In an attempt to share the inside secrets of how I've chosen to live my life in an unconventional way, pursuing an extraordinary adventure, I'm sharing some of the questions that I get asked often, or the questions that I sense some people would like to ask but don't for one reason or another. The whole point is that I'm trying to demonstrate that it is possible, that life doesn't have to be a tedious trek, and to be a model to show that life can be an extraordinary journey. Hopefully it will inspire you to live an extraordinary life of your own flavor.
To that end, here are some of the most questions that have been directed at me, either outright, or (more often) by inferring what people are trying to ask without sounding rude about it.
Why work with a missions organization? Why not a local church or some other organization that pays a salary?
I am passionate about seeing people be set free to live extraordinary lives. I want to seek out people and help them do that. If you think of a tree, the local church would be like the trunk and roots of the tree. Designed to bring depth, stability, and presence. Churches are designed to impact the local area where they are. Missions organizations, on the other hand, are like the branches of a tree – we reach out to places the trunk could never go and plant seeds that hopefully develop into their own trees.
Working in the missions side of things allows me to break out of the local culture. I get to explore the world while I do work that I find meaningful and fulfilling. I get to do the exciting work of seeing lives changed, and the expression that I find most suits my strengths, giftings, and personality is the missions side of it. Also, the work itself is incredibly varied. One day I'm on the ropes course working with at-risk kids, the next day I'm at a business leadership seminar teaching principles of teamwork, the next day (or month) I'm in a college in Asia, teaching English and building relationships. There's always something new around the corner and I can always be excited about what the future holds for me.
Along with that comes a world focus which I personally believe is healthier and more reflective of the Biblical model. Instead of having a nearly obsessive interest in my own country – who's being elected, what kind of sweaters they wear, what kind of sports they play – I have a broader view that takes into account the rest of the world and understands that there are much bigger issues out there than the pettiness that usually dominates the news.
Why Youth With A Mission (YWAM)? Why not another missions organization?
YWAM is the missions organization I started in, and there are very few others that equal the experience of a Discipleship Training School (DTS). The DTS is the most popular and largest course offered by YWAM, and is also the introductory course that you have to take before you staff or take any other courses. It changed my life, definitely ruined me for the ordinary, and I want to provide that chance to other people as well.
YWAM also allows a lot of flexibility and opportunity. Where other organizations place you in a strict hierarchy, YWAM essentially lets you choose what direction you want to go, then provides room for you to go there. It works well as a greenhouse for starting new things because I can be trained, recruit staff, and spread the word to people who would be interested in joining through already existing networks, without having to work my way up the ladder first.
No one in YWAM receives a salary, in fact, no one gets paid. We are all volunteers that raise our own support – everyone from the international president to the guy who washes the dishes. This makes for an awesome work environment because everyone does what they feel is important and what they feel called to. You hardly ever run into the person who is bitter about the job they're doing but stuck there because they have no better opportunities.
What about “tent-making?” Doesn't the Bible say that missionaries should support themselves?
No! When Paul speaks to the Thessalonians about how he supported himself by making tents and selling them, it was to remind them about how shamefully they treated him by not supporting him. He did that only occasionally, and for the specific reason of demonstrating to the people he was teaching that Christians should be the hardest workers of all and not just lounge around (apparently, the Thessalonians had a problem with laziness). In fact, many times Paul encourages the churches to take up offerings for himself or for the apostles in Jerusalem. So the whole point of the tent-making in the first place was as an object lesson to teach the people how they should work hard so that they could support people doing God's work! (See 2 Thessalonians 3:9)
Now, as I've said before, that doesn't mean that I should simply sit back and wait for others to take up my slack. I believe that if God calls me to something, he expects me to do it with my eyes open, engaged in the moment to explore every opportunity to the fullest. If I'm doing the work he's given me well, part of that will be raising funds and occasionally working to make up shortfalls. However, I don't believe God asks people to do two full-time jobs as a lifestyle.
What about “If you don't work, you don't eat?”
You have to remember, this was in the context of the early church where it was considered normal and expected that the believers would give everything they owned to the body of believers and share everything together. In this type of community, there is the possibility that some people could simply be leeches, taking what they needed but never doing anything to contribute. The “don't work, don't eat” policy came about in response to the people who were abusing the generosity of the church. This is exactly why Paul set the example by tent-making, so that he would not encourage the leeches.
I already give to a church.
That's not really a question, but I get where you're coming from. I don't expect people to stop giving to wherever it is they're giving in order to help support me. I simply ask that they give a little extra to me.
Of course, I do have a few qualms about how churches spend their money. Do you really need to rent a donkey for the Christmas pageant? Essentially all of the money that you give to a church goes directly back into the church itself, mostly for the purpose of making it a more comfortable place to be. Of the average dollar put into the offering basket, less than one cent goes towards reaching people who don't know Jesus. So if you do give to a church, make sure that the money you are giving them is going to a worthy cause, and not just a round-a-bout way of buying yourself a better environment to worship in.
I don't have any money to give.
Again, not a question. However, I'll answer it anyway. And my answer is baloney. That's right, baloney. What you really mean is that you don't have any money you want to give.
How can I say that? I don't know you. I don't know what kind of pressure you deal with, or how all the money you have is gone as soon as you open that paycheck. You would be totally generous if you just had a little extra, but you're literally squeezing everything just to make ends meet right now.
Be honest, that's what you're thinking, right?
When people explain circumstances as a way to excuse their behavior, it really just means they like things the way they are and don't want to change. So, the person who says they are “barely making ends meet” still has a home, a television, probably with cable or satellite and a Netflix account, a car or two, maybe a pet (or two or three), and will get Starbucks every other day and buy lunch every time they go to work. Then they complain that their paycheck is gone and doesn't leave any room for them to be generous.
I have bad news for you – if you work for a living and can't afford to be generous you are living selfishly and need to seriously change your lifestyle. I believe wholeheartedly that we are to be sources of life and inspiration in the world instead of simply consumers. So you can't really say you don't have any money, when really you mean you don't have any money that you don't want to spend on yourself.
How much money do you need?
Ha ha, trick question! The real question is how much do I need from you? The answer to that is simple. I don't ever ask anyone to give me anything unless they feel that God is leading them to do so. So if you feel like God is okay with you donating some money, read on. If not, you can skip to the next question or go read some of my other articles.
First, give as much as God tells you! If God didn't give you a specific amount, I would say that somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 per month is a good starting point. If you can afford more, give more! If you can't afford that much, give less! My goal is to have 50 committed supporters at $50 per month for a total of $2500 per month. Currently, I operate on about a third of that (and am loving life doing it!)
What about a one-time gift?
One time gifts are nice, and help out a lot. However, unless you plan to donate a large amount (more than $500), I would honestly rather have you sign up to give monthly. Instead of $500, give just $40 per month for a year.
The thing with one-time donations is that there is no way to plan on them. While trying to make plans that possibly take me 3 or 4 years down the road, I can't take into account one-time gifts simply because of their sporadic nature.
How do I give? What's the system?
The best way to give, and generally the easiest for my supporters, is to have a certain amount deducted every month from a checking account. Generally the most convenient. You need to fill out this form and mail it to me with a voided check.
You can also mail a check at any time to YWAM Salem, specifying in a separate note who the donation is for.
The final way is through the PayPal link at the bottom of the page. One note: this method is not currently tax-deductible. We are working on making it so, but it's still in process.
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