YWAM Mega Base vs a Multiplying YWAM Base
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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YWAM Staff Killed at YWAM Denver
On the weekend there were four YWAM Staff members shot at YWAM Denver. Two of the four died because of the shootings and two are in hospital.In a related shooting the same person also shot and killed two people at a church in Colorado Springs that has ties with YWAM.
The shooter was a former member of YWAM who had been asked to leave from YWAM during the course of his YWAM DTS in 2002.
The official press releases are available at the YWAM International Web-site:
- YWAM Staff Killed in Denver
- Statement from the YWAM Arvada Training Centre
- YWAM Press Release: Update on Colorado Springs
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YWAM England's new Video
YWAM England has done a fantastic video explaining their heart to equip and send people into the nations.It's a pretty enspiring video, and does a great job communicating what they do and how you can be involved.
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YWAM Outreach Documentary on Mt. Isa Australia
Almost every Discipleship Training School that we run we are now sending teams on Outreach to Mt. Isa in the Queensland outback. I remember being home and being asked by someone why we need to have "missionaries" in a nation like Australia?Watch this video to see why the people here need the message of Christ...
In October our YWAM DTS is actually running as two separate discipleship training schools. One school with a Justice, Media and Youth focus, and the other school with an Indigenous, Dance, Music and Sport focus. Through these schools we hope to be able to have a positive influence on the lives of the people here in Australia.
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A Couple of Videos from the July YWAM DTS
Here are two videos from the July YWAM DTS that we are currently running here at Reef to Outback.Well, Peter Warren has admitted that YWAM Denver stole their outdoor DTS idea from Reef to Outback. That's pretty cool, there are a few other bases around the world that are doing similar DTSes now to the DTS we run here. Camping is always an amazing time away from things to get close to God.
Ross Tooley spoke to the DTS on Relational Evangelism.
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Sometimes Being in YWAM Sucks
One of the hardest things I have found about being in YWAM is the relationships...Right now I'm not talking about the work / personal balance that is sometimes hard to find or the leader / peer relationship that is part of our ministry teams. I am talking about the deep friendships that are built within YWAM, but often feel much too short.
Last month Matt and Natalie Thomas left Reef to Outback to move onto the next thing that God has for them. They will be heading over to Fiji for seven weeks to work on the tech team with IWT and then back to Lancaster County, USA where they will be starting a wedding photography and wedding video company. Matt's got a real gift for making videos and they are both pretty handy with a camera.
Matt and Natalie would probably have been our best friends at Reef to Outback. They have invested a lot of time into us and especially into our kids. Caleb didn't even want to sit next to Matt for the last week that he was here because Caleb was so angry at him for leaving.
As with the ending of so many friendships within YWAM we may never have a chance to see them again. We might, if we are lucky, as Natalie's folks are living in Calgary, but there is certainly no guarantee.
With YWAM being such a transient organization it can be quite draining always having to make new friends and loose a lot of the old ones. I have been convicted quite a bit in the past with withdrawing from people because of the fear of them leaving. It can be quite the challenge to have to make new friends every few years, but I guess that it comes part and parcel with being in YWAM.
We'll miss you Matt and Nat, and we wish you all the best in all your future endeavors.
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I am a full time volunteer with Reef to Outback - Youth With A Mission (YWAM) where I work in Communications and Information Technology. I am married to a wonderful wife, we have a five year old son and a one year old daughter.
