling Jesus provided us. To be able to easily remember these commands, we will refer to them as EDM (evangelism, disciple-making, and mission mobilization). We hope that God uses the basics of EDM shared in this book to transform your everyday life and change your heart to be more like His own.
So, if you want to walk with God more closely, have a vision for your life and ministry, develop a practical plan for you to lead others to Christ and make disciples, and to impact the world for the glory of God…you’ve come to the right place! Read this on your own. Or take a small group through it. Encourage your whole college ministry to use it as their semester training tool or summer project book. Not everything in here will work for you and your group, but—as long as you are seeking to be an obedient (and teachable!) disciple of Jesus Christ—a lot will!
288 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2021
About the author
Steve Shadrach
11 books23 followersDr. Steve Shadrach has a passion for developing laborers for Christ to reach the world. He has been involved with Campus Crusade, The Navs, and as head counselor with Kanakuk Kamps. He served as Pastor of Students and Missions at University Baptist Church in Fayetteville, AR. He is the founder of Student Mobilization, which focuses on evangelizing and discipling college students in the U.S. and abroad, The Traveling Team, and The Bodybuilders ministry, seeking to "build up the body of Christ" through the development of seminars and publications.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
July 1, 2026
Great resource for doing college ministry, discipleship, and/or as a gift to a new believer. Full of powerful insight from the authors and quotes from other faithful ministers.
July 27, 2024
This is one of my favorite books ever. This book pumped me up with vision to be an on-mission, disciple-making follower of Christ.
One of my favorite qualities of this book was how practical it was. The authors give so many simple next steps that it would be impossible to leave this book feeling like you don’t have the tools to make disciples.
Highly recommend, especially for college-aged students and young adults!
Also, as the leader of a college ministry, I’m having my student leader team read this book and they’ve loved it. It’s been really sweet to see God cultivate a passion to be more than just “small group leaders,” but to have a greater vision: to be a disciple-maker that makes a generational impact on their peers. I can’t wait to see the fruit it bears in their ministry this coming school year!
One of my favorite qualities of this book was how practical it was. The authors give so many simple next steps that it would be impossible to leave this book feeling like you don’t have the tools to make disciples.
Highly recommend, especially for college-aged students and young adults!
Also, as the leader of a college ministry, I’m having my student leader team read this book and they’ve loved it. It’s been really sweet to see God cultivate a passion to be more than just “small group leaders,” but to have a greater vision: to be a disciple-maker that makes a generational impact on their peers. I can’t wait to see the fruit it bears in their ministry this coming school year!
April 5, 2024
So good. I would encourage any college student following Jesus and anyone involved in ministry with college students to read this book. And probably any believer regardless of whether you engage with college student or not can apply many of the lessons and tools about discipleship, evangelism, and living a meaningful life fully devoted to Christ. Gave me a ton of ideas and inspiration about intentional discipleship especially!
March 1, 2022
This is the premier book on campus ministry. Written for the college student who is seeking to spiritually reproduce their life, this book is full of practical principles and helpful tools that all flow from a theologically rich exposition of Jesus’ ministry model. It is a great motivation to reach the campus in order to reach the world!
June 4, 2026
Literally a manuscript of how to do my job lol— but most importantly, how to live a life on mission for God! I think everyone needs to read this book!!!
January 5, 2024
Very inspiring and convicting. The authors do a great job of clearly explaining the Great Commission and its purpose in everyday life on the campus. It forces you to think of how you choose to spend your time when you could be laboring for the Kingdom. Would 100% recommend
February 4, 2024
I would recommend this book to any young Christian!
March 18, 2023
Phenomenal resource for anyone following Jesus in college or working in college ministry. Honestly super practical to contextualize outside of college too for any young Christian!
February 5, 2024
If post college me is a bum: make sure I reread this to remember college.
