Starting something new can often feel daunting, especially when considering a ministry. Many risks are involved, including fear of failure, the challenges of pioneering, potential rejection of your ideas, and sometimes not knowing where to begin. If the new venture is starting a new ministry, it might require years of work and investment with little visible progress.
Don’t let this discourage you! Many people have pioneered. While their ministries may differ, learning from the experiences of those who have gone before you can provide the encouragement you need to get started.
Throughout this blog, you will hear from individuals involved in a wide variety of ministries, including those who have pioneered YWAM campuses and those who are in the early stages of starting their own ministries—people who might be just a few steps ahead of you. We hope this information will help set you up for a successful ministry!
Planning to Start Your Ministry
The first question most people wonder when figuring out how to start a ministry is: where to begin? This is the starting point of it all. Don’t focus on the nitty-gritty yet.
Amanda, one of our staff members who pioneered a learning center for homeschooled kids on our campus, has some tips on how to do that.
She says:
“For me, all ministry ideas are born from a place of prayer and dreaming with the Lord. Usually, during prayer, you grow a deep love or passion for a certain sphere in God’s heart. You might recognize a need that you feel God is giving you ideas to help fulfill. I love dreaming about things with the Lord and then putting pen to paper about what could be.”
In short, every ministry plan starts with prayer and dreaming with God. If He knows better than we do, it makes perfect sense for Him to have the first word.
Building a Strong Ministry Foundation
After spending that time in prayer, go for it! Your ministry planning starts now. Jot down your ideas, broader goals, and vision for your future ministry. This is also the time to start thinking about a mission statement and core values. Doing this will help you establish a solid foundation as time goes on.
Realistic expectations for your ministry will help prevent discouragement along the way. But how can you determine what is realistic if this is your first rodeo?
This is where those who have gone before you come in! While every ministry has its own timeline and goals, you can connect with someone who pioneered a similar venture. Pre-plan your own expected timeline and expectations, and then allow that person to speak into it. Their words of wisdom could help the process a lot!
God might also connect you with unexpected team members. Another piece of Amanda’s timeline is this:
“I always share my passion and dreams with others and then watch to see if God connects me with people who feel a similar passion or calling. Sometimes, just sharing about it ignites a spark in them, and then God speaks to them as well. A team is crucial for me. I always partner with those whose strengths are my weaknesses. I believe that to see the fullness of what God has in mind, He brings together all kinds of giftings. When we bring our pieces, it creates a more complete picture, and we see the dream on God’s heart come even more alive.”
So, don’t be afraid to share your thoughts! You don’t have to tell everyone, but allow yourself the freedom to process your ideas with others. From this place, you can hone in on how to turn your dreams into goals, ultimately transforming those dreams into reality.
Once you’ve come this far, you should be ready for the next important step: the practicals.
Practical Steps for Ministry Development
Okay, so you have the basics to start your ministry: the dream, prayers, advice from others, a mission statement, values, preparation, and, over time, the team. Now, your ministry is about to take off, and this is where the stages of ministry development really begin.
Something that will be very helpful for the future of your ministry is to start asking yourself and the Lord questions now—ALL the questions you can think of. The more you prepare now, the more smoothly things might run. You don’t just want to start a ministry; you want it to last.
We have some staff who are about to pioneer a new ministry work in Southeast Asia. Here are some questions they have been asking themselves to create a lasting ministry there:
- Where do I start (once I am in the location)?
- How am I going to learn the language?
- How do I build good relationships with those in the area?
- How do I represent the Lord and the organization I work with well?
- How do I best serve the people and the region?
Asking questions is one of the most practical things you can do as you develop your ministry. Practical questions often lead to practical answers and open doors. One question leads to another, and soon, you’ll find yourself climbing the steps of ministry development!
Nothing is promised to go smoothly, but in the end, you’ll be thankful that you took the time to ask the right questions.
Overcoming Challenges.
One of YWAM’s sayings is, “Listen, obey, and never give up!”. Pioneering involves listening to the voice of the Lord, obeying Him throughout the journey, and, over time, choosing to never give up—even when things get complicated.
