I found it somewhat de-energising recently to look at my plans for the year and not see much that was ‘new and exciting’.

I tend to like ‘new’ and get bored rather easily if I have been doing the same thing for too long. Even really ‘good things’ lose their appeal to me after a while.

I don’t think this is a healthy thing – nor do I think it is necessarily an unhealthy thing. It just ‘is’ . But having said that it is important for me to be aware of when I need to work on something new because the time is right and when I want to work on something new because the old no longer excites me.

As I was praying this week I felt like God was saying that this period is one of those ‘steady’ periods where I don’t need to start anything new or come up with a different idea. I just need to stick at what I am already doing.

I’m fine with that. As much as it is less exciting, it is nice to (occasionally) have seasons in life where predictability and familiarity are the norm.

Over the last 10 years or so one of my learnings has been that sticking with something for as long as it takes is as important as dreaming it up in the first place. I was in my second year of youth ministry at Lesmurdie Baptist when I was offered two jobs that would have been a huge ‘step up’ in terms of a ministry career (I know there is no such thing) and after a very tough 18 months when there was little in the form of obvious results they were very tempting offers. Big churches, with quality staff and lots of kudos…

I felt called to keep pushing on where I was. Funnily enough it was soon after that the tide turned and we saw an enormous development in the youth scene. What happened? I think it was God at work, but I think it also mattered to stay the distance and simply stay true in the less exciting steady periods.

January is that time when I sit down and do planning for the remainder of the year.

My rough conclusion after some time spent over the last week is that 2006 will largely be ‘more of the same’. That is hardly inspiring is it?!…

But it feels kinda like where I am at. I don’t have any BHAGs for 2006 and I don’t think its all that smart to invent them just to have them there.

When it comes to work:

Upstream – simply needs us to keep developing presence in the community and relationships with the people God leads us to, as well as our own cohesion as a team. I have some small issues I think we can pay attention to and make adjustments on, but I don’t think we see any big ‘hills to take’ at the moment and I don’t want to invent goals to feel like we are doing something! I believe if God wants to set something in front of us at any point in the year then we’ll rise to the challenge, but for now its ‘steady as she goes’.

Forge – needs ongoing development and continued networking. No huge developments here. We are not trying to pull off any great new projects (apart from the Conference March 1-4) But it needs continued leadership and development at a sustainable pace. There are a couple of new initiatives in that I will be teaching ‘Future Church’ at Perth Bible College in semester 1 and a similar course in semester 2 at Harvest West college if all the course outlines get approved. I’d also like to explore the possibility of doing a day or weekend Forge seminar in a regional centre like Busselton or Albany. So if any of you country guys reckon we can make it happen then drop me an email.

Baptist Youth Coaching – nothing really new here at all. I just keep meeting with the guys/girls as they would like to. I will try and read a couple of decent coaching books but that’s about it. This is a very simple role, yet also one I see as incredibly important. I have really enjoyed the relationships I have made this year with out youth pastors and look forward to keeping going here.

On a more personal note, some of the things I’d like to do include:

– possibly a scuba course (I like to learn one significant ‘new thing’ each year and this could be it) Its just pretty expensive for courses and gear…. we’ll see.

– explore study options and make a decision by September what I will do (see post below)

– plan a 3 week holiday somewhere in the year not linked to any work committments (will need to block that in now I think!)

– redo some paving in the backyard – its been frustrating me for a while now, so I need to get it done.

– investment – learn more about the best way for us to use money wisely and invest for the future. We are in the process of building an investment property and epxect to learn a lot around the middle of the year. Hopefully not hard lessons!

– be more efficient with my personal disciplines – spirituality, exercise and diet (this one is an ongoing one…)

The year just gone has felt like one of the most satisfying I have had in a long time – yet at times also quite frustrating. I like to move fast and achieve a lot. Last year I moved steadily and didn’t achieve as much. However in those 12 months I didn’t get sick once, I rarely felt oveworked, pressured or run down, enjoyed life and did still get a fair bit done.

I have discovered that when I am in achievement mode I am not such a nice (easy going/relaxed) bloke to be around. I can be quite driven.

However in this more balanced mode I get much less done, but I think I’m easier to live with and a bit more likable.

Its a discipline for me to live at a sustainable pace, but its gradually becoming more and more of a way of life. As I thought today about planning some huge goals and really driving hard I just didn’t warm to it any more. When I live like I do at present I am able to have a great relationship with my wife and kids, I can be available to spend time with friends and I’m able to enjoy life.

Its always about living in the tension!

So… 2006 will be the year of ‘steady as she goes’. While that does not inspire me at all, I have a sense that this is what God asking of me. I’m sure along the way challenges will arise and ideas will inspire me, but right now its all quite vanilla.

I have been pondering doing further study. I am not a masochist. This year I will be taking the time to pray about it, research possibilities, talk with Danelle and our Upstream team about it and see whether I can begin some new study in 2007. It would only be one unit a semester, but because life is in such good balance at the moment I am reluctant to add any load that would throw it into a spin. I am concerned about whether I could add it to my life and not lose time for the things that matter. Hence the year to chew it thru and talk with others about it.

If you are in the ‘study loop’ and can offer some suggestions as to where would be suitable then I am happy to hear. I’ll give you a few ideas as to what I am thinking.

The reasons for study… in order of priority:

– There is some stuff I’d really like to explore in a disciplined and full way. If I get to do what I’d like to do I think it would make me a much better missionary.

– I now study less than when I was a ‘full time pastor’ because I don’t need to (I preach /teach less) and I miss the regularity of it. (You may just say ‘get more disciplined’, but that’s easier said than done). I don’t engage my brain as rigourously as I would like to.

– It will allow me freedom to teach in Bible colleges. I do this already, but for some my only having a BD is an issue. They require a masters or a doctorate.

What I’d like to do is primarily in the area of church history and Australian history. I don’t really care if its a Masters in Theology or a Doctorate in Ministry or whatever else. (I don’t think I’m likely to hang the title ‘Dr’ over anything I do!)

My interest is in developing a really good understanding of what has transpired over the last 2000 years of church history – the different issues and debates that were had and the learning we can glean from this, especially as the world and church change. I’d then like to look at both Australian church history and Australian history in general to place the Oz church in its more specific historical context. From there I’d like to reflect on where we are at right now in the life of the Church and our mission in the west. I think the ability to observe patterns over 2000 years as well as the insight to detect what is ‘new’ and what is merely recycled will be valuable at this point in history and will help us avoid mistakes and the arrogance of thinking we are something ‘new’ or ‘special’.

I have done a couple of church history units and really enjoyed them, but they were while I was studying 3 other units at the same time, so they only ever got the attention I could afford, which meant I didn’t come out with as strong a grasp of history as I would like.

Some other criteria:

In some ways I’d like to make the focus a serious research project in the area rather than course work.

I’d like to do it in West Oz if possible but am happy to do it externally.

Any thoughts people?

Any ideas of where to study?

I figure if I give myself a year to chew it thru then the idea will either grow and become something I ‘must’ do, or it will die as a whim and I’ll save myself a lot of pain!