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Dynamic thinking

Thinking Space is an innovative gap year programme for students that includes relevant Christian studies and hands-on mission work. JONATHAN CARSWELL reports

A launch pad into university or the workplace, Thinking Space provides a dynamic and safe place to have your world and theological views challenged. Now approaching its third year, it was started by the West Yorkshire School of Christian Studies (WYSOCS) in Leeds. The course is designed to give students the time, space and opportunity to tackle some of life’s toughest issues.

Bringing together students who in a year’s time will be facing the challenges of university or career, Thinking Space aims to equip them to make a difference. The goal is to empower them to be shapers of culture rather than being shaped by it, appreciating God’s good gifts to them and sharing them relevantly and naturally with others.

Starting in September, classes are held three days a week for the first term, grappling with issues such as how beliefs and worldviews shape our lives and thought. In today’s world it is only too easy to be a committed Christian, yet live out secular perspectives from Monday to Saturday. The first term is a fantastic starting point, as the students are asked to reassess and develop their views and opinions. Thinking Space is all about training young people to deal with the issues and questions that come up in day-to-day life. Rather than being withdrawn from ‘the real world’ and stuck in lectures every day, it is an integral part of the course that the students are involved in some form of regular work. Whether it be at the local supermarket or dry cleaners, the students are required to be putting their learning into practice through a part-time job. (The money earned also helps pay for their living costs).

“I have found many causes to fight for and I pray I will not lose this excitement,” one student said on completing the first term.

After the foundation is laid, the students are then sent throughout the world to further their training and development through cross-cultural experience. From Africa to Anglia, or Asia to Aberdeen, the students set off in early January for five to six months of placement. Most opt to travel overseas, but if students have come from abroad to attend the course they will usually stay within the UK. They aren’t necessarily working with a Christian organisation – the choice is with the student. In the last two years students have been involved in teaching, development work, caring for those with disabilities and offering support to persecuted Christians.

Once their placement is complete, the students return to Outwood House for the final term of their training year. According to honorary secretary and gap year co-ordinator Ruth Hanson, although the third term is only two weeks in length: “It gives the students the opportunity to mull over their experiences of the second term with other students, recover from any culture shock, and integrate what they have learned with the first term’s preparatory studies.”

The views, ideas and opinions of the students can sometimes differ quite significantly and if you were to be walking past the gardens of Outwood House during a coffee break you would be sure to find a bunch of animated students arguing their points of view. Thorough ongoing debate in which the students are challenged to consider each other’s thoughts and comments is very much encouraged at WYSOCS. There are four core modules that each student must take: Understanding the Biblical Story, Understanding our Past, Understanding Worldviews through Film, Story and Song and, finally, Work, Rest, Play and Worship. There are also many special sessions on a wide range of topics like finance, horticulture, healthcare ethics and psychology. Each student is also guided through a study of topics of particular interest to themselves.

Mark Roques, author of several books, including Fields of God: Football and the Kingdom of God, is one of the course lecturers. This month, he is analysing how Hollywood shapes our lives, through an informal and fun Bible study supplemented by movie clips.

Other lecturers include Arthur Jones, Anne Burghgraef-Roques and David Hanson. David is thrilled with how things are going: “I was delighted to hear, a short while ago, from a student who was on the course last year and is now studying in Cambridge. She said she constantly goes back to the notes she made during her first term’s lectures when writing her essays. She has found it most helpful.”

Jonathan Carswell is the author of Uncovered, recently published by Authentic Media and the student editor of The Blurb magazine

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		STUDENTS RESOURCE Dynamic thinking Thinking Space is an innovative gap year programme for students that includes relevant Christian studies and hands-on mission work. JONATHAN CARSWELL reports A launch pad into university or the workplace, Thinking Space provides a dynamic and safe place to have your world and theological views challenged. Now approaching its third year, it was started by the West Yorkshire School of Christian Studies (WYSOCS) in Leeds. The course is designed to give students the time, space and opportunity to tackle some of life’s toughest issues. Bringing together students who in a year’s time will be facing the challenges of university or career, Thinking Space aims to equip them to make a difference. The goal is to empower them to be shapers of culture rather than being shaped by it, appreciating God’s good gifts to them and sharing them relevantly and naturally with others. Starting in September, classes are held three days a week for the first term, grappling with issues such as how beliefs and worldviews shape our lives and thought. In today’s world it is only too easy to be a committed Christian, yet live out secular perspectives from Monday to Saturday. The first term is a fantastic starting point, as the students are asked to reassess and develop their views and opinions. Thinking Space is all about training young people to deal with the issues and questions that come up in day-to-day life. Rather than being withdrawn from ‘the real world’ and stuck in lectures every day, it is an integral part of the course that the students are involved in some form of regular work. Whether it be at the local supermarket or dry cleaners, the students are required to be putting their learning into practice through a part-time job. (The money earned also helps pay for their living costs). “I have found many causes to fight for and I pray I will not lose this excitement,” one student said on completing the first term. After the foundation is laid, the students are then sent throughout the world to further their training and development through cross-cultural experience. From Africa to Anglia, or Asia to Aberdeen, the students set off in early January for five to six months of placement. Most opt to travel overseas, but if students have come from abroad to attend the course they will usually stay within the UK. They aren’t necessarily working with a Christian organisation – the choice is with the student. In the last two years students have been involved in teaching, development work, caring for those with disabilities and offering support to persecuted Christians. Once their placement is complete, the students return to Outwood House for the final term of their training year. According to honorary secretary and gap year co-ordinator Ruth Hanson, although the third term is only two weeks in length: “It gives the students the opportunity to mull over their experiences of the second term with other students, recover from any culture shock, and integrate what they have learned with the first term’s preparatory studies.” The views, ideas and opinions of the students can sometimes differ quite significantly and if you were to be walking past the gardens of Outwood House during a coffee break you would be sure to find a bunch of animated students arguing their points of view. Thorough ongoing debate in which the students are challenged to consider each other’s thoughts and comments is very much encouraged at WYSOCS. There are four core modules that each student must take: Understanding the Biblical Story, Understanding our Past, Understanding Worldviews through Film, Story and Song and, finally, Work, Rest, Play and Worship. There are also many special sessions on a wide range of topics like finance, horticulture, healthcare ethics and psychology. Each student is also guided through a study of topics of particular interest to themselves. Mark Roques, author of several books, including Fields of God: Football and the Kingdom of God, is one of the course lecturers. This month, he is analysing how Hollywood shapes our lives, through an informal and fun Bible study supplemented by movie clips. Other lecturers include Arthur Jones, Anne Burghgraef-Roques and David Hanson. David is thrilled with how things are going: “I was delighted to hear, a short while ago, from a student who was on the course last year and is now studying in Cambridge. She said she constantly goes back to the notes she made during her first term’s lectures when writing her essays. She has found it most helpful.” Jonathan Carswell is the author of Uncovered, recently published by Authentic Media and the student editor of The Blurb magazine © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.