Mike King

Youth Workers - Refresh, Rejuvenate, Re-Engage

Come Join US - www.youtheology.com/youthworkerskc

youTheology is a Saint Paul School of Theology Pan-Methodist program that is preparing leaders, deepening faith, providing youth ministry resources, and giving opportunities for loving and serving God and others with high school students and youth workers.

STAY Where You Are... Place Matters

I have been speaking and thinking a lot lately on a theology of place, space and time.  I believe a theologically robust and intentional focus on being rooted in a particular place for a long period of time is essential for nurturing a community engaged in Christian practice.

It seems like I'm saying things that which resonnnate deeply to people but seems challenging to embrace in our hyper-mobile culture. 

This has become my argument;

STAY where you're from, if you haven't, STAY where you are, if you can't, at least live like you are staying where you are for the rest of your life.

Last week I had the privilege of giving two lectures at the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary and next week I will be speaking on this subject at the Children, Youth and New Kind of Christianity Conference in Washington, D.C.

It's not too late to register for the conference in Washington.  Here are what a few people are saying about the conference;

“This event sets the bar high:  it’s got passion, purpose, and a line-up of theological luminaries who rarely share the same stage.  What brings it all together is a shared core conviction:  if we’re going to be the church Christ calls us to be, we’re going to need to take young people as seriously as Jesus does.”
-Kenda Creasy Dean, Professor of Youth, Church and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary, Author of Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church

“What I like about [CYNKC] is that the fine folks throwing this party are trying to figure out how we approach spirituality with young people in a post-flannelgraph-Sunday-School world.”
-Shane Claiborne, activist, author, and founding member of The Simple Way

“A new generation needs to emerge that has a passionate vision for making the Kingdom of God a reality in this world. Children, Youth, and a New Kind of Christianity is a major attempt to foster that generation. It promises to give hope to a church and a world that need renewal.”
-Tony Campolo, PhD, Eastern University, St. Davids , Pennsylvania

Innovations: Cultivating Youth Spirituality in Experiential Environments

CED775 — Innovations: Cultivating Youth Spirituality in Experiential Environments

Mike King/Summer 2012

June 25-29 at Youthfront Camp and online 7/2-7/30

 

Catalog Description

Exploratory course designed to explore and assess innovative approaches to ministry surfacing in periodic, non-traditional, contexts.

Course Narrative & Rationale

Explorations into the contemporary spiritual lives of youth afford youth ministers an opportunity to develop new and innovative approaches to spiritual formation both for and with adolescents. This course explores one such approach to youth spirituality and youth spiritual formation through intensive settings such as retreats, pilgrimages, short term missions and camp ministries. The course utilizes one of the more innovative approaches to youth formation occurring through YouthFront a national youth ministry resource with specialized camp ministries just south of Kansas City. http://www.youthfront.com/directions This course allows participants the opportunity to explore the spiritual lives of youth, engage in formation practices with youth alongside recreational settings, and imagine the possibilities of similar ministry approaches in their own contexts.  

The course includes an intensive, one  week, situated learning experience at YouthFront South exploring youth spirituality while engaging youth and youth leaders on the journey. Special fee required for staying at the camp (required for all students).   For more information contact NTS or Dr. Dean Blevins, director of the MACFD program.

Presence-Centered Youth Ministry In Fifth Printing

Just got the news from my publisher InterVarsity Press that Presence-Centered Youth Ministry has gone into it's fifth printing.  I think that is good news.  If you are a youth worker and haven't read it yet, you can order the fifth edition here.

I'm Loving this Comment

Here.

Yes this is an advertisement.

International Justice Mission in the Philippines

Russ and Megumi Bermejo work for IJM in the Philippines to free young girls trapped in the sex-trade industry. Russ and Megumi focus on the aftercare of the girls once they are rescued from the heinous world of child prostitution.

Several months ago, Russ contacted me about his aftercare work with the girls. Russ had read Presence Centered Youth Ministry and felt that many things I wrote about in the creation of environments for transformation would help the young people he was working with experience spiritual healing and shape their Christian formation.

It has been cool to interact with Russ through the internet. Russ states, "I envision certain dots between youth ministry and our aftercare work here, and with some thoughtful design and enhancement, something very powerful could emerge that would help the aftercare community worldwide."

I really believe Russ and Megumi are on to something very important. Pray for them and the young victims whom they work with. Check out this video

My Refuge House Prayer Room - Project Ideas from E Russ on Vimeo.

Sweet Review

This has to be the sweetest review my book has gotten.  It was pretty heady to be reviewed positively in the academic Journal of Youth Ministry published by AYME (Association of Youth Ministry Educators) by Andrew Zirschky from Princeton but this review is what fills me with joy.

Amazon Rankings

I noticed that while my book Presence Centered Youth Ministry is on Amazon's top 100 most popular/best selling list of Youth Ministry Books at #99, it is #54 on the top 100 list for Pastoral Theology.  What does that mean?  I'm not sure but I think I like it.

100 Libraries

If you want to read Presence-Centered Youth Ministry: Guiding Students Into Spiritual Formation but don't want to buy the book here is a list of 100 Libraries that carry the book.

