Wikipedia defines the Third Place as:
A term used … to refer to social surroundings separate from the two usual social environments of home and the workplace. (source)
The “first place” is defined as your home, the “second place” as your place of work or school, and the “third place” is the informal meeting places that are in between the first and second place. The place where you meet with your friends for social occasions.
Starbucks has tried to position itself as the “Third Place” in peoples lives around the world, and in many regards they have been quite successful at it. Starbucks is the place where people go to hang out, relax, read a book, browse the Internet and of course, and grab a coffee. It’s the stopping point between work and home.
Let’s take another example…
Think of the Television series Friends. Their “Third Pace” was a coffee shop called The Central Perk. It is where, besides the home, most of their interaction with their friends takes place.
Now, imagine if YWAM could position itself as the “Third Place” in the communities they minister into.
I was privileged to spend most of the first 11 – years of my time in YWAM at Reef to Outback in Townsville, Australia. One of the things that I saw develop over my time there was it slowly becoming a “Third Place” to some of the youth in the city.
You would see the young kids hanging around the YWAM base after school, sometimes with the YWAM staff, and sometimes just hanging out with each other. But to them, Reef to Outback had become a place for them to just come, relax and chill out.
This was a fantastic privilege for us at YWAM – Reef to Outback. It gave us input into the lives of these kids that otherwise would definitely not exist. Reef to Outback has become these kid’s “Third Place”, and as they spend time there the ethos of YWAM, and who the staff are, can’t help but rub off onto the kids.
So, what are you doing to make your YWAM ministry into a “Third Place” for those you are called to minister to?
Or even, do you want your ministry to be a “Third Place”, is it relevant for what God’s called you to?
love it bill… love clarification of ideas…
Our YWAM base opened a third place with the intention of building relationships in our inner city community (www.dustycover.ca). Out of those relationships we have planted a new church (www.littleflowers.ca).
On an interesting twist to your question, one of the reasons we did so was because, by definition, the YWAM base itself cannot really be a third place. Yes, it can be a great social alternative with great value, but a genuine third place must be largely neutral.
So YWAM bases might be able to be third places to a certain degree and YWAM bases can create, nurture and participate in third places, but in the strictest sense, I am not sure they can fully be third places themselves.
Peace,
Jamie