Together ON,
New Staff Training
Built as One Body

The history of YWAM Korea’s New Staff Training has gone through many transitions.
There was a season in the 1990s when new staff members lived together for three weeks while receiving foundational ministry training. Around the final week of training, an appointment committee would often gather to determine where each staff member would be assigned or entrusted for ministry. In many cases, people were assigned to places different from what they had expected. Because the training period was long, a strong culture of “fellow trainees” among new staff members continued for many years.

As the late 1990s and 2000s passed, staff training for mainland Korea and UofN Jeju became separated, and through that process the content and direction of the training changed significantly.
Then, after the COVID season and entering the early 2020s, discussions began regarding the need to strengthen and unify “YWAM staff training” as one body. Those conversations eventually led to where we are today.
In the early stages of those discussions, many shared that if the training were held at UofN Jeju — a place with strengths in both training and environment — it would bring great richness to the whole body. As a result, the training has now been held in Jeju for its third year.

YWAM Korea currently operates two kinds of staff training. The first is the New Staff Training, and the second is the “Long-Term Staff Training” for staff members who have served for five years or more. The long-term training is designed more like a retreat.

The purpose is to help first-year staff establish a strong foundation for ministry, while helping long-term staff receive appropriate evaluation, renewal, and encouragement for their ministry journey.

One distinctive aspect of the New Staff Training is that it is organized by the YWAM Korea national office while also involving base leaders and national ministry leaders in the teaching and facilitation process.
Because of this, approximately two-thirds of the leaders responsible for bases and ministries across the nation were gathered together in one place during the training period.

This year’s New Staff Training was held under the theme “Together ON” with the key verse from Mark 3:14: “He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.” Approximately thirty leaders and staff members participated as facilitators and supporters, while fifty-eight new staff members attended the training.
Among the participants, there were participants from four different nations outside of Korea  — Kazakhstan, Brazil, Vietnam, and Zambia — and two staff members who had previously attended the training online during the COVID season also joined in person this year.

This training at UofN Jeju was greatly strengthened through the hospitality ministry of the FCM staff and the active support of the Operations Department and many others. It became a beautiful expression of being connected and serving together as one body. Once again, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to the UofN Jeju family through this article.

The main content of the training centered on the nineteen YWAM foundational values. One or two values were grouped together for thirty- to forty-minute lectures, followed by small-group discussions focused on how to apply them in life and ministry.

One of the most meaningful aspects of the training was the richness of the small-group sharing times. Through these moments, participants were able to better understand one another and broaden their perspectives.
Additional sessions included topics such as YWAM history, YWAM missions, personal mission statements, self-care, and personal Bible study — all intended to provide foundational training for ministry life.

On Wednesday evening, all seven members of the YWAM Korea NLT (National Leadership Team) visited and spent time engaging in various Q&A sessions. Meeting and speaking with the leaders responsible for guiding and shaping major policies within YWAM Korea became a meaningful opportunity for participants to gain wider perspectives.

On Thursday afternoon, the training shifted into a workshop-style participation space based on the topics covered throughout the week. Booths were set up throughout Malmstadt Hall where participants could write practical action plans related to YWAM values and create symbolic kits using various materials to help make their applications more tangible and personal.
The workshop became a free and engaging participatory environment. Writing things down and creating with their hands appeared to help participants internalize and apply what they had learned beyond simply listening in lectures or discussions.
Another meaningful part of the workshop was the blessing prayer and encouragement time led by elder staff members. Listening to participants’ prayer requests and praying according to the heart of God became an important spiritual milestone for many as they prepared for their future ministry journey.
One special aspect of the training was that, for the third year in a row, English small groups and basic interpretation were provided for staff members from multicultural backgrounds. After years of cultivating a culture of English communication at UofN Jeju, the transition is becoming increasingly stable and well-established.
Through this process, we hope that more bases will expand into multicultural communities where people from diverse backgrounds can be welcomed and serve together.

This year’s New Staff Training also gave hope for the bright future of the ministry because there were more young participants than expected. It was especially impressive to see participants and staff ranging from their twenties to their seventies — representing multiple generations together.
YWAM is a mission movement where all generations together proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom to all nations, make disciples, and prepare the way for the return of the Lord. This is our calling, and the New Staff Training once again reminded us that it exists within that very calling.

We would like to sincerely thank all the YWAM leaders and staff members who supported and partnered together in this training, especially the Operations Department, Planning Department, and FCM School at UofN Jeju.

ㅡMyungsun Kim, National Director YWAM Korea

Testimony — Harim Kim

To be honest, one question remained in my heart after the New Staff Training. As we listened to and discussed topics such as the history of YWAM, the birth and necessity of the University of the Nations, and the foundational values of YWAM, one thought continued to come to mind:
“Why are these stories only shared at times like this?”
Of course, I do not fully know the situation in other places. However, although I have now been at UofN Jeju for about a year and a half, I cannot recall many opportunities where we deeply shared about these kinds of topics.

It made me wonder whether these things should be talked about more often and more deeply. Where we came from, where we are going, and where we ought to go are extremely important questions. Because there is a past, there is a present. And the future is created from the present.
What is most important is neither the past nor the future, but the present. And precisely because the present matters, it becomes even more important to know where we came from and where we are headed.
The past has already passed, and the future has not yet arrived. But if we learn from the past and choose the right path in the present, the future can change.

When I look at the YWAM community, it feels as though we are standing in the middle of a transitional season. We are moving through a period of change, and many preparations and efforts toward that change became visible during the New Staff Training. At the same time, more questions arose. Are we moving in the right direction? As YWAM, do we truly know and faithfully preserve the things God has entrusted to us?
This New Staff Training became a precious opportunity to hear these questions again and engrave them upon my heart. But it also left me with another thought.
As the YWAM community, shouldn’t we spend more time talking about and sharing the things God has given us? So that we do not lose our identity.

ㅡHarim Kim, OMT

Testimony — Kyungeun Park