What I Do With YWAM?
It’s pretty amazing that I have the opportunity to do something I love so much and feel so called to do! Even though it’s very much a pioneering role and has no shortage of ups and downs, I’m super excited to get to be doing what I’m doing. To be sure, the role is pretty outside-the-box.
I’m on staff with YWAM San Diego/Baja (located in Baja California, MX) and I live in Niagara, Canada… how does that work?
I don’t collect a regular salary from YWAM, I’m a self-supported missionary… how does that work?
I’m deeply passionate and feel called to Youth Ministry, but I’m not working for a church…. how does that work?
I’m glad you asked! Let me tell you all about it.
Equip and empower youth ministries.
On behalf of YWAM, I get to equip and empower youth ministries. YWAMs foundational values are to Know God and Make Him Known. In my role, I get to seek out churches, youth ministries, youth ministry workers, etc who are endeavouring to help young people Know God and Make Him Known and I get to serve and support.
I primarily do this through coaching and consulting churches and youth ministry workers. If you’re curious about some of the specifics of that, take a look at this document I’ve created called “Working with Jud.”
Mobilize young people to mission.
Another big part of my role with YWAM is to mobilize young people to missions. Having had the opportunity to facilitate international missions experiences for nearly 20 years, and seeing well over 500 students participate, I’ve learned so much!
Many youth ministries would love see their students have the opportunity to experience serving and seeing the Kingdom in another part of the world, but the logistics can be overwhelming.
I get to help with that! Not only can I significantly lighten the load of the logistics, I desire to help a church or youth ministry worker seek to integrate an international missions experience into the overall rhythms of their discipleship strategies!
Awesome YWAM type stuff.
When asked “what I do with YWAM?” I always like to include this category. The two things listed above are the primary things I lean into. But being a part of an international movement like YWAM affords me the opportunity to participate in other things from time to time. I get to teach in YWAM Discipleship Training Schools, I’ve had many opportunities to speak in the youth missions experiences we run (Mission Adventures), I get to support other YWAM ministries, … there’s all sorts of other “YWAM type stuff” I get to be a part of!
“There doesn’t have to be a financial barrier…”
I’ve had people ask why I’m serving in this outside-the-box way with YWAM…
Why not just be a church consultant or coach and charge a fee for the service I provide?
Or, why not just get a youth ministry job at a church and use my experience and passion there?
These are great questions!
First, I feel like I’ve wrestled with God and suggested to Him also that it could be much simpler if I could just have a “normal youth ministry job.” I’m not saying that will never happen, but for the time being it feels like He’s inviting me to not serve just one church and have an impact on just one churches group of young people, but have a wider influence and seek to serve and empower many churches from various denominations and locations and contexts. Pretty humbling. Pretty cool.
As for charging a fee.
I love being able to sit across from a youth worker and give them a vision for the ways I can serve and support and equip and empower them to do the very things they feel called to do. I am convinced that what I bring to the table is of great value. By doing this work on behalf of YWAM, where I don’t get paid, but instead of a community of people who are empowering and supporting me, it means I get to tell the church that there does not need to be a financial barrier between us! Certainly, there are ways I can be compensated for the services I provide, but being able to serve, even if they church or youth worker does not have the means to pay for those services … it feels pretty Kingdomy to me!