About

“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

Mark Yaconelli is a writer, retreat leader, community builder, spiritual director, storycatcher, husband, and father. He is the founder and executive director of The Hearth. Previously, he co-founded and served as 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 cultivating compassion.

Mark speaks to a variety of audiences each year across North America and the United Kingdom including The Greenbelt Arts Festival, The Ford Family Foundation, Compassion International, The National Youth Workers Convention, Princeton Theological Seminary, The Center for Congregations, The Global Gathering for Spirituality and Justice, and many other events and organizations.

Mark is the author of six books including Between the Listening and the Telling: How Stories Can Save Us (Broadleaf, 2022). The Gift of Hard Things (IVP 2016), Wonder, Fear, and Longing (Zondervan 2009). Interviews and profiles of Mark Yaconelli’s work have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, BBC News, ABC World News Tonight, The Washington Post Online.

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

Mark lives in Southern Oregon with his wife Jill. They have three grown children–Noah, Joseph, and Gracie.