YWAM Canada- An Elder's Musings

Dear Canadian YWAMers, During the last GLT in Kona, Hawaii, there were several monumental decisions made as YWAM evolves in structure and governance for the next 50 years of our history. Pete Iliyn, sensing this shift in organizational energy entitled the last NALC, “Year One”, signifying a movement into the next fifty years with a new energy based on the values of the past. So, some of this shift entails the Global Leadership Team reformatting to become the Global Leadership Forum (GLF); and the previous “Team 3 Plus” model of governance relinquishing their corporate titles to serve as an international eldering body. This further “flattening of the YWAM structure” and an embracing of more Biblical language to describe leadership in such a large international mission is unprecedented in scope and implications. If any of you are interested in studying organizations, YWAMs’ growth and continual restructuring is an example of an organization seeking to be Spirit-led and ho...

I often chuckle when occasionally the old-fashioned hymn is sung that has the following phrase, “Here I raise my Ebenezer, Hitherto I’ve come by faith”. I wonder if anyone is asking, “What’s an Ebenezer?” The term is a Hebrew name, meaning a “stone of help’, a memorial stone signifying an event of God helping Israel. I hope all who carefully read the following blog would see it as a memorial stone to the Lord signifying a snapshot at a-point-in-time in terms of reflecting on ministry and the future. Hopefully, the heart of this paper is written under the advice of St. James when he encouraged future planning to be linked with humility of heart when he advises, “If the Lord wishes, and we are alive, we will do such and such.” Life-long learning has been one of my reoccurring themes in leadership development. Not only is this good for mental agility, but since there is so much change currently in our culture, survival itself needs a high degree of adaptability. I rece...