A work-book that truly works! Maria Harris has combined careful reflection with many practical insights and activities for all those who want to carry out the ministry of the whole church for and with and by young people. Letty M. Russell Associate Professor of Theology Yale Divinity School I know very few persons who have thought through so many questions affecting youth as has Maria Harris in 'Portrait of Youth Ministry'. Especially important is her consistent vision of empowering youth to direct their own lives. This book brings ministry to a new state in its development. Michael Warren St. John's University Jamaica, New York Out of her rich history in religious education at many levels Maria Harris offers a New Testament frame of reference for her scholarly and existential approach to youth ministry: didache (teaching), leiturgia (prayer), koinonia (community), kerygma (advocacy), diakonia (troublemaking) . . . The bibliography and ingenious activities at the end of each chapter are extremely helpful tools. Maria Harris believes that youth ministers need more than generosity and enthusiasm for the long haul. They need to be led into the depth of their own lives and have a grasp of the larger issues of our own culture. Dennis J. Geaney, O.S.A. Associate Pastor, St. Victor Parish Calumet City, Illinois When I finished reading the book I felt that I had attended a continuing education workshop.... Bread, nuts, and bolts all in one package! Lois I. Peeler Division of Education United Church Board for Homeland Ministries Youth ministers, pastoral associates, parish councils, parents will find here an excellent resource for clarifying their goals and commitments to youth ministry. Sr. Claire E. Lowery Assistant Professor of Theology and Pastoral Ministry Boston College

Brandon McKoy mines social construction theory to redirect our youth ministries from a focus on forming and protecting the private faith-lives of students to cultivating an awareness of Christ "in our midst"--in the overlapping relationships, stories and spheres of life that make us who we are.

Publisher's description: Presence-Centered Youth Ministry shows how classic disciplines, symbols and practices that have sustained the church over the centuries can shape the worldviews, virtues and habits of young people today. Come explore the deeper terrain of an ancient faith; your students are sure to follow.

In the first textbook of its kind, "Global Youth Ministry" brings together some of the foremost voices in international youth leadership to focus on the theological, theoretical, sociocultural, and historical issues that shape ministry to youth in contexts around the world.

Most youth pastors find it a constant struggle to get enough money allotted to their ministry’s budget, and with the latest recession, they’re feeling the crunch now more than ever as churches are cutting costs anywhere they can. But a youth pastor doesn’t have to feel stuck. In this book, youth workers will find innovative ideas to help them discover useful resources in places they hadn’t looked before. In his 15 years of youth ministry, Lars Rood has had his share of tight budgets, and he found that by looking at things from a different perspective, he was able to make his ministry work with limited funds. Here, Rood helps youth workers discover resources in the things around them, or through partnerships and people around them. He offers hope and encouragement to (often) frustrated youth workers as he guides them toward a new perspective when it comes to their ministry budgets.

“Contemplative Youth Ministry is refreshing rain for dry youth workers and barren youth ministries. More than the same old youth ministry tips and tricks, it gives principles and practices to soak in God’s grace, love, and power. I wish I had read it 15 years ago.” - Kara Powell, Ph.D., executive director, Center for Youth Ministry and Family Ministry, Fuller Theological Seminary “Mark invites readers to be encountered by the presence of Jesus who is always near. This book is transparent about the challenges that churches and families face as they desire to be effective in youth ministry. The book is filled with the honest stories of different kinds of youth ministries representing the breadth of Christianity in the United States. I heartily endorse Contemplative Youth Ministry as a rich encounter with the souls of youth and adults whose lives have been transformed by our very present God.” - Bill Kees, director of youth ministries, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) “Mark Yaconelli not only reminds us of some of the long-forgotten pathways of faith, he shares with us how it actually looks when men and women who love God practice it with young people. I especially appreciate Mark’s optimism in his perspective of today’s kids, for his insights are grounded in God’s view of them.” - Chap Clark, Ph.D., associate professor of youth, family, and culture, Fuller Theological Seminary “Mark Yaconelli was experimenting with contemplative youth ministry practices before contemplative youth ministry practices became cool. This book has about it the unique air of authenticity. He shares with us in these pages his own journey as a youth worker who actually believes that God’s still small voice speaks louder than the roaring windstorm of our busy youth ministry calendars. It’s a book about creating for our students places of silence and opening up spaces for God to speak.” - Duffy Robbins, professor of youth ministry, Eastern University; author of Enjoy the Silence and This Way to Youth Ministry “Mark Yaconelli has emerged as one of youth ministry’s most provocative ‘voices in the wilderness,’ calling us back to our theological taproots: The contemplative practices that bind our lives to the life of Christ. If Mark’s research has taught us anything, it’s that these practices do not cause youth ministry to take fl ight into a spiritual never-never land; rather they anchor young people—and their churches—in the fertile soil of Christian tradition, in the nitty-gritty of daily life, and in the explosive transformation that awaits us when we wait upon God.” - Kenda Creasy Dean, parent, pastor, and professor of youth, Princeton Theological Seminary; author of Practicing Passion: Youth and the Quest for a Passionate Church

This volume provides all who minister to young people with an effective blueprint for building a truly meaningful ministry