The use of virtual staff is increasing as the world becomes more globalised and skills are becoming more universal. The use of virtual assistants is becoming extremely popular with online marketers and companies, but is this phenomenon something that is limited to the online world? Is virtual staff something that can make the jump to ministry and missions?
Are virtual staff something that you are using with your ministry?
YWAM Ships is one of the first YWAM ministries that I have seen actively seeking volunteer staff to work with their ministry “virtually”. They first posted their desire to do so on their Twitter account:
ywamships: Why not create a base where the back office roles are virtual. – interfacing as a team by video conferencing. #YWAM #YWAMSHIPS #Logistics
They have also put a post on their web-site asking for:
Virtual Volunteers
If you have skills that work well from home and you are unable to join us on site we could still use your help. If you have “back office” skills such as data entry, graphics, web, IT/programing, registrar, admin and office type skills we could do with your help.
I think that this is a rather unique way that a ministry can look at filling a staffing need. The needs that they are specifically looking at fulfilling virtually are the kinds of needs that can often be done remotely and even part-time. Being part-time roles even opens up the possibility for YWAM Alumni or Associates to perform those roles, while still maintaining a full-time job elsewhere.
Advantages of Virtual Staff
With virtual staff there are many advantages that your ministry can experience:
- No office space – With virtual staff you do not need to allocate physical office space
- Not location dependant – Your staff can be literally anywhere in the world, even in a completely different time zone
- Not time dependant – This is especially beneficial for a part-time role as the staff does not need to fill 40-hours a week
- Wider pool of potential workers – Since you don’t require your staff to possibly relocate to your location you increase the number of potential volunteers and staff
- more…
Challenges with Virtual Staff
In addition to all those advantages there are also many challenges working with virtual or remote staff.
I have been working on a remote basis with the YWAM International Communications Team for the last 2.5 years. In addition to the communications team in the United Kingdom I am tied in with a local YWAM Ministry here in Calgary. I must admit though that it is a huge challenge not working in the same location as the rest of my team.
Some of the challenges that I have personally experienced are:
- Isolation – It is hard not being around and having a “personal” relationship with the people I work with in ministry. Although we are friends and have spent time together “in real life” not having that interaction each day is a challenge.
- Bouncing ideas off others – Something that I miss is being able to turn around and ask someone for an opinion on something I’m working on or thinking about. For me to get an answer to a question to a member on my team normally takes a day or more via e-mail.
- Lack of Focus – As much as I love the work that I do in YWAM it can be hard to stay focused on the work when there is no one else around me doing the same or even remotely similar work.
Do We Need A Virtual YWAM Office Pool?
Here is a question for you, should YWAM have a virtual “office pool” of admin and communications people to fill these needs that are previlant and common at almost all YWAM locations?
I remember a few years ago when the “YWAM President’s Gatherings” started up one of the initiatives that they had talked about was the larger YWAM Centres “adopting” some of the smaller ones around the world. The goal of the larger bases adopting smaller ones was to assist them in growth and fulfilling the things that God has desired for them to do. The President’s gathering was for the largest 40 YWAM Centre leaders to attend. I wonder how many of those centres actually partnered with smaller centres to assist them?
Here is a question directed at YWAM Centre leaders, are you willing to allow your staff to work one day a week for another ministry location to assist them in their administrative or communication needs? Is YWAM one large organisation or tribe, or are we all trying to build our own little kingdoms?
Our Communications department at YWAM Madison works like this. We just accepted our first “virtual staff” right out of DTS. He needed to move home after DTS, but wanted to help us in graphic design. He gave it a test run — completing significant projects for us while he was on outreach in Asia. It worked great!
Our other communication staff work from different locations within Madison, (or staff/lead DTS) but we still hang out. (It helps when you’re married to your staff, too.) We’ve also helped a couple other YWAM centers with their websites and our graphic designer is helping some frontier mission centers, too.
I agree — there are challenges in isolation, bouncing off ideas, and staying on task. We’re looking into certain task managers to help with the ideas and task management (of course)….but the isolation part is a little trickier. Thankfully, social media platforms like Facebook help.
This is a nice idea. We have been looking at ways to assist YWAM remotely since we left YWAM Barbados back in 2005.
Both my wife and I having technical skills, can really use them to assist YWAM bases in need.
[…] Can Your Ministry use Virtual or Remote Staff? […]
Bill,
I think what you are proposing is very much what YWAM has been about from its earliest beginnings. When Loren said, “Go means a change of location” many early YWAMers scattered to the four corners of the earth with little centralized control or support. Loren recently gave a word to the GLF in Mexico where he spoke of “Circles, Cycles, and Circuits”, which represent our teams, our scheduled gatherings around the globe, and our continued reach into regions beyond. We continue to scatter and communicate, though much of our growth may be within our circles, rather than our circuits.
Some may tend to invite people into circles, as churches do, rather than plant new teams in new locations. What is important for YWAM is to continue to plant new teams, new projects and ministries in new locations. (I believe this may be what God’s word through Loren about Circles, Cycles, and Circuits is about; we must not only reinforce our circles.)
That we will use today’s technological tools is a given. They are being used by the rank and file whether YWAM leaders choose to encourage it or not. The question is this: “For what purpose will we use technology for virtual gatherings, meetings, and communications?” I think we should use the tools for all the above, Circles, Cycles, and Circuits.
We have used GENESIS technology for Cycles, periodic global gatherings. We have used GENESIS and other tools for teaching in Circles, for our schools and staff meetings, and for virtual leadership meetings. Another questions that emerges is this: “Are we using these tools to help plant new works or reinforce teams in remote locations?”
I need to jump off here because I am about to have a virtual planning meeting for the YWAM exhibit team at URBANA 12 and for several mobilization gatherings in North America in 2013.
I know I did not really address your question about virtual team members, support staff, etc. I think we need to clarify our purposes before we can fully embrace the virtual support members. It may be easy for a large YWAM ministry to have mature remote staff to support their own operations. However, what I believe is needed is virtual teams for collaboration to support smaller project ministries who do not intend to establish large YWAM training bases. I am currently developing a virtual collaboration system, a Mobilization Access Portal with an Internship Placement and Outreach listing to assist smaller YWAM ministries & other projects with access to potential interns.
Let’s talk about these things some time Bill. I think you may like where we are going.
John Henry
studentmobilizationcentre.com