 If you have been in Youth With A Mission (YWAM) for a while, you have likely heard teaching on the Belief Tree, Worldview, and YWAM’s Foundational Values. Let us delve deeper into these concepts.
YWAM addopts Darrow Miller's teaching of the Belief Tree from his book he co-authored with Scott Allen (2006), The Forest in the Seed. The book starts with the power of ideas. The Bible reveals a fundamental principle, 'For as [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he' (Pr. 23:7 KJV). This principle applies to individuals as well as entire cultures. The key to cultural transformation, therefore, lies in the transformation of the mindset or worldview of a people. (Allen & Miller, 2006, p. 13). When we address changing culture, we must first address the worldview of the people. This is true when we are discipling nations, and it is equally true when changing the culture of a YWAM operation location. Allen and Miller (2006) later write, Just as the quality of the soil and roots of a tree determines the quality and variety of the fruit produced, so it is with our ideas.… The deepest beliefs, assumptions and convictions of a people will determine their values, feelings and emotions. These, in turn, establish their patterns of behavior; and finally, their behavior has consequences for their lives, the lives of their families and their society. (pp. 14-15) This is the core teaching of the belief tree. Nevertheless, I do want to focus on the first sentence of the last quote. The quality of the soil and roots will determine the quality of the fruit. From there, Allan and Miller (2006) state, "As a formula, it may be expressed as follows: "BELIEFS >> VALUES >> BEHAVIOR >> CONSEQUENCES” (p. 15) The belief tree teaching tells us that our beliefs (the roots) are ingrained in our worldview (soil). “When we speak of worldview, we are speaking of the total set of beliefs or assumptions that comprise the mindset of an individual and determine what they value and how they behave” (p. 15). A person’s worldview comprises the cumulative set of beliefs/assumptions that influence their values and behavior. These beliefs are not like a theological, doctrinal statement clearly written out and cited but are assumptions deep in one’s subconscious, rarely processed and questioned. Therefore, the quality of our values' application is directly related to the soil and the beliefs/assumptions. Often in YWAM, when the belief tree is taught, the focus is dealing with the roots. The roots are what we believe about God, humankind, truth, and choice (Cunningham et al., 2014). Darlene Cunningham (2020) and Miller both teach that the soil represents "…the environmental worldview that influences people – it may be Buddhist, Hindu, Animist, Muslim, secular humanism, etc. The roots represent the basic beliefs" (p. 37). However, neither Cunningham nor Miller addresses cultural lenses in line with the belief tree. Religion plays a significant role in a person's worldview; nevertheless, many cultural concepts are transcultural beyond religion. Nevertheless, cultural lenses are a part of a person's beliefs and assumptions. Assumptions are accepted as truth and rarely questioned. Cultural lenses need to be considered when applying our values. We need to remember that a person's worldview comprises culture and beliefs. Both lie underneath the soil and are unseen. Taking it a step further, Allen and Miller (2006) expound on worldview. Worldviews act like the computer software that runs the hardware of our lives. Worldviews are not only personal, they are also corporate. Consider an organization that you are affiliated with, perhaps your church, or a Christian organization – or even your family. Within any group or organization, there are a dominant set of ideas, beliefs, assumptions and convictions that shapes its "corporate culture.” (p. 15) In YWAM's context, we do have our own culture. When visiting different operating locations, there are differences in culture seen. This can be due to the host country's culture, especially when most of the staff are from the host culture. The worldview (soil) expresses itself through a YWAM location. Nevertheless, we are linked together by specific commonalities. All YWAMers have completed a DTS, and they strive to live by the same values. However, there are times when things do not feel right in a YWAM location, indicating a misalignment. Allen and Miller (2006) addressed this: These dominant ideas will determine the values and principles by which the organization functions. These values may be the same or different than those written down in a corporate values document. Yet these operational values – stated or unstated – inform the day-to-day practices, programs and activities of the organization. (p. 15) When we in YWAM do not live our "written values," we embrace our unwritten values and apply those to our daily lives and activities. One can conclude that if a person is applying an unwritten value, it is rooted in an unprocessed assumption/belief embedded in their worldview. This is why YWAM needs to teach a deeper understanding of our beliefs and assumptions along with the values. One's beliefs are more organic than logical. Discovering one's beliefs on a matter takes time to unearth and process. That said, there are times when two people from two different cultures apply a value, but the outcome looks very different due to their worldviews. One person from one culture sees someone from a different culture doing something and thinks they are not applying the value based on the observer's cultural application of it. In the book, Walking Naked into the Land of Uncertainty, Rawlins (2012) gives us more insight into values when he wrote, You can’t separate your emotions from your values. If you feel strongly about something, it is the expression of a value. If you