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Title: Contemplative Youth Ministry: Practicing the Presence of Jesus (Youth Specialties)
ISBN: 0310267773
Author:
Mark Yaconelli
Publicate Date: 2006-05-01
Publish: 2006-05-01
List Price: $21.99
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $11.82
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $11.81
Amazon Merchant Price: $16.05
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| Customer Review: |
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1: A Review by Two Fuller Seminary Students!
Contemplative Youth Ministry is written to provide Christian youth workers with both a theoretical framework for and the practical application of a "contemplative" youth ministry model. Yaconelli posits his model as an alternative to the two other ones he finds common today: the "Consumer model," where ministries try to keep students busy "having fun," in hopes they will stay out of trouble and become moral; and the "Content model," which is hierarchical and "Word driven," focusing on doctrine and conformity but weak on relationships. He proposes the "Contemplative model" which places the focus on developing relationships, "being present" with people rather than trying to "fix" problems, incorporating spiritual practices like lectio divina, centering prayer, spiritual direction, and silence.
Eui likes Yaconelli's emphasis on the importance of the minister's own relationship with God, believing this provides an infinite source of love and wisdom. However, she also feels it is a bit idealistic, with the complicacy of human relationships and elements of church politics rarely allowing a minister to be free enough to solely focus on God. Instead, they are often pulled back-and-forth between parents' anxieties about the moral education of their children and youth's anxieties about becoming an adult with a "boring" life. Chris appreciates its emphasis on listening and "being" with students, and developing a praying, discerning, and reflective community of adult leaders. He is also excited to try out some of the exercises mentioned in the book with his own students. We both agree that this is an excellent book that will help re-focus a youth worker on God's determined, patient love for youth.
(Co-written by Eui Heo)
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2: Extraordinary (and Essential) Read for Anyone Struggling in Youth Ministry
After setting down Contemplative Youth Ministry, I am left desiring more. More teaching in the gentle voice of Mark Yaconelli. More encouraging stories of ministries who have successfully integrated a more contemplative approach to doing ministry to and with teens. More examples of how we can all incorporate elements of contemplation into both our lives and our ministries.
Mark is a bit of a mystic (much like his father - Mike - was and John Eldredge, Rob Bell and Brian McLaren are), choosing to focus a lot of attention on the practice of living in God's presence. This is a very important element of the Christian life that many of us forget. We need to rest in the presence of God, for out of this, our real ministry springs. Mark also spends much time focusing upon integrating ancient practices, such as the lectio divina, the liturgy for discernment, and the awareness examen, into weekly youth ministry staff meetings and regular youth programming. These are just a couple of the items that make this book such an important resource.
Mark's storytelling method truly invites the reader in to experience the events he is sharing about. He draws you in and includes you, as if you were there as it was happening. He speaks of more effective ways to call volunteers into ministry alongside us. And he is honest. Honest about his own faults, his own shortcomings and failures... and honest about the fact that not every ancient practice will go over well with each youth group. We need to listen to see where our teens are most alive to adequately "program" for them. We need to remember that just as Christ is always present, He is just as present in the thoughts and the hearts of our teens. We need to keep open minds to their thoughts, their feelings, their ideas. They just may prove to be our greatest teachers.
I firmly believe that every youth minister - paid staff or volunteer - should incorporate this book into their own education. There is so much that can help us as we seek to help guide students to Christ. There are things that will not work for us (just as in any model of youth ministry, portions work because of the group that it is coming from; unique talents, temperaments, abilities) - but there is so much to be found within the pages of this book that will help us... even if it is only put into play so far as guiding our own Spiritual journeys. Read this book. Meditate upon this book. Use this book.
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3: Awesome
This was bought for my son who is a youth pastor. He says it is very right on
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4: Be Still or Be Busy
This is an excellent book that helps point out the difference between being busy with youth and being still. It is hard to hear God, or teach youth to hear God, if we are never still. Very helpful both personally and in youth ministry.
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5: prophetic youth ministry a welcomed book
Contemplative youth ministry is a welcomed book. It's a book that seeks to put God at the centre of youth ministry instead of programs that stem from good ideas. The title of the book sums up the theme and direction of the book. Basically if Brother Lawrence had done youth ministry, he probably would have written a book like this. He instructs youth leaders on how to listen to God, how to minister from a place of silence and hearing God's voice, and how to encourage these activities among the youth.
One of the strengths of the book would be his testimony at the beginning of the book in which he describes himself as being program driven and success seeking. He then recounts his transformation to a place where he ministers out of love instead of anxiety. I felt that I could relate.
The part that I got the most from was when he called us to be "fully present" to the individual youths. He made me realise how often I've only given someone half of my attention. His challenge to me to slow down and give a youth my full attention and listening ears is much appreciated.
I felt the book had a couple of weaknesses that made me give this otherwise unique book only three stars. First of all, he fails to ground his (what are for many) new and somewhat radical ideas in scripture. With the exception of the odd verse, he bases his ideas more in church history than in scripture. Not to say that I think that his ideas are unbiblical; for at least the most part they are not. But, when calling the church to fundamentally change how we do things, we want a surer guide then a few testimonies and a "this is how Ignatius Loyola would have done it". Often I thought that he had a good idea which made me think of different texts of scripture, but he failed to ever interact with them. I felt that this decreased the potential power of the book.
The second weakness I felt the book had was the somewhat negative tone towards preaching or what he called "word heavy youth ministry". Preaching is very uncool in today's post-modern era where authority is downplayed. There is a general shift away from preaching and teaching and I feel like this book is affected by that wave of thinking. The author encouraged the exercise of meditating on scripture together and then sharing what each person felt that the text was saying. What the author failed to teach us was what to do when some outlandish, nut-job or even heretical ideas are being shared. How do we bring correction and instruction into a moment like that? Is there really no value at all in having a gifted teacher authoritatively say, "here is the text, let me explain what it means and how to apply it to your lives"? The gospel needs to be preached and not just reflected in the way we live.
Also, the author never uses the term "prophetic", but what he describes in some areas could be termed "prophetic youth ministry". Hearing what God is saying and acting on it is a prophetic action. Though this is unfortunately terribly under lived among us, I felt a desire to say during the book, "There are other types of prayer we can engage in to make effective youth ministry. What about the "loud crying and tears", what about the intercession? We need to do more than just listen to what God is doing; we also need to pray things into being."
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