Have you ever felt frustrated in your growth as a Christian? Have you ever had the feeling that “I am not satisfied with who I am and should be further in my journey as a Christian growing in my faith?” I definitely have had and sometimes still have those thoughts and feelings. I think they could come from a perfectionist mindset. We could do well by relaxing and understanding that it is okay to be where we are at in our journey, and, instead of comparing ourselves to others or to who we could become, we could compare ourselves to who we were in the past and praise God for how far we have come! Thoughts of dissatisfaction could also come from a heart that is eager to grow and know God more. This is a good desire. In John 14:26, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit an “advocate” and a “teacher”—he wants us to grow and be formed back into his image. The thing is, we are all being formed by something, but, we have the free will to decide what we allow to form us.

Growing up in a Christian family and at summer camps, I always heard of how important it is to read the Bible. Honestly, I found it pretty hard to enjoy my quiet time. I felt a lot of pressure reading the Bible and praying. I thought I would not be a good disciple if I had missed one day in my reading plan. At other times, I did not read my Bible at all, and I felt helpless and stuck in my emotions. It changed over time when I started studying with ForMission College. We talked a lot about God’s omnipresence and how he, too, is on mission in this world. That means God is everywhere—even if I do not feel him—and that it is God’s desire to have a relationship with people. This took a lot of the burden off of my shoulders. It also helped me to remind myself when opening the Bible: this is not the time to improve myself but to spend time with my Lord who is forming me.

This year at Josiah Venture’s Fall Conference, our annual equipping conference for youth leaders across Europe, we will talk about what it looks like to be Word Formed. Attendees will be invited on a journey on the pathway of formation, with the Word as our North Star. We will hear how God forms his people in the Bible and through the Bible, and the impact this has for our daily lives and our ministries. We will also hear about formation from the perspective of social science, learning some practical tools to participate with God in our own growth. 

I recently got married, and I was reminded very quickly that knowing someone is nearly not enough to have a relationship with that person. Depth of relationship also requires time for listening to each other, hearing their words, and trying to understand that person. Similarly, knowing that God is there can give us a sense of security and hope, but only by engaging with his Word and trying to understand him will we be led into a deeper relationship with Him. This is a process that will take longer than the 10 seconds of attention span I have from watching reels on Instagram.

In Isiah 55:10-11 we read: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” This passage encourages me that the Word of the Lord will fulfill its purpose in me, has transformed me, and will continue to form me in his ways—not only for me to barely survive, but for me to flourish and to live life in abundance. It also speaks directly into the needs and wants of Gen Z. The American psychologist Jean Twenge says that Gen Z is more pessimistic than the Millennial Generation, so they need to hear this as encouragement. But, at the same time they are “waiting to be inspired” to then go on and be a force of change. Imagine a young generation, inspired and formed by the Word of God, ready and active to reach their communities with the gospel of hope. What a great future they are heading into!

Fall Conference is a great opportunity for youth leaders and leaders of youth leaders to be inspired and equipped to face the challenges of ministry in a fresh way. But, my prayer is that we don’t only approach this as a time to learn, rather as an opportunity to go deeper into our relationship with God through spending time in his Word and being formed by him.

How have you been formed by the Word and what is your hope for the next generation of leaders in Europe?