shared experience & common heart

“Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32 NLT

I’ve recently returned from a very encouraging few days in Perth, WA. I always enjoy heading back to this beautiful city – apart from the fact that it is a lot warmer than Melbourne at this time of year, Perth contains many friends and memories gained from the 15 years when Judy and I once lived there.

I was blessed to share three days with YMA co-worker Matt Fricker and a committed group of youth leaders from ten or so city and regional churches. Some of these guys were still in high school, some were fairly new to the youth leadership scene and there were others who have been serving in youth ministry for ten years or more – what an incredible blend of Christian community! Together we dug deep into God’s Word, the life of Jesus and our own ministry contexts as we explored some of the important issues of faith, life and mission.

I’m always expectant that we will encounter God at work in the midst of such experiences - I try to pray specifically for people to experience His presence and His voice - I’m rarely disappointed. God seems to reveal more of His Own heart, with conviction, when His body gathers around a common [biblically grounded] purpose, in unity, with passionate and teachable hearts.

This was certainly our experience in Perth. It appeared that God had selectively gathered together these Jesus-followers for such a time as this. It was great to observe the hearts and minds of different participants being genuinely stirred by God’s Spirit. Several common themes surfaced from our shared experience. These included issues of character, calling, investment in people over programs, tension between nurture & mission, small group dynamics plus being confronted with what it means to be faith-filled as we share in Christ’s work.

Matt and I came away from these days in no doubt that God had met with us. We concluded that God is clearly moving amongst His People to raise up a generation of harvest workers who truly love Jesus, who shun complacency and comfort, and who are willing to step out to take the risks of faith required to make a lasting impact amongst the youth communities of Perth and beyond – I look forward to what will continue to emerge in the weeks and months to come…

SHARED EXPERIENCE & COMMON HEART...I’m hoping to experience more of the same when I travel to Brisbane for meetings with a few key youth workers this weekend.