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Do you have a passion for youth ministry? In honor of the publication of Mark Yaconelli’s Contemplative Youth Ministry: Practicing the Presence of Jesus, Youth Specialties is hosting a series of free events and discussion meetings around the US.

Mark Yaconelli is leading a series of evening discussions on the topic of “Contemplative Youth Ministry,” while Stephen Iverson leads one-day “Practicing the Presence” retreats. The events are open to anyone with an interest in youth ministry and evangelism, and involve music, discussion, and plenty of time spent in prayer and contemplation. Stop by the Youth Specialties site to find out which events are happening in your area.

Pastors, are you struggling to get your church’s ministry off the ground? Is your congregation stuck in a rut, with overburdened leaders and an ineffective outreach? The Basics Conference 2006 may be what you need to jump-start both your leadership and your church’s passion for evangelism.

The conference theme this year is “Evangelism In and Through the Local Church” and is hosted by Alistair Begg’s Truth for Life ministry; it’s primarily for “men pastors, missionaries, evangelists, and Christian workers, or those in training for such roles.” It takes place in Cleveland, Ohio from May 15-17, and there’s still a few days left to take advantage of early-bird registration pricing.

Have you ever wanted to share your faith, but were unsure of the best way to do it? Do you want to follow the Bible’s call to spread the Gospel, but feel held back by fear?

The Impact 06 evangelism conference (April 24-26 in Kansas City, Missouri), hosted by Stonecroft Ministries, is a great opportunity to learn how to make evangelism a part of your everyday life. A wide variety of speakers will be on hand to share insights on evangelism–from sharing your faith with a friend over coffee to speaking in front of a large group.

Registration is open now; check out the conference schedule or watch the overview video to get a feel for what the conference will be like.

Are you involved in youth ministry? Dying to network with others who know the trials and tribulations (and occasional triumphs) of youth ministry? The 2006 National Youth Workers Convention may be what you’re looking for. Registration has just opened for the annual conference, which will be held in four different cities in the U.S. in late 2006 and features an impressive lineup of speakers and entertainers. The conference is being put on by Youth Specialties–even if you can’t make the conference this year, stop by the YS site and take a look at the many different youth ministry resources available there.

Luis Palau is headed to Costa Rica in a few weeks to participate in an evangelistic festival there. For more information (in Spanish), check the official Festival website. The Luis Palau site has this to say about evangelism in Costa Rica:

Although strong, the Christian community in Costa Rica is still quite small. But in spite of its size, the Christian community is determined to make a difference. The need is great, the doors are open, and God’s people are prepared.

The Luis Palau Orlando Festival is coming up in early April! It looks like quite the epic event–musicians like tobyMac, Kutless, and Point of Grace are just a few of the names on the lineup set to appear with evangelist Luis Palau.

If you want to get more involved with the Orlando Festival, several important event are taking place in February during the lead-up to the big event, including a youth training rally for junior-high and high-school students. They’re also looking for volunteers to help out at the Festival, so if you’re in the area and want to help out, stop by and read about the differents ways you can help.

Do you know a young person in the church with a heart for leadership and discipleship? At the Younger Leaders Gathering 2006, scheduled for September 24-30 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, hundreds of young and emerging church leaders will gather to learn about and discuss the leadership challenges faced by the worldwide church today.

The conference is a project of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism, which has organized a variety of such gatherings around the world. If you’re a church leader who knows someone who’d benefit from attending the conference, you can recommend them through March 31.

It feels a bit early to be talking about events that take place in mid-2006, but you know how time flies. With that in mind, I note that the dates have been set for Unity Festival 2006, and tickets for the uber-concert are now available.

The people behind the Unity Festival are also organizing a little something called Rock the Coast, a music festival to be held next spring at an amusement park in west Michigan. Go on, mark your calendars!