Recent Updates: Live from Shift: Broken Ministry — Mark Yaconelli makes the case that broken and empty is better. Listen to a podcast interview with Mark Yaconelli as he shares stories from his new book, Growing Souls: Experiments in Contemplative Youth Ministry. Video An anonymous youth worker creates their own impression of Contemplative Youth Ministry on Youtube. Events We've updated Mark’s speaking schedule. Books NEW! Growing Souls: Experiments in Contemplative Youth Ministry just released! We're a group of Christians seeking to integrate Christian spirituality and youth ministry. This site comes from our desire to be a source of encouragement and inspiration to those who seek to welcome young people into the way of Jesus. This is also a place to share the research and experience of the Youth Ministry & Spirituality Project (YMSP). For eight years, the YMSP has gathered together churches and youth ministers from across North America to explore contemplative prayer, discernment, spiritual direction, covenant community, spiritual practice and Sabbath-living as a way of re-sourcing ministries with youth. This site brings together a number of documents, articles, and practices from the eight years of research and experimentation in the YMSP. You'll find the internal documents of the project: grant proposals, curriculum, lectures, research interviews and onsite reports, as well as articles from the mainstream press, denominational magazines and youth ministers who have been engaged in the Project. You'll also find all of the practices, processes and principles that we've developed, taught and titled a "contemplative approach to youth ministry". If all if this seems a little overwhelming we've also made space for you to take time to slow down and pray. Before you look through the site a few comments: Take your time. Much of the material here is grounded in years of conversation and practice by churches, youth pastors and youth. Try not to "scan" the site. Notice when a sentence, idea or image catches your attention. Notice what attracts you as you engage this material. Take time to stop and reflect on how God might be seeking to meet you through whatever it is that interests you here. May this place and time be an encouragement as you seek to accompany young people into the Way of Jesus. Peace, Staff and Partners of the Youth Ministry & Spirituality Project
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