Pioneering Question #1

This is question from Pinawa Rendezvous that did not make the published list, but since it showed up on my desk this morning, I might as well start blogging with this question:

How does YWAM foresee that teaching on Pioneering will actually make a difference in new pioneering efforts?  Is there any way to help staff or students commit to long-term goals as a beneficial strategy for pioneering new works?

In YWAM the term “pioneering” is used in several ways depending on the context.  The first definition would involve starting a YWAM ministry in a location where YWAM has never been, going to where YWAM is NOT.  This would mean starting a ministry in one of the Omega zones where there is no YWAM presence such as pioneering a new location to run a DTS.  So, what is being pioneered is a new location, not so much a new program. There might be some variations on this theme of starting something new as when Frontier Ministries might use pioneering to mean engaging an unreached people group, or perhaps starting a new ministry in a new city, country, or ethnic group.

The second definition would see pioneering as in exploring a new initiative or innovation that might never have been tried before.  For instance using dramas on the street was hardly ever done until YWAM and other ministries pioneered using catchy dramas to capture people’s attention usually as a precursor to some form of evangelism.  In our Values when we say we endorse “doing new things in new ways” we are in essence endorsing innovations in evangelism, discipleship, training and mercy ministries as a means of extending the good new of the kingdom in both word and deed.  We are pioneering as in doing research, development, experimentation, or innovation.

Now back to the question.  Teaching on Pioneering likely has its’ greatest rewards if the teaching helps create an environment where staff and students are willing to “step out of the boat” and experiment with doing something new.  All new ventures have the inherent risk of not working well or perfectly the first time. In fact the grace to fail shows up on the radar of most pioneering efforts.   So one of the first hurdles in pioneering is knowledge that having an idea/a vision/ a word from the Lord does not guarantee success, but it gets us moving in a certain direction.  Perseverance over time creates abilities and expertise.  Most new things require a learning curve and practice before you have the ability to say, “This is a pioneered ministry.”

The issue of pioneering and time raises the issue of short-term and long-termness in ministry.  Part of YWAM’s initial success 50 years ago was deregulating missions to include short-term participants in the whole worldwide missions community.  So in many parts of the world short-term help under the umbrella of long-term ministries has been very positive in “bearing the burden” of ministry.  One positive contribution of a short-term experience is opening up the needs of the world to those who are involved.  Wise debriefing after such events might easily set a YWAMer on a training path to get the skills to be more effective in working  where the short-term participant has served.

Seeing the benefits of serving for a longer period of time will not be the result of challenging or shaming people into longer time commitments. Time commitments are actually quite weak in terms of motivating people.   Rather, having a longer horizon of foresight is the result of strategic, implicational thinking and planning.  Most humans mature in this skill at different times in their social/faith development cycles.  Therefore, regular work on strategic planning using multiple perspectives, not just the spiritual ones, could easily become part of the rhythm of ministry in the various circles of eldership that we have in place in YWAM.  Becoming more strategic in ministry is a continual question that shapes both lifelong learning and effective ministry.