fear losing something, it is an expression of another value. All of the feelings of the heart can be traced back to values. I would say that your emotions are the language of your heart/values. (p. 46) To discover their “unwritten values,” a person needs to trace their emotions back to the value. As Rawlins (2012) stated, Jesus came as a radical. To be radical means to go to the root or origin of something. The root or origin is at a heart level, a value. This was Jesus’ life. He was a radical and was always going to the root or origin of issues in the lives he was dealing with. (p. 51) What is clear is that many times a person’s values are not clear. One may think they value something, but their emotions expose them that their value may lay elsewhere. In most cases, the values are hidden from the person who carries them. This is when tension in one’s life reveals their emotions and exposes the person’s values. As Rawlins (2012) says, Tension is God’s gift to us that signals there is a difference or misunderstanding and we need to talk about it. Tension is a part of love and if we try and remove all tension, then we lose love and relationship as well. (pp. 107-108) God loves man so much that he uses tension in an individual’s life to bring to light one’s value through their emotions. From there, a person can dig deeper to find out the hidden beliefs/assumptions they may carry. If that person is a Christian, God can then uncover any unbiblical lies one is believing. From there, we move onto Adeney's six-point plan on how in her article, Contextualizing Universal Values. In her plan, she shares how to interject a new Biblical value into a particular context. She uses the value of gender equality as an example of how to apply these six steps. The first step is to recognize the importance and universality of the value. Adeney (2007), at one point, writes, "Christians draw values from Scripture, studying the Bible in communities that believe that God's Spirit will aid understanding and application of the wisdom of God's Word" (p.33). Secondly, she discusses the acceptability of the value in another context. After that, the other cultural values that prevent the practice of universal values need to be identified. Then there is the necessity to recognize the complexities of the culture. Next, work with the Christians in the culture to clarify traditional practices' priorities in light of the universal values. Finally, Adeney shares the need to work with Christians in the culture to devise new behavior patterns that demonstrate universal value. Adeney's article concerns apply to how we impart our YWAM values to our staff globally. Communicating our values in a cross-cultural context is vital. Her insight could be beneficial as we consider cultural lenses in our teaching of YWAM's values. Trefry (2006) discusses the effects of organizational culture, national culture, and people from different cultures in her journal entry, A Double-Edged Sword: Organizational Culture in Multicultural Organizations. She discusses the positive and negative impact of organizational culture in a multicultural setting. When it comes to organizational culture, Trefry says that it is the prime factor in the success or failure of large-scale change efforts. She goes on to say that more diverse organizations are more flexible toward change. Therefore, it is easier to change practices, systems, and procedures; it is challenging to change underlying values, beliefs, and assumptions that drive organizational practices. Nevertheless, organizational culture is a powerful means of shaping people's behavior. Even though organizational culture is strong, the national culture is very persistent. National culture will affect the values, while organizational culture usually addresses practices. Overall, Trefry believes that the benefits of multicultural teams outweigh the detriments. She also addresses the effects of the national culture (location of the team) on the multicultural team. This is something we should consider in our YWAM setting. We should look at the effects (positive and negative) of our operational locations' host culture. Also, we should consider how it affects our values and the dynamics of our multicultural team. In conclusion, understanding and integrating the concepts of the Belief Tree, Worldview, and YWAM’s Foundational Values are crucial for fostering a cohesive and transformative culture within YWAM. By addressing the deep-seated beliefs and assumptions that shape our values and behaviors, we can more effectively disciple nations and navigate the complexities of multicultural environments. Acknowledging the influence of both religious and cultural lenses on our worldview helps us apply our values more authentically and sensitively across diverse contexts. As we continue to teach and live out these foundational values, we must remain vigilant in examining our own unwritten values and assumptions, embracing the tension and growth that come with this process. Through such intentional reflection and adaptation, we can ensure that our “YWAM culture” aligns more closely with our stated foundational values, ultimately enhancing our global mission and impact. To read more articles on YWAMs Value and Culture Click Here References Adeney, F. S. (2007). Contextualizing universal values: a method for Christian mission. International Bulletin of Missionary Research, 31(1), 33-37. Allen, S. D., & Miller, D. L. (2006). The Forest in the seed: A biblical perspective on resources and development. Disciple Nations Alliance Cunningham, D., Hamilton, D. J., & Gauslin, D. (2014). The Belief Tree. Youth With A Mission. https://ywam.org/for-ywamers/the-belief-tree/. Cunningham, D. (2020). Values matter. YWAM Publishing. Rawlins, M. (2012). Walking naked into the land of uncertainty. Amuzement Publications.
