Contemplative Youth Ministry

I finished the book by Mark Yaconelli, "Contemplative Youth Ministry". It was a good book, I liked how Mark tied in the importance of praying and reflecting on the ministry. Its even true in normal life because to often we want to rush ahead and not ponder the moment and what happened in that moment.

These are the main points of the book that I liked and want to take into my own ministry someday:

• The importance of living life to the abundance. The message in this book was being able to create the hope and that path for the teens to walk in order to see and find that "the glory of God is shown in the man fully alive." This is probably one of the key things that I want tied into my ministry and its purpose/mission. That we are trying to reach teens to show them that there is a better way to life then what our world tells us. With Jesus they can become fully alive.
• Having relationships with the teens and knowing them not just in youth group. In this mentoring relationship there will be "noticing, naming, and nurturing. This will help the teens be able to express words for God and then developing ways in which they can individually praise and worship God.
• Having a supportive and encouraging ministry team that works alongside me. I want to have young adults who are going to be active and involved in the youth's lives. I want to include leading and teaching the young adults as well so that not only are they leading kids closer to God but they themselves are knowing and experiencing God on a deeper level.
• Mark talked about different ways in which we can pray and seek the heart of God. A lot of those practices being around from even the beginning of the Church, I want these practices involved in my own ministry.

This book was great. I whole heatedly recommend it!