December 8, 2024
This book is solid! I’ve probably taken more notes and quotes from this book than any other that I’ve read. It’s very applicable and guides people (specifically college students) down the road towards following Jesus to the ends of the earth. It also has great content about how to disciple someone, how to follow up with a new believer, how to lead a Bible study, and how to challenge those you disciple to take up the baton and run with it themselves. It is great at vision casting and a “must read” for any college student that’s serious about fulfilling the Great Commission!
“Know this for sure: if you will give yourself as the fuel, God will ignite the flame for worldwide impact. You are responsible for reaching this generation of students. Join God in His mission, investing your life as a co-gatherer with Him and reaching people from every corner of the earth to spend eternity worshipping Christ around His throne.”
“Know this for sure: if you will give yourself as the fuel, God will ignite the flame for worldwide impact. You are responsible for reaching this generation of students. Join God in His mission, investing your life as a co-gatherer with Him and reaching people from every corner of the earth to spend eternity worshipping Christ around His throne.”
August 20, 2024
Rereading this book I realized that so many ideas and thoughts that I share with dudes that I hangout with have come from this book, and I just forgot what book they came from. Another thing I realized this second time around is that the endgame is always missions. I think a lot of times today missions has become the endgame of discipleship so implicitly that it almost becomes forgotten. I love how many times he says things like, “we make disciples SO THAT those disciples go to the ends of the earth. Love that.
September 13, 2023
Anyone who is in college ministry, ever was in college ministry, or cares about living a meaningful life should read this book.
December 17, 2024
Everyone should read
February 15, 2023
Solid book. It called out a desire to live in light of the great Commission and to take evangelism a lot more seriously; also gives some great practical ways to make disciples.
October 19, 2022
Good practical book on how to do College Ministry.
Not amazingly nuanced, it’s a lot of “if you do this, this and especially this, really really hard, God will work on your campus”
Obviously we should valuing laboring for our faith, and the wisdom of those who have good practices.
However, daily walk with Christ will trumps both of those. And that mindset quickly leads into numbers-based ministries (bad)
Best part- Intercession
I didn’t know how (or why) to intercede for those I am sharing the Gospel with, this book opened my eyes to that spiritual discipline
3.5/5 stars but I’m rounding it to four, because I think college students should read it
Not amazingly nuanced, it’s a lot of “if you do this, this and especially this, really really hard, God will work on your campus”
Obviously we should valuing laboring for our faith, and the wisdom of those who have good practices.
However, daily walk with Christ will trumps both of those. And that mindset quickly leads into numbers-based ministries (bad)
Best part- Intercession
I didn’t know how (or why) to intercede for those I am sharing the Gospel with, this book opened my eyes to that spiritual discipline
3.5/5 stars but I’m rounding it to four, because I think college students should read it
November 16, 2023
practical principles and helpful tools for discipleship and college ministry! i also liked the chapter that covered corporate prayer meetings and the importance of praying as a church body - it’s been cool to see that incorporated into salt church !!
November 29, 2021
Every College student must read this. It will ignite a fire in your belly for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Please read it, share it, and disciple people who will disciple people.
February 13, 2024
NO RESERVES! NO RETREATS!
July 29, 2026
The temptation for one reading this book is to think "I have to do college ministry for me to be an effective disciple making disciple" but I don't think that's the case. While this book is geared towards college students and college ministry, there are a lot of applications that can be transferred to every day discipleship. Shadrach and Worcester's point is that you need to be on mission for Christ and making disciples. You don't need to join the mission to the Congo, (or for that matter have career in college ministry) to do this. This translates to all walks of life, if you are a janitor are you making disciples for Christ? If you're a CEO are you making disciples for Christ?
What the book does well:
Their model of evangelism and discipleship is where this book really shines. It is radically different from a Billy Graham crusade. They argue for a strategy of quality over quantity. Prioritize raising up disciple-making disciples. We don't just want people to know Jesus; we want people to know Jesus, grow in their love for Jesus, and then go out and make more disciples for Jesus. Make disciples and teach them to do the same. Ultimately by doing this, you end up making more disciples. Quality will lead to quantity.
