I’ve just about finished reading the late Mike Yaconelli’s book, ‘Getting Fired for the Glory of God‘ (named after one of the fantasic articles included in the book). It’s actually a collection of Yaconelli’s writings from Youth Worker Journal, back when he had the back page column every issue. I have to admit, it’s fun revisiting these articles that I read years ago – I remember most of them! They’ve definitely stood the test of time and have a relevance that won’t go away any time soon.
It’s been five years now since Mike Yaconelli passed away – the youth ministry world definitely suffered a loss on that day. I’ve always felt kind of like I missed out on something since my first Youth Specialties convention experience was the convention season after he passed away, so I’ve never seen him live but I’ve heard a lot of stories. Even before all of that, though, his books like ‘Dangerous Wonder’ and ‘Messy Spirituality’ had gone to the top of my list of personal favorites. Somehow Yaconelli was able to be brutally honest about the hurt and betrayal that can happen in youth ministry, the letdown that churches can cause, the pain and the suffering … but he did it without losing a love and passion for youth ministry and the church. There are very few that can be as honest as he was and do it in such a powerfully constructive way.
I didn’t even realize it when I bought the book, but it also comes with a DVD tucked into the back cover with video from two of his Youth Specialties talks and four different audio messages. This book is literally a treasure trove of Mike Yaconelli’s wisdom, in print, audio and video. Absolutely a must have for any youth worker; there is something in here for everyone.
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