Book

We believe that all homeless young adults in America should have skilled and impassioned guidance counselors if they want them.

Terry Cole soon will publish a book called Margin Walker. The title comes from his experience since 2003 working with homeless young adults who exist on the margins of our society yet are inextricably connected to mainstream culture. It has been his joy and privilege to work full-time with more than 500 street youth each year since 2008. Terry was trained by wonderful mentors and has adapted technical training material from many fields: modern psychology, modern social work, Christian missiology and Christian theology. The techniques are proven to lead to healing and victory over complex obstacles faced by young adults, including homelessness, substance abuse, behavioral health issues and unemployment.

In his book, Terry will share:

  • His journey to knowing, loving and serving homeless young adults in Austin, Texas
    • Searching for meaning in his life
    • Falling in love with homeless street youth
    • Struggling for identity after walking away from a high tech career as an electrical engineer
    • Battling resistance to found a standalone ministry
    • Seeing amazing fruit from a labor of love
  • Transferable skills he has learned and taught to more than 10 staff, 25 interns and hundreds of volunteers.
    • Separating causes from by-products
    • Fostering healthy boundaries
    • Engaging the difficult
    • Focusing on strengths-based solutions
    • Holding power gently
    • Harm reduction adapted to ideas
    • Our one expertise: The Theory of Change
    • Intervention
    • After a disagreement
    • What you want me to know is...
    • Crisis intervention
    • Fostering rising expectations
    • The power of belief
  • Axioms that have kept his ministry going and fresh throughout the years
    • Viewing opposition
    • Handling complaints
    • Where is the progress?
    • Handling doubt
    • Are there any new temptations?
    • Ask, seek and knock -- updated
    • In the Garden
    • Following rules
    • Setting rules
    • God risked everything
    • The best church
    • Back where you started
    • The best thing for problems
    • Starting and stopping

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