Just woken up after having about 17 hours sleep in the last 24! I got home from the RSC yesterday, and was totally exhausted, it was a really intense process about 8 hours of interviews in the two days, and the rest of the time (free time) was spent socialising with the selectors so it was all rather intense. It was a really interesting experience though and even if I don't get through, it was great from a networking point of view. Jon and I spent some time getting to know one another dreaming dreams for the young people in the Central Baptist Association, which is all rather cool. His thoughts about the RSC and a explanation of what it is (for those who don't know) can be found here.

Anyway one of the interviews at the RSC got me thinking, is it possible to learn in more than one way? And do Church Leaders have to be academic? The interview in question concentrated on candidates theological knowledge and our ability to learn. I will happily put my hands up and say that I struggle with reading, I find it hard, and have to discipline myself to do so, but does this mean that I have a lower ability to learn, or do I just learn in a different way?

Of the three books we had to read for the RSC I only managed two, and had to work quite hard to get through them, two books was quite an achievement for me. The one I didn't manage was "Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places" by Eugene H. Peterson, a tough acedmeic, theological text. I relise that as a leaders we need to be constantly stretching ourselves and growing in our own learning and our own faith, but is reading the only way to stretch yourself and grow in your faith as a leader? A few years ago, in college we did the Honey and Mumford learning styles questionnaire and I came out as an activist - and theorist was my lowest, therefore does this mean on these grounds I'm not a academic enough to be a leader?

Interestingly enough the three books that they had asked us to read where looking at God and theology through quite post-modern eyes, however I found this interview to be from a very modern perspective, and not engaging with new ways to learn and stretch yourself, for instance the Internet was rejected as a source to engage with. It's funny isn't it, how on the one hand the church can appear to be culturally relevant and engaging with new ways of thinking and yet on the other hand can still be as stuck in its ways as ever?

I realised today that for the last month I've done the classic middle lane thing; well now it's time to get in the drivers seat and pull out into the outside lane.

November seems to have been crazy, conferences, reunions, study weeks as well as the usual general meetings means that i haven't really updated the musings. Well that all needs to change! Off on a conference at the beginning of this week, but following that it's time to start blogging once more. Although busy there have been some real high points to November; seeing everyone from Israel has to be one of them, and the Mission Exec meeting on 16th was pretty cool - hopefully more will come of that, Wasps victory over bath was quality, and winning the quiz-night was great.

There have also been some heard parts too - reading this last week being one of them, why is it so hard to focus on a book, and actually take in what your reading? Oh well i guess I'll find out how much i retain next week - RSC oh the fun!

It's been a funny old week this one...many challenges, many excitements, and many thoughtful moments!

For some reason the week seems to have revolved around the topic of passion! Poor Claire my housemate got the full brunt of my thinking on Wednesday evening as I got home from Build - "Why do we insist not playing at youthministry?" was my main gripe.

It's not that Build had been a bad evening, in fact it had been great, one of the young people led the group I was in with, for the first time ever, and did really well, he was great. So why did I come away feeling that, the evening had only half achieved what it should have or could have? The problem is, (I think) that the Church in the West has become content with satisfactory, what we do is alright, maybe good at times, but should youthministry ever be good? Or should it be great, amazing, awesome, and inspirational? Shouldn't we as leaders and youthworkers be so passionate about the privileged that it is to serve Jesus by working with young people, that the work we produce is never satisfactory, but always amazing?

We sometimes wonder why the Bible Study or the prayer meeting is poorly attended, or has very little impact on the lives of either the young people or ourselves. But how can we expect these things to have any impact on their lives if we haven’t got the drive and the passion to actually make them inspiring, to help them, to understand and to become passionate themselves?

We shouldn't count bums on seats I agree, but I would love in a year’s time to be having difficulty fitting the number of young people that want to attend our activities, into our buildings. I'm not saying I want young people to attend for the sake of attending and making me look good. But if we look at the church of Acts2:24-27 we see that the Lord was adding to their number daily, why was that? It was because what was going on was attractive - and what was it that was attractive? It was the apostle’s lifestyle, their love for each other and God, and their passion was inspirational! If you don’t believe me, just read some of Peter’s speeches!

So if all we do is continue to play at youthministry, and continue to ask God to bless the thing we have planed and organised, then do we really expect to see more and more people being saved? What we need to do is seek God, get passionate about the things he can do and does do, expect miracles, and you never know, we might even see a few! We need to stop being content, and start getting passionate, stop being content with satisfactory, and instead glorify God with inspirational.