Presence-Centered Youth Ministry: Guiding Students into Spiritual Formation

Presently within YM, Presence-Centered Youth Ministry is a great book that will engage the young people of the America church. Mike King serves as President of YouthFront, a Youth Ministry organization. YouthFront works to bring youth into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ by creating environments where spiritual transformation occurs, by working with those who are involved in the spiritual formation of youth and by providing church-assisting events. King's youth ministry experience and expertise is highly evident in Presence-Centered Youth Ministry. King in chapters 1-3 describes why youth ministry is experiencing much hardship. King argues that youth ministry is playing it too safe and comfortable. He states: The call to follow this true God is not safe or convenient, unlike much of the feel-good, carefree god-think being modeled to our young people today. The present of Jesus in the lives of adolescents who are nurtured by the power of Scripture is not safe, but it's the essence of presence-centered youth ministry. (47) King argues in chapters 4-7 what youth pastors and youth ministries need to be in order for their youth ministry to become presence-centered. Youth ministry is about being with youth, not just as a role model or friend but also as a spiritual guide and a traveling companion. (6 8) There needs to be a new way of doing youth ministry--a youth ministry that experiences and embodies the presence of God. King suggests that when student sense a polished performance and impeccable image, students are immediately turned off. Research reminds us that students are suspicious of bigness, of advertising and ego trips. They want churches to be down to earth and unpretentious. (74) Chapters 8- 11 illustrates how to implement a presence-centered youth ministry. He suggests the practices of: listening prayer, imaginative prayer, prayer postures, providing signs of the cross, praying with icons, storytelling, incent prayers, sacred reading and contemplation, and lectio divina. King also refers to a website to obtain more presence centered activities: www.sacredgateway.org. I loved how passionate King was about creating environments that experience God's presence. King wants a youth ministry to connect to the early church and tradition, embody their faith, explore the challenge and cost of being a disciple of Jesus, connect between personal faith and a faith community, arrange a tangible expression of faith within a local community, emphasize on being a servant and living out faith, emphasize on classic Christian formation, and deemphasize the activities that do not lead to genuine transformation. Encountering God's presence will bring forth transformation. Youth ministry should not be a means of information, but a journey towards a life long transformation.

"Presence-centered Youth Ministry" tells an engaging story of the extremes and challenges of youth ministry over the years, and invites readers to approach teenagers in a more honest and effective way. Mike King's honesty in telling his own story is inspiring. He then moves on to specific practices for youth workers to engage in both individually and with their students. He reminds the reader of the meaning and depth of many Christian rituals and traditions that are often looked past, and I have found these practices effective both for myself and my students. I gave this book to each of my committed volunteer youth workers and continually refer back to it for assistance in real youth ministry. King is a brilliant story teller and a great guide for youth workers.

As a pastor, rarely do I ever read a book twice. But I picked up King's book again the other day because the plight of evangelicalism's future fell upon me once again and I think King not only provides a much needed critique of evangelical youth ministry, but also a path forward. In his book, King quotes Os Guiness who was asked by a non-Christian foreigner, "How come when I meet a Buddhist leader I feel like I am in the presence of a holy man, but when I meet a Christian leader, I feel like I have met an entrepreneur, a mover and shaker, a wheeler dealer?" King's book seems to offer evangelicals a way to regain some much needed credibility by rediscovering spiritual practices that have been practiced by Christians for generations long before we began writing them off because of divisive nuances in our ecclesiologies. King is right, youth workers need to see their role as spiritual guides rather than program directors. Probably the more difficult task is not convincing the youth workers, but getting the broader church to understand that its primary responsibility is not to cultivate youth who are nice, well-behaved kids who stay far away from trouble, but to guide youth into the presence of God and to create a passion for joining God in his story. Highly recommended. I've bought several copies for friends already.

In an era where young people are leaving the church the second they leave most youth ministries, Mike's book does a masterful job of helping people move from program and event oriented ministry to real discipleship and connection with students. By focusing on the things of the heart this book not only helped me put words to what I am experiencing and feeling, but also is great asset in helping us remember that we are on the journey too. Mike's heart for connecting students to God comes through in this book! I highly recommend this book to youth workers, first for themselves, second for their ministry and finally for those they will gift it to.

Mike does an excellent job of helping youth workers understand the need for presence-centered youth ministry as well as giving practical tips for beginning. As someone who has moved from typical program-centered youth ministry to presence-centered youth ministry in the last few years, I found this book to be helpful when talking with church leaders and encouraging when faced with struggles.