Another piece of advice they gave which I found very helpful is finding the "person of peace" for your mission field. This is a strategic person if reached can open many doors for more Gospel conversations. I found this very helpful. Meeting new people and becoming part of a group is a struggle for me, so reaching that person who is influential in the group will aid my efforts of building connections.
This book certainly isn't without its flaws though:
A small criticism that I have is that for their Bible references they kept switch the translation they were using. This gave me the impression that they were trying to find wording that best fit with whatever particular point they were trying to make rather than letting the Word of God speak for itself. I think it would have been much more effective if they picked a translation and stuck with it. They also heavily rely on the NLT and the Living Bible which aren't really translations but rather paraphrased commentaries. There were several passages they quoted that weren't the most accurate. This is a slippery slope that leads to misinterpreting the text. It is important to let the text speak for itself and to not contort it to fit a particular point.
Another critique is regarding the chapter about community. While they rightly expressed the need for Christian community, they did precious little to talk about what that community looks like; especially in the context of the local church. To their credit they did say that plugging into a local church is essential, but basically left it at that. Life in the local church isn't just essential, it is vitally important for survival. It is much more important than any campus fellowship or Bible study. They also didn't give any advice as to how a student should get plug into a local church. They gave the impression that as long as you go to a Bible believing church and bring your friends along then you're good. This is exactly what I did in my college years and as a result I was isolated and missed out on a lot of wisdom from the saints with more life experience. Church life is drastically different than campus life and for a student it can be stressful and confusing. I feel thst this was a missed opportunity.
Another chapter that I must critique is the chapter entitled, Your Most Strategic Role. In this chapter they draw attention to the need for world missions, which is a good thing. I too care about world missions and for unreached people groups. However this chapter gives the impression that if you're aren't planning to go overseas or giving a significant amount of money to overseas missions than your doing it wrong. This just isn't the case, while some may be called to go to the ends of the earth, others are not; while some may be called to give to foreign missions, other are called to give the whole of their tithe to the church. There are other ways to be on mission for Christ besides just world evangelism. This chapter misses a crucial point about outreach, and that is the neighbor who is next door to you. We have heathens a plenty here in the U.S. Want to reach an unreached people group? You don't need to look farther than your local dive bar. My point is not that world missions aren't important, of course they are and for all who God calls to go, I say Godspeed! My point is simply that Christians can also obey the great commission by going to the local community that God has already placed them in.
Conclusion:
Overall I would say this book is helpful and as a lot of truth that can encourage and inspire someone to pursue discipleship and evangelism. However there is a danger for someone reading this book to walk away with some unhelpful ideas. I believe this book is best used in a group setting with a wiser Christian (like a church elder) leading the discussion.
What the book does well:
Their model of evangelism and discipleship is where this book really shines. It is radically different from a Billy Graham crusade. They argue for a strategy of quality over quantity. Prioritize raising up disciple-making disciples. We don't just want people to know Jesus; we want people to know Jesus, grow in their love for Jesus, and then go out and make more disciples for Jesus. Make disciples and teach them to do the same. Ultimately by doing this, you end up making more disciples. Quality will lead to quantity.
Another piece of advice they gave which I found very helpful is finding the "person of peace" for your mission field. This is a strategic person if reached can open many doors for more Gospel conversations. I found this very helpful. Meeting new people and becoming part of a group is a struggle for me, so reaching that person who is influential in the group will aid my efforts of building connections.
This book certainly isn't without its flaws though:
A small criticism that I have is that for their Bible references they kept switch the translation they were using. This gave me the impression that they were trying to find wording that best fit with whatever particular point they were trying to make rather than letting the Word of God speak for itself. I think it would have been much more effective if they picked a translation and stuck with it. They also heavily rely on the NLT and the Living Bible which aren't really translations but rather paraphrased commentaries. There were several passages they quoted that weren't the most accurate. This is a slippery slope that leads to misinterpreting the text. It is important to let the text speak for itself and to not contort it to fit a particular point.
