A room full of Youth and Children's ministers always makes for a curious event.

In a world where patience and gentleness are in great demand but perhaps in short supply, it was as refreshing as a coconut on an Indonesian jungle expedition to witness seemingly inexhaustible levels of kindness, compassion, and empathy among this particular gathering of Youth and Children’s ministers coming together for a time of study and learning.

The place of study within the worlds of youth and children’s ministry has seemingly always been under question. This is perhaps due to the unbelievable number of voluntary workers who simply don’t have the time, or perhaps more cynically, due to its perception as a secondary ministerial practice. This is a question that Ridley has been trying to firmly confront with a big bold, unapologetic YES. Yes, study and learning are worth the time and investment and NO, they are not second rate ministries.

It gives me great delight then to report that this year's Catalyst conference, run in partnership with Ridley Hall and the Church of England's National Ministry team, was indicative of both a great appetite for learning and a great offering in the UK of passionate, informed, and wise teachers.

The power of Youth and Children's ministers lies in their facilitating of the unraveling of mystery balls that are humans in the early stages of life. Like many vocations and careers, it is fundamentally powered by courage and generosity of spirit. However, it was at the Catalyst30k conference  that I witnessed a deep yearning for courage and generosity to transcend into powerful acts of informed, wise, and reflective actions that serve our younger generation both more deeply and more widely.

I write this as someone who studied a degree in youth work a little over six years ago, someone who frankly lost courage—courage in myself and in my own craft of ‘professional youth and children’s ministry.’ It is amazing then, that I have left inspired and with a healthy dose of optimism for the future when it comes to the work of our brilliant, kind, compassionate, and increasingly wise and studied-up Youth and Children’s ministers.

Where would we be without them?

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