A significant challenge in pioneering, which can easily tempt one to quit, is the difficulty of tough times. One of our staff members, Bill, pioneered in Grenada, Barbados, and Montego Bay, Jamaica. He faced numerous challenges over the years, but this is what he has to say about overcoming challenges and not backing down:
Bill emphasizes that everything promised by God will come to pass if you don’t quit. “If you quit, all of those promises from God will not be fulfilled,” he says. This is because those promises were made through your agreement to partner with Him in the first place. If you no longer wish to participate, God will not force something to happen.
Pioneering requires perseverance. Through many years of experience, Bill has learned that God loves to fulfill His promises to those who stay and contend when things get hard. He points out that your faith muscles grow during difficult times, not when everything is easy.
This knowledge can be encouraging as you enter into pioneering. We can almost guarantee that certain seasons will be hard, and the difficulties may not always be what we expect. Bill shares that everything is just theory until you are actually walking through it, making it challenging to be perfectly prepared. While we might not fully understand what lies ahead, God knows! He is okay with us not knowing everything beforehand. We get to lean on Him during the journey and be obedient to Him in the process.
“The flexibility level of a pioneer has to be very high,” he says. “Embrace what you don’t know.”
“We are called to go to the least, the last, and the lost—the hardest and the darkest. That’s where God creates new stuff.”
YWAM is called to do new things in new ways. Leaving the familiar and stepping into the unknown is a risk we must take to reach the dark places of the world. So, whatever ministry path you choose, adopt this mindset: if God is calling you to a difficult place with challenging circumstances along the way, you can trust that He will walk with you through every season and help you overcome each challenge.
Ministry Development Training
As we mentioned previously, you don’t simply want to start a ministry; you want to see it last, grow, and even multiply. One of the best ways to facilitate this process is by training others to do your job—and to do it even better than you. If you change roles or want to see your ministry planted in another location, you can trust others with the responsibilities.
Kennedy is one of our former staff members who exemplified this well. She had a vision of YWAM teams engaging with youth groups and high schools to call young students into a lifestyle of missions. However, she understood that she wouldn’t carry out this role forever.
Kennedy is one of our former staff members who exemplified this well. She had a vision of YWAM teams engaging with youth groups and high schools to call young students into a lifestyle of missions. However, she understood that she wouldn’t carry out this role forever.
Before her season of transition, she began training someone else to take her place. She invested time in going through the ins and outs of her role and provided encouragement to her trainee. Jesus modeled this approach with His disciples. He walked alongside them, teaching them how to pray, heal, and preach the gospel. Once He left the earth, He entrusted these responsibilities to His disciples.
We aim to live out these same principles when discipling our students at YWAM Lancaster. You can read more about our Discipleship Training School below.
Resources and Support for Starting a Ministry
There are many resources within the body of Christ for starting a ministry, and this could begin at your very own church! Connect with your pastor, church leaders, and other ministry leaders. Hear their stories and take notes from their experiences. This could also be a good time to see what current ministries your church offers and might be an opportunity for you to serve with them.
Another resource could be connecting with a YWAM campus near you. You could reach out to the staff there and hear what they have to say.
Of course, YWAM offers many schools with a variety of focuses, so that might be an option for you. If you have not yet done a school with YWAM, the Discipleship Training School is the first step. This school is the gateway into the rest of the YWAM world of schools. It teaches you the basics of walking with God, so that from that point on, you may step into any ministry in any area of society and bring the presence of God with you.
One final resource is a book written by the founder of our YWAM mission. This book is called Is That Really You, God? In this book, you will read about the process of Loren Cunningham’s life, starting at a young age. God speaks His call, and throughout the book, you see him choose steps of obedience in ministry again and again, even when it is difficult.
Wondering if you’re called to start a ministry? Find guidance and inspiration here >>
Next Steps in Your Ministry Journey
Creating your own ministry will be such a fun journey if you continue to walk with the Lord throughout the process! Remember, it’s as easy as following the steps in this blog. Be bold and start dreaming with God for your ministry; He might have more in mind for you than you realize.
If you’re looking to start a ministry but would like some time serving with a YWAM base, learning what day-to-day ministry looks like, and going on a mission trip, check out our Catalyst Internship—a program that provides ample opportunities to work in different ministries and learn from those who have already walked the road ahead of you!
To conclude, we will hear a closing statement from Amanda, our Hub learning Center leader:
“Stay a learner and a dreamer. God never keeps things stagnant, so don’t stay the same.”