Nazarene Theological Seminary; Kansas City, MO
Kansas City Public Library; Kansas City, KS
Hesston College; Hesston, KS
Bethany College; Lindsborg, KS   
South Central Kansas Library; Hutchinson, KS   
John Brown University; Siloam Springs, AR   
Eden-Webster Library; St Louis, MO
Lincoln Christian College & Seminary; Lincoln, IL
Harding University - Brackett Library; Searcy, AR
North American Baptist Seminary; Sioux Falls, SD
Harding Graduate School of Religion Library; Memphis, TN 
Olivet Nazarene University; Bourbonnais, IL 
Northern Seminary; Lombard, IL
Saint Xavier University Library; Chicago, IL
Trinity International University; Deerfield, IL 
Concordia University; St Paul, MN 
North Park University; Chicago, IL   
Bethel Seminary Library; Saint Paul, MN   
Moody Bible Institute Library; Chicago, IL   
Luther Seminary Library; St Paul, MN   
Northwestern College, Berntsen Library; St Paul, MN
Southern Methodist University, Bridwell Library; Dallas, TX
Dallas Theological Seminary; Dallas, TX
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Library; Louisville, KY
Anderson University; Anderson, IN
Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary; Louisville, KY
Grace College & Seminary Library; Winona Lake, IN
Good Library, Goshen College; Goshen, IN
Wayland Baptist University; Plainview, TX
Taylor University, Ft Wayne Campus; Ft Wayne, IN
Hardin-Simmons University; Abilene, TX
Baylor University Libraries; Waco, TX 
Cincinnati Christian University; Cincinnati, OH   
Asbury Theological Seminary; Wilmore, KY
Calvin College & Theological Seminary; Grand Rapids, MI 
Lexington Theological Seminary; Lexington, KY
Carey S. Thomas Library-Denver Seminary; Littleton, CO
Howard Payne University; Brownwood, TX
Colorado Christian University, C. Fowler Library; Lakewood, CO
Spring Arbor University; Spring Arbor, MI
Samford University Library; Birmingham, AL
Cedarville University; Cedarville, OH
Bluffton University; Bluffton, OH
Great Lakes Christian College; Lansing, MI   
Southeastern Bible College; Birmingham, AL   
University of Findlay; Findlay, OH
Columbus Metropolitan Library; Columbus, OH
Kentucky Christian University; Grayson, KY   
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; New Orleans, LA   
Mercer University, Atlanta Library; Atlanta, GA   
Atlanta Christian College; East Point, GA
Toccoa Falls College; Toccoa Falls, GA
Milligan College Library; Milligan College, TN
Malone College; Canton, OH
Montreat College; Montreat, NC
Providence College & Seminary; Otterburne, Canada
Wake Forest University - ZSR Library; Winston-Salem, NC
University of Toronto Victoria Library; Toronto, ON Canada
Tyndale University College & Seminary; Toronto, ON Canada
Charleston Southern University; Charleston, SC
Union Theological Seminary; Richmond, VA
Virginia Theological Seminary; Alexandria, VA   
Wesley Theological Seminary; Washington, DC   
Georgetown University; Washington, DC
Library of Congress; Washington, DC
Eastern University; St Davids, PA   
Philadelphia Biblical University; Langhorne, PA
Phoenix Public Library; Phoenix, AZ
Phoenix Seminary Library; Phoenix, AZ   
Princeton Theological Seminary; Princeton, NJ
Regent University; Virginia Beach, VA
Southeastern University; Lakeland, FL
Virginia Beach Public Library System; Virginia Beach, VA
Westminster Theological Seminary; Glenside, PA
Fordham University; Bronx, NY
Andover Newton Theological School; Newton Center, MA   
Jenks Library at Gordon College; Wenham, MA 
Whitworth University; Spokane, WA 
BIOLA University Library; La Mirada, CA   
California State University, Long Beach; Long Beach, CA
Fuller Theological Seminary; Pasadena, CA   
Logos Evangelical Seminary; El Monte, CA   
Masters Seminary Library; Sun Valley, CA
San Diego Christian College; El Cajon, CA   
Alibris; Emeryville, CA   
Graduate Theological Union Library; Berkeley, CA   
King County Library System; Issaquah, WA
Multnomah Bible College; Portland, OR   
Northwest College, D V Hurst Library; Kirkland, WA
George Fox University; Newberg, OR
Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary; Mill Valley, CA
Seattle Pacific University Library; Seattle, WA
Seattle University; Seattle, WA   
Carey Baptist College, Ayson Clifford Library; Auckland, New Zealand
Deane Memorial Library; Auckland, New Zealand
Salvation Army Booth College of Mission Library; Upper Hutt, New Zealand
Moore Theological College Library; Newton, Australia

From Unexpected Places

Two Reviews of Presence Centered Youth Ministry recently surfaced from unexpected places.  The most surprising is a review by the Catholic News Service of the U.S. Conference of Bishops.  The review was very encouraging given that "the book is written from a Protestant perspective."  Regina Linskey, the Assistant International Editor of Catholic News Service, recommended Presence Centered Youth Ministry along with two other books - After the Baby Boomers: How Twenty- and Thirty-Somethings Are Shaping the Future of American Religion, by Robert Wuthnow. Princeton University Press (Princeton, N.J., 2007). 298 pp., $29.95. Being Catholic in a Culture of Choice, by Thomas P. Rausch, SJ. Liturgical Press (Collegeville, Minn., 2006). 123 pp., $19.95.  The review is being picked up by many U.S. Dioceses and republished online and in newsletters.  I hope this adds to the ecumenical dialogue that is growing among Protestants and Catholics.

The other review came from the Missional Methodist Movement.  See here.  The thing I like about this review is the acknowledgment that the issues I raise in youth ministry are really not just about youth ministry.  "Even though I am not a youth pastor, I found a lot of connection points with adult ministries. Even for adults we tend to use behavior modification techniques believing they will lead to true transformation, but time and time again we end up wondering why people remain untransformed. Perhaps it is time that we cultivate an environment, through the use of Christian disciplines, that brings people into the presence of God."