Another critique is regarding the chapter about community. While they rightly expressed the need for Christian community, they did precious little to talk about what that community looks like; especially in the context of the local church. To their credit they did say that plugging into a local church is essential, but basically left it at that. Life in the local church isn't just essential, it is vitally important for survival. It is much more important than any campus fellowship or Bible study. They also didn't give any advice as to how a student should get plug into a local church. They gave the impression that as long as you go to a Bible believing church and bring your friends along then you're good. This is exactly what I did in my college years and as a result I was isolated and missed out on a lot of wisdom from the saints with more life experience. Church life is drastically different than campus life and for a student it can be stressful and confusing. I feel thst this was a missed opportunity.
Another chapter that I must critique is the chapter entitled, Your Most Strategic Role. In this chapter they draw attention to the need for world missions, which is a good thing. I too care about world missions and for unreached people groups. However this chapter gives the impression that if you're aren't planning to go overseas or giving a significant amount of money to overseas missions than your doing it wrong. This just isn't the case, while some may be called to go to the ends of the earth, others are not; while some may be called to give to foreign missions, other are called to give the whole of their tithe to the church. There are other ways to be on mission for Christ besides just world evangelism. This chapter misses a crucial point about outreach, and that is the neighbor who is next door to you. We have heathens a plenty here in the U.S. Want to reach an unreached people group? You don't need to look farther than your local dive bar. My point is not that world missions aren't important, of course they are and for all who God calls to go, I say Godspeed! My point is simply that Christians can also obey the great commission by going to the local community that God has already placed them in.
Conclusion:
Overall I would say this book is helpful and as a lot of truth that can encourage and inspire someone to pursue discipleship and evangelism. However there is a danger for someone reading this book to walk away with some unhelpful ideas. I believe this book is best used in a group setting with a wiser Christian (like a church elder) leading the discussion.
May 1, 2023
This is an excellent read to get you hyped for Jesus in your college years.
Shadrach and Worcester have a fiery passion for reaching the college age group, and that comes across well in their writing. Their tone is a strong call to action for anyone who feels lukewarm in their walk or like they can’t or shouldn’t do anything to witness while in college.
Aside from the motivation, this book also includes a ton of useful information, from practical tips to fully fleshed out guides for how to disciple someone. I truly learned a lot, and I will probably end up referencing back to it from time to time.
One of my critical thoughts while reading was this—that there was way too much focus on your college years, as if there was no chance to have as much impact outside of and beyond college. I recognize that being in college gives you a great opportunity to witness to and disciple others, but it’s short-sighted to imagine that the great commission stops once you graduate. After some reflection however, I believe this focus was simply their attempt to relate to the average college student. I think the majority of college students have this view of college—that college is their entire life and their entire focus lies in the next four years on campus. Perhaps Shadrach and Worcester were simply trying to funnel that short-term, tunnel-vision feeling into something meaningful for the kingdom. I can’t fault them for that. But it should be remembered that our ministry continues throughout our lives.
Overall, a good read. It inspired me and gave me some of the tools to be bolder with my faith and pour into others.
Shadrach and Worcester have a fiery passion for reaching the college age group, and that comes across well in their writing. Their tone is a strong call to action for anyone who feels lukewarm in their walk or like they can’t or shouldn’t do anything to witness while in college.
Aside from the motivation, this book also includes a ton of useful information, from practical tips to fully fleshed out guides for how to disciple someone. I truly learned a lot, and I will probably end up referencing back to it from time to time.
One of my critical thoughts while reading was this—that there was way too much focus on your college years, as if there was no chance to have as much impact outside of and beyond college. I recognize that being in college gives you a great opportunity to witness to and disciple others, but it’s short-sighted to imagine that the great commission stops once you graduate. After some reflection however, I believe this focus was simply their attempt to relate to the average college student. I think the majority of college students have this view of college—that college is their entire life and their entire focus lies in the next four years on campus. Perhaps Shadrach and Worcester were simply trying to funnel that short-term, tunnel-vision feeling into something meaningful for the kingdom. I can’t fault them for that. But it should be remembered that our ministry continues throughout our lives.
Overall, a good read. It inspired me and gave me some of the tools to be bolder with my faith and pour into others.
