YWAM England Recruiting Task Force

YWAM England Recruiting Task Force

First meeting --- Harpenden, 26 April 2006

Present --- Jose Liste, and Nick Russell-Smith, Dan Lake [Jono Edwards Jeremy Weightman], Steve Sullivan, Steve Mulrooney, Andy Henman, Paul Way, Alistair Cuthbert, Paul Hopkins for at least some of the time, [Paul Bulgin], Daniel Susenbach, Andy Wain, Andrew Taylor, Yan Nicholls, Brad Gable, [Joel Fonnesbeck], [BertinHermo], [Richard Lowe].

Task Force Goal

To increase the number of students in our training --- both DTSs and second-level courses.

Day 1

Laurence Singlehurst started the day off looking at what we have done in the past and challenged us to think about a number of areas. Then we brain-stormed and came up with a framework to move ahead.

Laurence


 * What is the purpose of our training? Why are we here? To recruit (young) people and particularly British to reach the nation and the world.
 * Opportunity --- we have space for a lot more students. Need to research this and find out how many.
 * The market has changed --- we were the only ones and now perhaps 320 other organizations offer short and long term missions opportunities.
 * PLUS --- there is competition from other YWAMs around the world who compete on price and 'wow'.
 * ''WOW' factor --- a DTS needs 2 wows to attract students!" A wow factor can be anything --- profound life-changing get-to-know God time, snow-boarding, walking in the path and anointing of St Cuthbert, birthplace of the Moravians, William Carey etc.
 * Need double whammy of national strategy and local strategy. Each base and team needs brochures and websites BUT also need a national PR, communication, web strategy. When both work in tandem.... Hence, some possibilities to explore,
 * Action reps on universities [had c100]
 * Local church contact list [had c500]
 * National strategy to engage with untouched pools --- eg, Afro-Carribean and Nigerian churches.
 * More summer outreach programs leading to DTSs
 * More participation in national events --- WEC had missions day recently and YWAM the only obvious absence! Spring Harvest etc.
 * Does A Hundred Hours have help and a YWAM stand at their gigs?
 * More movers in youth events
 * Loren's tour --- more later.
 * Greater internet presence --- Laurence's daughter was accepted onto Fiji DTS and immediately part of virtual online community. Met 5 other women going from UK to DTS and travelled with one/some.(?)

Other Areas to Explore

1 DTSs and Second Level Schools


 * Is word of mouth working but there is not much to say? Are our schools wow enough? --- issue of quality. Quality attracts.
 * Are they too expensive, how could we run them cheaper? Is cost an issue for those who don't come?
 * Do our schools lead to a career in missions? Do they lead to the field? Is that perceived? There is a school in YWAM that 'trains' people to work with children in need --- none of the students expected to work with children!
 * Are outreaches working with the coal face?
 * What are our base wow-factors? What does God think about the idea of wow-factors?
 * Elida IV DTS tour of the UK with public meetings in each port?
 * How is our communication with prospective students? Do they wait an hour or a year to get a response and the information they need to make a decision?

2 National Office

Should we recruit people to roles in the national office to work national strategies? We understand the tension between the national and the base but a rising tide floats all boats.


 * Universities, churches data collection and communication
 * Further website/internet communication especially expertise to support bases and creation of virtual communities.
 * Database of past students and communication with them.
 * National brochure with empty page for my information and photo.

3 Research Need good research on the following:


 * Why do people come to DTSs and other schools? What did they hear and how and from whom.... Andrew Taylor is going to do this.
 * Where are our students coming from?
 * Where in the world is good recruiting happening and why? Talk of Perth, Australia, Colorado and Argentina.
 * What schools are post-DTS students looking for?
 * What type of DTS or second-level schools would help us advance our base's/team's vision?
 * Who else has the same vision/schools?
 * What do people 'out there' understand about YWAM? What is their perception?
 * Who are our 'target' audiences? What are they looking for? How do they hear about YWAM, missions....

4 Internet/Electronic Communication


 * Virtual community --- myspace, blogsites, video linkups....
 * Websites
 * Where to target?

5 Loren's Tour


 * Web- online booking to harvest database of interested people
 * Each base follow up with seminars, schools, outreaches, ReEngage etc.
 * Look for way of developing relationships with attendees
 * Brochures/DVDs for all
 * "Bums on seats" --- each speak to 10 meetings to invite people.

Where to from here?

Task force members to do the following before the next meeting:


 * 1) Have base/team pray and seek God!!!!!
 * 2) Look at the 5 categories plus Laurence's comments above and ask these questions:


 * Which of them can I work on and with whom --- and then do some work on it!
 * Who else could/should be a part of this process?
 * Find out what is working and what isn't working --- both here and abroad.
 * Email Steve and let him know what you are doing
 * Prepare presentation for next meeting with action points.

3 Meet again on 26th of June in Derby

4 Implement