A Study On Presence Centered Youth Ministry - 1445 Words

In reading a book it is typical to make notes and highlight passages. However, with Mike King’s Presence Centered Youth Ministry, what started with highlighters, turned to pencil, then sticky notes. Finally, read now and then read again later became the mantra. It is infrequently that books resonate with our own theology and our own transformational journeys, but that is the situation with Presence Centered Youth Ministry. Thesis for Presence Centered Youth Ministry One must really dig into the book to get to the thesis. That is not to say the introduction and the entire first chapter is ineffective, quite the opposite is true. It is necessary to understand the context and transformation of King’s life in order to appreciate the thesis.†¦show more content†¦King recounts his transition from youth to youth pastor in a conservative setting with a pharisaic leaning. The real beauty is the ability to use this background and rely on the Spirit, scripture and tradition to inform the remainder of his theology. Author’s Credentials King uses Presence Centered Youth Ministry as a teaching tool. Beginning with the current setting, he then identifies the traits of a spiritual leader, practices that invite the presence of the Spirit into ministry, scripture, prayer, and a rule of life as means for meeting God. Each of the seven chapters provides sound reasoning and scriptural support which is truly rooted in Christ. Furthermore, King has thirty years of ministry experience as well as holding positions within the area of youth ministry at a national level. Author’s Arguments King’s primary argument is that of the current decline of mainline denominational catechesis, particularly youth through several factors identified by Hart in Deconstructing Evangelicalism (Pg. 30). These factors include Succession, Lack of Tradition, Age Segregation, and Decisionism (Pg. 30, 32, 33, 35). The cumulative effect of these factors is the loss of a consistent catechesis and formation strategy. Our youth, King provides, are prepared and able to handle a variety of complex practices for discipleship that