From Head to Heart: How BASOM Is Transforming My Walk with Jesus
by Wade Logan, Pastoral Resident at Central Peninsula Church, Foster City, CA

I came into the Bay Area School of Ministry looking to learn. And I have. But what I didn’t expect was to be formed.

Since starting last September, I’ve walked through classes like The History of Redemption, Biblical Interpretation, and The Church. Each one has been informative, yes—but more than that, they’ve been transformational. This experience hasn’t just filled my head with knowledge. It’s moved truth into my heart and changed how I relate to God, Scripture, and ministry.

I thought I was enrolling in classes. I didn’t realize I was stepping into formation.

In The History of Redemption, the Bible came alive to me in a new way. I’d grown up treating it as a collection of stories—each important, sure, but often could come off as disconnected. Now I see it as one unified narrative with one Author, one plan, and one purpose.

We traced God’s plan of redemption from Eden to eternity, and something clicked. I started to recognize our human desire for more—not as a flaw to fix, but a longing that was once perfectly fulfilled in God’s presence and rule. Sin distorted that desire, and now we chase “more” in all the wrong places. But Scripture shows us a better story: one where God relentlessly pursues His people so we might live in His presence, under His rule, and enjoy His eternal blessing.

The Old Testament used to feel archaic and distant. Now I read it through a gospel lens—and it’s richer than I ever imagined.

In Biblical Interpretation, I learned more than just how to study Scripture—I learned how to let Scripture study me. We practiced the “Interpretive Journey” method, which helps you approach each passage with both humility and intentionality. But what’s stuck with me isn’t just the framework. It’s the way I now approach the Bible with a deeper reverence.

Reading Scripture shouldn’t feel like reading a newspaper (not that anyone still reads those). It’s not just information—it’s invitation. Sometimes, it even feels like the Word is reading me back, shining light into the corners of my heart I didn’t know needed it.

Coming from a pretty traditionally conservative Baptist background, I used to have a much narrower view of church and theology. The Church class has blown that open in the best way, and we’re only a few weeks in.

We’ve been working through chapters of Tim Keller’s Shaped by the Gospel with titles like “The Gospel Isn’t Everything” and “The Gospel Isn’t a Simple Thing,” which at first glance can raise an eyebrow. But those titles aren’t clickbait—they’re invitations to think deeper. I came away realizing the gospel isn’t just a canned slogan. It’s part of a diverse but harmonious story—one that demands to be understood in full color, not just black and white.

Our job as Christians isn’t to conveniently simplify the gospel into a script. It’s to know and live it deeply enough to share it wisely—with anyone, anywhere, with love and clarity.

One of the more unexpected gifts of BASOM has been the space it’s given me to explore my creative side—specifically in my writing. Ironically, English was my least favorite subject in school, especially when assigned a comprehensive paper. Looking back, I’m starting to realize it may have been because “analyzing Hamlet’s character development” or “reflecting on the totalitarianism and control seen in Orwell’s 1984 ” felt more like a recipe for a great nap than motivation. I had never thought too hard on my theological formation and creativity pairing together, but here, they’ve gone hand in hand. I’ve found myself not just thinking differently, but expressing my faith more freely.

All that said, if you’re hungry for more—not just more knowledge, but more Jesus—BASOM might be the place for you. Whether it’s in a class discussion, a personal reflection, or a quiet moment after a lecture, God meets you here. He’s certainly been meeting me.