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 Serving outside your home country often means navigating the complexities of being part of a multicultural team. This can sometimes feel overwhelming, but if God calls us to missions, working and relating in a multicultural environment is essential.
Youth With A Mission (YWAM) values functioning in teams. Although this value doesn't explicitly mention "multicultural," YWAM’s international commitment requires viewing this through a multicultural lens. Understanding Multicultural Teams A multicultural team is a group of individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds who work interdependently, share responsibility for outcomes, and manage their relationships across organizational boundaries. These teams can include formal teams, informal teams, task forces, committees, self-managed teams, and virtual teams. Studies show that while multicultural groups often outperform monocultural ones, the latter can avoid the "process loss" caused by unpracticed communication and subsequent conflict (Halverson and Tirmizi, 2008, p. 8). This implies that improving communication and relationships within a multicultural team can make it more effective than a monocultural one. The Role of Team Culture Establishing clear goals and emphasizing the importance of relationships is crucial to enhancing the effectiveness of multicultural teams. Multicultural teams can offer greater creativity in problem-solving by balancing individualistic and collectivist cultural dynamics. Conflict resolution is vital, and understanding how cultural norms affect perspectives on power distance and individualism versus collectivism can help navigate these challenges. Insights from Leading Multicultural Teams Leading Multicultural Teams by Evelyn and Richard Hibbert (2014) highlights the potential for exceptional effectiveness in multicultural teams if they overcome inherent challenges. Key cultural factors like power distance and collectivism significantly influence leadership perceptions. Effective teams are committed to a common vision, hold each other accountable, and work interdependently with shared values. The stages of team formation (forming, storming, norming, and performing) require goal-setting and a shared vision. Team building, conflict resolution, and leadership qualities such as humility, patience, respect, and teachability are essential. Organizations should support team leaders and address issues of collectivism and power distance. Multicultural Team Dynamics in Missions Kim (2013), a Korean researcher, has extensively studied international mission agencies in the Caucasus region, particularly a significant YWAM location. He reveals that expatriate workers in multicultural teams face more relational challenges than those in local teams. Non-native English speakers often struggle the most, as team culture tends to be Western due to meetings in English. This creates unintentional inequality, affecting team dynamics and emphasizing the need for clearer relationship definitions. (to read more on this Click Here) Biblical Perspective on Multicultural Teams A biblical approach to multicultural teams starts with recognizing that we are made in God's image. Understanding our identity in God helps us relate better to others. Human relationships should respect and preserve life through words and actions. Our cultural judging systems often distort the image of God, and recognizing these distortions can help us relate more effectively in a multicultural context. Silzer (2011) Challenges and Benefits of Multicultural Teams Multicultural teams model the diversity of the Body of Christ and can bring healing to various nationalities. They are more sensitive to distinguishing between biblical and cultural aspects of behavior. However, these teams face challenges such as leadership styles, communication breakdowns, and differing cultural norms regarding timeliness, child-rearing, and conflict resolution. For multicultural teams to succeed, relationships must be prioritized, and all members must be willing to work on building a common understanding. Despite the challenges, the benefits of forming strong, diverse teams are significant, demonstrating God's transforming power in intercultural relations and enriching the home churches of those involved. Conclusion Multicultural teams take time to develop and face more challenges than monocultural ones but offer substantial rewards. By understanding each other's cultural values and practicing biblical principles of mutual edification, these teams can thrive, reflecting the international movement YWAM aims to embody. To read more articles on YWAMs Value and Culture Click Here References Halverson, C. B., & Tirmizi, S. A. (Eds.). (2008). Effective multicultural teams: Theory and practice (Vol. 3). Springer Science & Business Media. Hibbert, E., & Hibbert, R. (2014). Leading multicultural teams. William Carey Library. Kim, J. Y. (2013). Perceptions of working relationships among multicultural team members in international mission agencies: A languacultural analysis. Trinity International University. Silzer, S. T. (2011). Biblical multicultural teams: applying biblical truth to cultural differences. William Carey International University Press.  