August 12, 2025
I was skeptical with the first chapter because Steve shares his testimony and I wasn’t sure if it was just going to be another book of personal experiences but then it was packed with scripture and good explanations of the passages and amazing quotes from great theologians. I absolutely love the emphasis they’re placing on discipleship after sharing your testimony and walking with someone as they accept Christ. It just feels like it’s very practical and well written, scripturally based, and has a lot of good points to consider and put into practice.
The last three sections explore step by step methods of discipleship with real, practical ways of employing them in your college setting. I go to a Bible college right now, so this is t as applicable to me, but I’m about to be in a really secular college setting, and I feel like this book has prepared me well for that.
I also love the emphasis on living in the world while not being of it. There is heavy encouragement to spend time with believers and nonbelievers alike, as Christians aren’t called to hide away but to share their faith and love others. This is so needed, as the statistic I believe is that within three years of converting to Christianity Christians will end up dropping all of their non believing friends. The key is to be bold about your faith, no matter the circumstances. Don’t take the easy route of being bold in the safety of your friends who all believe the same thing as you, but enjoy the presence of all of the people God places in your life and bless the food in the Mexican restaurant when you go out to eat with them even if it makes them uncomfortable. Anyway, I digress.
The last three sections explore step by step methods of discipleship with real, practical ways of employing them in your college setting. I go to a Bible college right now, so this is t as applicable to me, but I’m about to be in a really secular college setting, and I feel like this book has prepared me well for that.
I also love the emphasis on living in the world while not being of it. There is heavy encouragement to spend time with believers and nonbelievers alike, as Christians aren’t called to hide away but to share their faith and love others. This is so needed, as the statistic I believe is that within three years of converting to Christianity Christians will end up dropping all of their non believing friends. The key is to be bold about your faith, no matter the circumstances. Don’t take the easy route of being bold in the safety of your friends who all believe the same thing as you, but enjoy the presence of all of the people God places in your life and bless the food in the Mexican restaurant when you go out to eat with them even if it makes them uncomfortable. Anyway, I digress.
December 12, 2024
This read is essential for college students. The authors do an exceptional job of challenging you, yet providing incredible advise. This is the most practical read you could ask for. Highly recommend.
Quotes:
-Many students are one convo away from giving their life to Christ
-The simple habit of blocking out 15-30 min in prayer could be the most life-changing decision you will ever make
-Awkward convos change lives
-If God has already given us His marching orders right there in black and white, why are we waiting for an emotional experience to tell us what He really wants us to do?
Quotes:
-Many students are one convo away from giving their life to Christ
-The simple habit of blocking out 15-30 min in prayer could be the most life-changing decision you will ever make
-Awkward convos change lives
-If God has already given us His marching orders right there in black and white, why are we waiting for an emotional experience to tell us what He really wants us to do?
December 27, 2023
This is such an amazing book for college ministry. Each chapter goes deep reminding us with scripture that the mission of God is worth it all. It teaches so much about the mission field that is colleges. I am so glad I finally finished this book and I will definitely be revisiting for the incredible tools for discipleship that a sprinkled throughout.
July 28, 2023
Lots of practical, scripture-based guidance for college students striving to seek first the kingdom of righteousness and make disciples on campus. Honestly made me energized and excited to go back to school and see how God will move!
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December 29, 2023A practical book on what discipleship making looks like for college students on campus. Recommend for anyone who needs an easy read on such a matter. Pretty simple but it’s the simple things that normally work the best !
April 16, 2024
An amazing book every college student should read.
February 24, 2025
This book explains what it means to follow the great commission! A good book read, just wished there was more biblical references ! (Honestly maybe there was it took me a couple months to read though)
April 21, 2024
Fantastic resource on college ministry and the vision a student should have for their life. I plan to use this for one on one discipleship relationships in the future.
July 9, 2026
I would put this book in the category of “Every Christian Should Read”. It’s super well written, very practical and challenging, and such a helpful guide to the Christian life.
October 2, 2025
Idaho reference on page 125
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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