YWAM Mega Base vs a Multiplying YWAM Base

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Posted on 12/20/2007 in YWAM

I had a really good discussion with David Giltinan about different ways to grow YWAM Bases and accommodate more YWAM staff. Dave is the leader of YWAM Outback in Darwin, Australia, he was also my best man at my wedding and one of my best mates.

We discussed two types of YWAM bases. These two types certainly don't cover all the different YWAM bases out there, but they cover two possible types of growing YWAM bases. The types of YWAM bases that we talked about are:

The YWAM Mega Base
The Multiplying YWAM Base

The YWAM Mega Base

The first model of YWAM base that we talked about is the YWAM Mega Base.

The YWAM Mega Base is a YWAM Centre that continually grows and adds ministries to it's base. The ministries at these centres can work together towards common goals and can offer an extremely wide breadth of opportunities and training and can mobilize together for large projects.

Some disadvantages of a YWAM Mega Base is the administration and infrastructure involved in supporting a large number of staff and students. It can also sometimes be a challenge to keep multiple ministries, being led by dynamic and visionary leaders, focused on the same end goal.

A good example of a YWAM Mega Base in Australia would be YWAM Perth. They currently have around 300 people on staff, dozens of ministries and are pulling off the Megacities project, which a smaller base would probably not be able to run with.

The Multiplying YWAM Base

Another model of YWAM base that we talked about we called the Multiplying YWAM Base.

The multiplying YWAM base model worked kind of like an amoeba. The YWAM base grows to a predetermined critical mass of staff (around 40 - 50) and then begins to plan for a split. When the staff numbers then reach between 55 - 60 staff a team of 10 - 15 would break off from the "mother" base to form a new YWAM base.

After the split the "mother" YWAM base would be able to provide initial assistance, but the goal would be for the break off team to develop their own vision and focus and to become self-sufficient. The Multiplying YWAM base model would then be replicated on all the break off bases, and would also continue to happen at the "mother" YWAM centre.

As with the YWAM Mega Base model there would be disadvantages and advantages for this model of YWAM base growth.

Some advantages of the Multiplying YWAM Base would be the relatively low amount of administration and infrastructure needed to maintain a smaller base. Focus and energy could be put more on developing the leaders and ministry, rather than the facilities. The individual YWAM bases that were birthed out of this model would also be able to develop in their own way and with their own unique expression of Christ.

An obvious disadvantage with the Multiplying YWAM Base model of growth would be that large projects, like the YWAM Perth megacities project, would be harder to pull off. That disadvantage could be overcome through the network of YWAM bases developed through the growth process, but it would not be as seamless as a single base pulling it off.

YWAM is Growing

With YWAM growing quickly, and it being prophetized that YWAM could grow to over 200,000 staff, we need to look at different models to support that growth.

What model of growth is your base currently working with? If it is not a model like what's listed above, then how are you planning to accommodate for any future growth in staff?

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