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I generally find that when I blog about Youth With A Mission (YWAM) here, people are less likely to read. I’ve asked a few people about this, with some interesting feedback. Many express surprise that I am a missional minded Christian, yet part of an organization like YWAM. Many cite stories and experiences they have had that show YWAM’s failings and weaknesses. Many are legitimate stories, as we are a flawed community like all others. However, YWAM- especially in the YWAM Canada format context that I know best- more often than not defies these isolated incidences.
This past week, my wife & I, along with all of our staff (most of which we share life with in intentional community) headed out to Pinawa, MB for the YWAM Canada Rendezvous, our national staff conference held every 2 years. In addition to hearing about the innovative and deeply incarnational models of ministry emerging both locally & globally through our various centres, the workshops led by our national staff (many young leaders) revealed a depth and emphasis that is often unseen. Topics such as environmentalism & mission; justice & responsible engagement with poverty & colonialism; missional-incarnational church planting; stories about justice & First Nations communities; etc. There were sessions on helping us better understand and engage practices such as centering prayer and Lectio Divina.
The diversity of our community was also thrilling. With a large portion of our French Canadian staff attending, as well as a strong showing from our Korean ministries, we dedicated to have all sessions translated- and not simply from English to French/Korean, but with English being the secondary language at times. This may sound like a small thing, but it was/is far more spiritually significant than many realize. There were also people of all ages, from babies to seniors and everything in between. And there was a deep sense of connectedness and true family.
YWAM is not without its faults. However, most people outside of the mission largely see or hear about situations that are exceptionally noticeable. Some expressions of YWAM, due to their cultural centrality and more significant availability of resources (and thus communications), get far more time in the spotlight than is reflective of our international family. YWAM turns 50 years old this year and it should not be ignored that throughout that history we took (often unwelcome) stances on issues that today are just beginning to be addressed in many circles. YWAM has always affirmed that women can and are called into any and every kind of leadership in ministry & the Church. YWAM has always affirmed that ones race or nationality does not make them more likely to be the “recipient of missions”, but that God calls all people from all nations to the nations for His purposes. YWAM has practiced a counter-cultural emphasis on community, simplicity and missionality long before the ideas were “popular”.
Again, none of this denies the challenges that we have and continue to face as a mission. However, I hope people will begin to realize that YWAM represents a 50 year history of people who have given up almost everything to radically follow the call of Christ in their lives. YWAM Canada, I believe, is particularly poised and engaged in the unique challenges of post-Christendom. This is why I am such a PASSIONATE advocate for our Justice Discipleship Training School (JDTS), which has a few more openings in it. Finally, the emphasis on missionality has returned our focus on the local, sadly sometimes to the exclusions of our global vocation. YWAM and other such organizations are truly gifts to the church to help keep that balance in place.
While not the highlight of my entire retreat, the following video was thrilling for me. Growing up in a rural hunting region, I would NEVER have fed a wild deer. However, the region we were in was protected and so the deer represented a few generations of human-adapted herds. So no harm done and I was able to experience something of a Franciscan moment:
Oh deer! from Jamie Arpin-Ricci on Vimeo.
I spent some time with YWAM after high school. I think YWAM has many flaws and I was hurt badly in my experience with them
However, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. I learned a lot, made life-long friendships, experienced spiritual growth and maturity, and gained an experiential understanding of the gospel fitting into culture.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Nice. And if you’re like me, when you are in a kind of isolated expression of YWAM, things like this are easy to forget. It is nice to gather every now and again to experience “tribe” life and remember what attracted you to this specific stream in the first place. I usually cannot afford to go every year to some gathering or another, but I do like to go when I can.
Did you preach to the deer? That would have been real Franciscan of you.
Glad you had a good time. See you soon!
April, I was in YWAM when I was hurt to the point where I almost walked away from the entire faith. I understand and grieve for the hurt that you experienced. For what it is worth, from a YWAM leader, I am sorry you experienced such hurt. If you ever want to talk about privately, please let me know.
I am glad that you can see the good that was in YWAM even in the midst of the bad experience. Further, know that most of YWAM has grown and matured over the years. Exciting to be a part of.
Peace,
Jamie
Christ, this is the first year in 9 years that Kim & I could afford to go to the whole thing, so I totally understand. Well worth it. You guys were mentioned SO many times, felt like you should have been there. Miss ya!
Peace,
Jamie
From what you’ve described I wonder if YWAM Canada has got it together more than YWAM States. That’s probably an over-generalization.
My cycle of depression was broken when I joined YWAM and hasn’t returned for 12 years – hopefully never again – and some of my best years were on base. I still wonder though, how some of the organizational aspects can be made better; in that sense YWAM has really been a “free church” in the independent congregationalist sense. The decentralization has its perks but it’s tough for each base to start up an entity from the ground up every time.
Wayne, it is slow, but those areas are being changed slowly in the organization. YWAM Canada, for example, has a great ministry that’s entire purpose to nurture & support new & emerging YWAM missions ventures. It is called YWAM Nexia & it is run out of Vancouver. Amazing group that has helped start new initiatives from coast to coast of Canada.
In the end, our decentralization is both our greatest strength & potential weakness. A few years ago, we (the entire mission) repented of the emphasis on autonomy. We affirm decentralization, but no longer the kind of individualistic autonomy as before. It was a good move that we are still walking out.
Peace,
Jamie
From the post and comments I can see our own reflections from YWAM, that although flawed as every ministry, it has given so much, and continues to champion young leaders to do incredible things. Even though we are now working with a different organisation in South Africa, our short time in YWAM (a DTS) has planted a sense that whenever we meet a YWAMer we feel like we are meeting family a little bit (and everything that that connotes!). This is a great post Jamie.
Thanks Liam. You are family & always will be!
Peace,
Jamie
Jamie — Your apology on behalf of YWAM leadership means a lot to me. Amazing the power of those words even when they’re not from the person who hurt you. And I’m sorry to hear about your own hurts within the YWAM family. I appreciate your compassion with regards to what YWAM has been in the past to many people.
Hey AprilK, thanks for your kind words too. If you ever want to chat more about it (or anything), feel free to drop me a line at jamiearpinricci@gmail.com . Thanks!
Peace,
Jamie
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Your group is a front for political goal of establishing a theocracy and spreading extreme right wing propoganda as David Cunningham did in the film “Path to 911″ which contained outright lies. Is this a good way to spend your donors money? Or how about ” C Street House” ?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/25/AR2009062504480.html
Thanks for weighing in, SmittyC. Your note here seems to reflect an unwillingness to ask questions or engage in conversation, so I won’t try to convince you otherwise. All I will say is that, having researched these very issues out of personal concern, I find the accusations tiring unsubstantiated.