Review/Reflection: “Less Like Hippos, More Like Honeybees”

Book Review & Reflection on Dave Coryell’s Kingdom-Minded Challenge.  Less Like Hippos, More Like Honeybees

There are some books that inspire you, and others that shift the way you think entirely. Dave Coryell’s Less Like Hippos… More Like Honeybees does both.

Don’t let the playful title fool you—this short book packs a powerful message that will challenge the way you lead and serve this new generation of students.

In a time when the Church is wrestling with how to engage a passive, distracted, and often consumer-driven student culture, Coryell offers a metaphor that’s both clever and convicting: too often, we’ve become like hippos—big, heavy, slow, content to sit and be fed. But what if we were more like honeybees—small, agile, active, and intentional in our impact?

Hippos vs. Honeybees: The Big Idea

At the heart of Coryell’s message is this contrast:

• Hippos represent a stagnant approach to faith. They stay in one spot, consume resources, and expect to be fed. In ministry terms, this looks like students who attend but don’t engage, watch but don’t participate, receive but never give.

• Honeybees, on the other hand, are constantly moving, contributing, and working toward a collective goal. They live for something bigger than themselves. Each bee plays a role in creating something sweet and life-giving for others.

This metaphor isn’t just memorable—it’s mobilizing. And that’s exactly Coryell’s goal. Drawing from his years leading Christian Endeavor, Coryell challenges the reader to shift from a student ministry of spiritual consumption to spiritual contribution. He argues that every believer, especially young people, has a role to play in building God’s Kingdom—and it’s time to stop holding them back.

A Framework for Movement

Coryell doesn’t just present a compelling metaphor; he builds a practical framework around it. He outlines what it looks like to create a “honeybee culture” in your church, youth group, or ministry. A few of the key concepts include:

• Personal Ownership over Consuming Attendance: Moving beyond counting people in seats to equipping them to take responsibility for their own spiritual growth and ministry.

• Invested Encouragement that Champions & Empowers: Encouraging young people isn’t about cheering them on from the sidelines—it’s about calling them up into leadership, mission, and purpose.

• Movitated Multiplication, Not Just Maintenance: Many ministries fall into the trap of maintaining programs rather than multiplying leaders. Honeybee ministry is about constant sending, training, and releasing.

Each chapter is concise, with practical takeaways and reflection questions that make this ideal for team reading, youth leader training, or a personal challenge.

My Personal Reflection

As a pastor and leader, I found this book both affirming and convicting. I’ve long believed that the Church thrives when people are mobilized, not managed—but Coryell gave me fresh language and vision to reinforce that belief.

Reading Less Like Hippos… More Like Honeybees caused me to ask tough questions:

• Am I creating a culture that encourages participation or passivity? 

• Are our students growing as consumers or contributors?

• Do we give young people real opportunities to lead, or do we subtly communicate that ministry is only for professionals?

The truth is, hippos are easy to maintain. They don’t move much. They don’t cause much mess. But they also don’t multiply. Honeybees, on the other hand, require cultivation, risk, and trust. But they reproduce. They create beauty. They leave behind sweetness.

And that’s what I want my ministry to be known for.

Practical Applications for Ministry

If you’re a church leader, youth pastor, small group facilitator, or even a parent of any kind, this book has immediate takeaways. Here are just a few:

• Start by shifting expectations: Challenge your team to move from programming for students  to preparing students for purpose. Every member of your ministry should be seen as a potential honeybee—sent and strategic.

• Create space for ownership: Let students plan the event. Invite volunteers to lead the prayer. Empower new voices to take the mic. Messy? Sometimes. Worth it? Always.

• Ask better questions: Instead of “Did they show up?” ask “Are they stepping up?” Instead of “How many attended?” ask “Who is taking ownership?”

• Build a sending culture: Don’t cling to your best leaders—release them. Multiply your ministry by constantly investing in and commissioning others to go and do likewise.

Final Thought: A Movement Worth Buzzing About

The Church doesn’t need more hippos. We’ve got plenty of heavy systems, slow responses, and people stuck in spiritual stagnation.

We need a generation of  honeybees—people who are joyfully sent, courageously engaged, and collectively building something beautiful and Kingdom-impactful.

Less Like Hippos… More Like Honeybees is more than a book. It’s a manifesto. It’s a ministry mindset shift. It’s a timely invitation to join a movement of generational mobilization—and to lead in a way that will change the world! 

So go ahead: read it. Share it. Live it. And may your ministry buzz with purpose and sweetness.

Get your copy here:
📖 Less Like Hippos… More Like Honeybees – Dave Coryell (Amazon)