Overseeing Base and Team Leaders

These questions are useful to be covered with leaders who are responsible for a YWAM centre in a physical location (although if they supervise enough staff this is appropriate for a team at a large centre e.g. 30 people on a centre of 120)

For general questions for overseeing team leaders of smaller teams and ministries see Line Leadership of Teams and Ministries.

There are clearly many areas to touch upon, most of them come out naturally in conversation and friendship.

Questions One Might Ask
There's more, but these cover the priorities.
 * how is he/she doing personally, with the Lord?
 * integrity checks, thought life etc?
 * how is the marriage, family, children, personal finances doing?
 * how is his leadership, pastoral, visionary, management, doing?
 * what is he/she reading, hearing, inputting?
 * are you having fun? (VERY IMPORTANT!)
 * are relationships on base, unity, good?
 * is vision being implemented? growing?
 * leadership team in harmony?
 * what about base finances?
 * any problems being met?
 * are staff growing, fulfilled? worship? prayer life?
 * are leaders growing and being "released"?
 * are you mentoring?
 * how are relationships with local people, churches, leaders, institutions?
 * how about contact and relationship with the rest of YWAM?
 * have you had input from other YWAM leaders and/or speakers from the wider Church?
 * are you on track with events, ideas, visions, in the rest of YWAM, particularly your nation?
 * where are you going as a leader?
 * are you working consistent with your ministry philosophy?
 * where do you see yourself in God's plan 2 and 5 years from now?

Iain Muir -- International Director, Global Leadership Team, YWAM

Questions to Ask to Improve This

 * do you know what you are doing?
 * do you know how well you have done?
 * what gaps are there in your skills and knowledge and how could we get them filled?
 * what can I do for you?
 * what should I be doing for you?

A Menu of Questions for a Basetraining Leader Overseeing a Course Leader
It is recommended that the base leader meet with the school leader about every two weeks. The questions below are suggestions only but will help to make the meeting more profitable. It would help the school leader if the questions were discussed before the school starts so that he or she knows what to expect.

Personal

 * Are you spending enough time with the Lord, your wife or husband, your family, your staff?
 * What aspects of the school are causing the greatest pressure at the present time?

Releasing Potential

 * Which students and student leaders are showing the most potential? Are they getting enough opportunity to lead --- eg in worship, intercession, Bible studies, outreach....
 * Who could be DTS leaders within 2 years given the right training, encouragement and opportunities?
 * What are you doing on the Basic Leadership School? [The program for regular training of the school staff?]
 * How is this school fulfilling the three main goals of a DTS?
 * discipleship
 * missions
 * orientation toward YWAM

Recruiting

 * What specific opportunities of ministry within YWAM have been placed before the students and student leaders?
 * On each DTS we interview each student three times to help them hear from God and move into the next phase. How have the interviews gone?

Outreach

 * At what stage are the plans for the school outreach and the small team outreaches?
 * How do these outreaches fit into our base or national targets?
 * What outreach is being done during the lecture phase?

Administrative
There are several forms which need to be completed for the University of the Nations for each school. Each is filled in at a different stage of the school. What stage are you at in the preparation of these forms?

General

 * Are there any difficulties in the relationships between people on the school? (eg tensions between staff and students...)
 * How are the students doing in areas outside their lectures--work duties, dormitories...? What is the result of your enquiries?
 * Are there any persistent major problems in the lives of any of the students? What action is being taken in these situations?

Finances

 * What is the financial situation of the school --- lecture and outreach phases, students and staff?

The Next School

 * What teachers are planned for the next school? What plans do you have to ensure that all essential topics are covered in the teaching--especially vision for missions and evangelism?
 * Who are you planning to have as school staff in the next school? What is your assessment of their maturity level?

Debriefing
After the school is completed the school leaders should meet with base leader or council for debriefing. This should be primarily for encouraging the school leaders but needs also to include a time of evaluation. The strengths and weaknesses of the school are discussed and plans are made for improvement.