Mark Yaconelli is a writer, speaker, retreat leader, spiritual director, community activist, youth worker, storyteller, disco dancer, husband, and father. He is the founder and executive director of The Hearth: Real Stories by Regular Folks, a registered non-profit that assists cities and service-based agencies in producing personal storytelling events designed to help communities and individuals deepen relationships and cultivate compassion. Through The Hearth, Mark has produced and led events for The Boys and Girls Club, The Ford Family Foundation, Asante Hospice Services, the Oregon Department of Human Services, The Church of Wales, and many other towns and agencies across the United States and United Kingdom.

Mark was the co-founder and program director for the Center for Engaged Compassion where he helped develop a unique set of practices and training programs for assisting individuals, organizations, and communities in creating genuine peace, healing, and reconciliation that change the world for good. While at the CEC Mark designed training programs and led retreats for agencies such as Prison Fellowship Canada, Religion and Politics, and The Mutare Pastoral Care and Counseling Center (Zimbabwe).

Mark is in demand as a speaker and retreat leader. He speaks to a variety of audiences each year across North America and the United Kingdom. He has been a retreat leader and/or keynote speaker for agencies such as The Greenbelt Arts Festival, Compassion International, The National Youth Workers Convention (U.K., Canada, and U.S.), The Salvation Army, The Global Gathering for Spirituality and Justice, The National Presbyterian Youth Triennium, and many other events and organizations.  See his calendar for upcoming engagements or contacts for booking information.

Mark spent 20 years working with young people and the people who serve them (parents, youth workers, social workers, pastors) in congregational, camp, and conference settings.  In 1996, he co-founded the Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project at San Francisco Theological Seminary, a grant funded project that sought to test the integration of contemplative practice and awareness within congregational youth ministry programs. He directed that project from 1996 to 2006.

Interviews and profiles of Mark Yaconelli’s work have appeared in the national media including the Wall Street Journal, “ABC World News Tonight”, New York Times Online, Washington Post Online, Christianity Magazine, and “CBS Radio.” Feature articles on his work with teens have appeared in The Christian Century, Immerse, Group Magazine, Youthworker Journal, and many other Christian publications in the United States and United Kingdom.

Mark is the author of The Gift of Hard Things (IVP 2016), Wonder, Fear, and Longing (Zondervan 2009), Downtime (Zondervan 2008), Growing Souls (2007 Zondervan), and Contemplative Youth Ministry (2006 Youth Specialties).

Mark Yaconelli holds an MA in Christian Spirituality from the Graduate Theological Union and a Graduate Diploma in the Art of Spiritual Direction from San Francisco Theological Seminary.

 “You will find Mark Yaconelli to be a wise and patient teacher with a lovely sense of humor. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll find direction and validation and a lot of truly great suggestions in his words.”– Anne Lamott, Best-selling author of Traveling Mercies and Operating Instructions.