I am an American who, at the age of 22, flew to the Philippines to become a missionary with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). After serving in Asia for 20 years, I was married to a fellow YWAMer, and we had three children. My family and I then moved to the United States to continue our work with YWAM. Having been born in the Philippines, my wife and children anticipated experiencing culture shock in the U.S., while I braced myself for reverse culture shock. I vividly remember those first few weeks; as a family, we felt isolated and uncared for. We longed for a sense of connection but struggled to find it. What was the root of this feeling?
The YWAM location wasn’t insensitive. They had taken months to help prepare for our arrival. They helped us get a house and spent time cleaning and preparing it. Their efforts were clear. But regardless, there was a disconnect. A couple of months later, it would be my son's birthday. Wanting to connect, we decided to invite all the staff to our house to celebrate. We bought lots of food and looked forward to welcoming everyone in. Everyone arrived on time, and we started talking, but after 30 minutes, people began to file out and left. I remember standing in our house looking at my wife in shock, saying, "Well, I guess that's it!" We felt disconnected and alone. What was missing? One of YWAM's Foundational Values is "Value the Individual." The first sentence reads, "YWAM is called to value each individual.”. How do you do that? What is the practical expression of that value? We missed the cultural application of the value regarding our situation upon our arrival. When you welcome someone to the Philippines, you constantly check in with them. Do they know where to go to get food? How are they feeling? Do they need help with something? By being present, you make them feel welcome and are available to help them with any needs. This way, they feel welcomed in the group. In American culture, you give someone space and time to settle in. The application of valuing the individual means something different in the States than it does in the Philippines. And it is here that we tap into the heart of this article. Our values in YWAM are core to how we live our mission. We talk about them repeatedly, and I am passionate about them. However, I’m concerned that we don't fully understand the cross-cultural dynamics when communicating and applying our values in a multicultural context. How does a person from one culture read and interpret a value and then apply it in a different cultural context? We can assume that there will be times when a person's intent is misunderstood. In Darlene Cunningham’s book, Values Matter, she addresses the Belief Tree teaching, which addresses how our beliefs are the roots embedded into the soil of cultural worldview. Our culture silently disciples us through our assumptions, to which we are often blind. These assumptions we inherently believe to be true and rarely question. I never heard of teaching how much that soil affects our beliefs and then, in turn, the application of our values. I believe it affects those beliefs much more than we teach or realize. For us in YWAM, we need to have a deeper understanding of cultural lenses as we live and work in multicultural communities. How do we see the application of our foundational values through different cultural lenses, such as honor/shame vs. guilt/innocence, individualism vs. collectivism, and power distance? More importantly, how does our brother or sister from a different culture understand how to apply our values? We need to grow in our understanding so we can be more effective in accomplishing what God is calling us to do. We are called to be international. We are called to work in teams. We need to have a deeper understanding of how to work in multicultural teams, but that will only come if we can see beyond our own assumptions buried deep in our worldview. I hope that more of us on our mission will study how to apply our values in multicultural teams and teach them. The more we share these concepts, the more I hope it will build a climate where many others can contribute to the discussion, and we can become more effective. If you want to read more about this, you could start by reading my thesis by clicking here.  After living in the Philippines for more than 15 years, my family and I moved to a different Asian country. And one of the first things I did was study the language. Once while going through my lesson, my teacher would ask me a set of written questions in the local language. In my lesson plan, I had different options to answer the question.
