If you have read any YWAM global publication in the last 5 years, you have probably seen the phrase “healing the nervous system.” This image, which refers to the restoration of communications systems in YWAM, was powerfully delivered to YWAM’s Global Leadership Team (GLT) at their annual meetings in Singapore in 2003. God’s word was that YWAM was suffering from a diseased central nervous system – the system which tells our nerves what to do in order to enable our body to move.   

Since then, International Chairman, Lynn Green, has made communications development a major platform of his term of leadership. Why is this so important? Lynn answers, “Our poor communications have left many YWAM teams feeling isolated and forgotten. When our nervous system is healed, we will see efficient and relational communication throughout YWAM globally…we will find that God can speak to the whole body of YWAM and we will have the means to circulate His words. This will inevitably improve our relationships – when one hurts, we will all be able to help, and when one rejoices, we can all rejoice together.”  Lynn goes on to emphasize the need to not overwhelm bases with a flood of information, and so he is encouraging the development of both local and international teams which will be able to manage communication which are relevant to each region.

It would appear that YWAM was lying in wait for that word, because since receiving it, a flood of new communications initiatives have sprung up all over the mission! Shortly after the GLT, Lynn called together a gathering of YWAMers engaged in Communications, Research and Information Technology and, in true YWAM style, they labeled the gathering “CRIT.” Since then, CRIT coordinators have hosted four more international events for YWAM staff who are working to improve communication from and within YWAM, the latest in Buenos Aires. You can read about it on the CRIT web site: www.crit.ywamcoms.net. CRIT has been instrumental in forming regional communications teams in Latin America, Europe and Africa (see article below) which are transforming the way YWAM talks to itself.

CRIT organiser, Rob Abraham enthused about the most recent CRIT gathering. A memorable calling of the CRIT is the drive to “mind the gap” – to recognise the diversity of YWAM team environments and make certain that none are cut off from receiving vital information because of language, internet access or security challenges. CRIT 08 was completely bi-lingual and group-led, in a move to model this awareness and Rob notes that it was highly successful. He says, “CRITs seem to have become a great platform for casting vision, training and empowering new regional communications teams. We want to continue to build networks of communications people (designers, photographers, videographers, writers, programmers etc.) to partner better together all across the globe. CRIT is a loose network to help provide solutions at grassroots levels – as that is where all the action is in YWAM anyway…!”

From grassroots to global and from YWAM to the rest of the world – communications initiatives such as the Global Day of Prayer (www.prayerday.org) are regularly bringing YWAM together, but the most important part of our communications is outward! The GLT recently appointed a Global Communications Team (GCT) to advise them on the growing global presence of YWAM in the public eye.  Events of wide interest, such as the tragic shootings in YWAM Denver last December highlighted YWAM’s need for crisis communications structures which are also being developed.

Healing YWAM’s nervous system is essential to our health and to our effectiveness. Lynn Green says, “One of our great challenges is to keep pace with the changes in the world of communications and also discern how to use the new tools available. And we must – it is not only, or even primarily, about communications within YWAM, but how we communicate with people who need to know about Jesus and how to reach the world with His message.” 

Mission is communication and YWAM is getting better at it every day.

AfriCom is one of YWAM’s Field Communication Teams (FCTs) – ministries designed to serve their region through communications coordination, the dissemination of important information, and championing the work YWAM is doing in the region in order to mobilize people, prayer and resources. In addition to AfriCom, Com Teams are located in South Asia, Southeast Asia/Pacific, and Europe (EuroCom). They are part of an international YWAM strategy, as Miranda explains. “They’re to bring cohesion to our broad-structured and decentralized organization working in almost every nation.”

AfriCom was birthed out of the felt need of YWAM Africa leadership to draw people together to improve communications across the continent. Miranda recalls those early days. “Primarily, there was a desire to bring a feeling of family identity and belonging to the diverse expressions of YWAM across Africa. As a step toward that we started writing and publishing a quarterly newsletter, featuring stories from around the continent and seeking to be as representative of our variety as possible.” Published in English, French and Portuguese, some YWAM leaders said the newsletter was the only YWAM publication they received in their nation’s official language.

Since its formation in 2001, AfriCom has made tremendous strides in improving YWAM communications in Africa. After the newsletter was up and running, AfriCom published the first edition of their 30 Days of Prayer for Africa, an annual prayer guide covering a diversity of issues throughout the continent. “We’ve used the newsletter and prayer guide as vehicles to share information that the whole YWAM Africa family needs to hear, such as who the current members of the Africa Leadership Team are and what they do, or what the HIV/AIDS policy for bases is and how to implement it,” Miranda explains. Along with the YWAM Africa website (www.ywamafrica.com), AfriCom provides an opportunity for YWAMers there to share their stories, needs and successes.

But FCTs are about more than information gathering and dissemination. AfriCom helped raise finances for a satellite phone needed by an isolated team in Mozambique—a phone that was instrumental in saving the life of a staff member who needed to be airlifted from their remote location. They also assisted in the production of a promotional video that enabled an African YWAM base to get the resources and prayer support they needed to reach an unreached people. “It’s an awesome privilege to use our communications skills to help these frontline teams!” says Miranda.

AfriCom has recently revolutionized the way YWAMers in Africa are notified of important events. Since cell phones are much more common and affordable in Africa than computers and internet, AfriCom uses SMS to inform YWAMers across the continent of what is going on, such as the monthly YWAM prayer days.  They are also producing a print version of this e-zine for their region.

“It takes several years of faithfully doing the little things to tell that the ministry is having an impact, but the perseverance is worth it,” says Miranda.

AfriCom is proof of that.

For more information about AfriCom, please contact ywamafricom@gmail.com.

For more information on Field Communications Teams, please contact bbishop@intlcom.org