Kay Charlotte and I are reading Paul by N.T. Wright.

This is an engaging portrait of the man who wrote a good portion of the New Testament. Wright helps us imagine what Paul’s early life could have been like. He straightens out that tangle of where he went and when. He asks, “How did this guy become who he did?”, and, “Why did his work spark the incredible movement of the Church?” Of course, Kay Charlotte and I are both challenged — Wright’s scholarship is excellent and I really have to focus to keep up with his thinking. Not only that, we are challenged with his lifestyle, his theology, and how to follow Jesus as he did.

And…

We’ve registered for YWAM’s Paul Seminar this summer. We’re getting a jump start on the reading for a 2 week class at the YWAM campus in Lausanne, Switzerland. The seminar focuses on Paul’s journey to Christlikeness, and the course description says,

Through personal study, communal worship, intentional discussion, and hands-on application, you will gain new insights into Paul’s letters and the Book of Acts—discovering how his life “in Christ” was never meant to be a solo venture but walked out together in community.

We are both so excited for this:

• The seminar is led by Maureen Menard.* We are going to be working with Maureen on a school of spiritual formation in Tijuana in 2026. And so this seminar is an opportunity for us to get to know one another and lay a foundation for working together.

• I (Craig) am hoping to join the next cohort of the University of the Nations’ Spiritual Formation masters degree program — led by Maureen. So this will be a good first step in that direction.

• We get to travel to Europe… together — most of the time it’s one of us who goes while the other ‘keeps the home fires’ burning. We hope to add a few extra days to enjoy Europe.

I love that God is leading us in this way. It’s as if He is saying to us,

“You are not finished yet — I have good works left for you to do. I am continuing to expand your lives so that you are capable of what I Am calling you towards…”

We look forward to what these next steps will lead us to…

Thankfully, we’ve already received a scholarship that helps cover our tuition.

We anticipate that airfares, ground fees and other expenses will total around $3500 US. If you’d like to be a part of sending us, click the button below. We will keep you posted on this upcoming adventure.

This link will take you to YWAM San Diego/Baja’s staff support page. There you can give online securely and get a tax deductible receipt. Please, once you’ve given, send us a note to let us know that your gift is for the Paul Seminar.

*Maureen joined YWAM in the 80’s, is a Vice President in YWAM’s University of the Nations, and has founded the Centre for Christian Formation and Discipleship.