In this one lesson, I was asked in the language, "Do you want to go out to eat?" I replied, "Yes I do." The follow-up question was, "Where do you want to go?" This time I mentioned a local restaurant nearby. Then my teacher asked, "Who will pay?" At this point, I stopped the lesson. I pointed at the lesson and said, "This is not (the language I was studying)." My teacher was shocked. I then followed up. You can not tell me that in this country, you invite someone to eat, ask where they want to go, and then ask, "Who will pay." For those reading this and who have not lived in Asia and find themselves a little lost, let me explain. In many Asian countries, when someone invites you to go out and eat, it is an unspoken expectation the one who is inviting will pay for the meal. My teacher then explained that the reason it was in the lesson was that there were times when her western students invited her to eat which once the bill came, she was expected to pay for herself. She included it in the lesson so if she found herself in that situation she would feel comfortable to ask, "Who would pay." I then made it a point to her that she was not only teaching language, but also culture. Language and culture are very intertwined. We will look at the value of "be international and interdenominational" as it deals with language. But before we get into the value, let us read it over. 8. Be international and interdenominational YWAM is international and interdenominational in its global scope as well as its local constituency. We believe that ethnic, linguistic, and denominational diversity, along with redeemed aspects of culture, are positive factors that contribute to the health and growth of the mission. In YWAM, we aim for more cultural diversity as communicated in our YWAM value "Be international and interdenominational." When living in multicultural teams, language is a challenge. In many of the countries I visited and in Asia, English was often the medium of communication among multicultural teams. When that is the case, westerners adjust quicker and have an advantage over non-English speakers in a multicultural setting. Also, the culture of the group becomes more western. If English continues to be the dominant language in multicultural teams, the tendency will be that western ideas and culture will dominate. If we want more voices to rise from non-western countries, we need to change our approach in conducting our meetings. So how do we address this? I do have a couple of suggestions. 1- Native English speakers should learn the language of the country they live in. If you have an American living in a Spanish-speaking country, he should learn Spanish. This will help the person know the culture and get an understanding of what others are thinking about. 2- More of our meetings could be held in the local language. I have been in Asian countries where leadership meetings were held in English. When this happens, the Asians in the meeting are already at a disadvantage. They spend a lot of time trying to understand what is being said and don't have time to formulate their thoughts on the subject at hand. What if you are in a multicultural team? I would suggest that maybe half of your meetings would be in English and the other half would be in the local language. This is not easy, and there are no easy answers. These are decisions that should be made at a local level. But with that said, I do want to warn you not to focus on just one culture. We are an international mission that celebrates the diversity of culture we find ourselves in. Therefore, while embracing the local cultures we live in, we should be flexible to embrace the cultures of those who are living with us from other nations. If you are a YWAMer, I would love to hear what you think in regards to this. I am sure there are angles I am not seeing. Please feel free to leave a comment or a question. ---------------- In July 2021, I finished my Master's degree at the University of the Nations in Team-based communication. The title of my thesis was "Looking at the Application of Youth With A Mission's Foundational Values Through Different Cultural Lenses." If you like to read it, click here. Blessings. In July, I finished my Master's degree at the University of the Nations in Team-based communication. The title of my thesis was "Looking at the Application of Youth With A Mission's Foundational Values Through Different Cultural Lenses." If you like to read it, click below. Blessings.  I remember when God was calling me into missions. Raising support was something that terrified me. Honestly, I was filled with self-doubt and didn’t feel worthy of support. But everyone who joins YWAM needs to face this, no matter what culture you are from.
Before we start exploring the value "practicing dependence on God in different cultural contexts," let us re-read the value. 16. Practice dependence on God YWAM is called to practice a life of dependence upon God for financial provision. For individuals and for any YWAM team or community, this comes primarily through His people. As God has been generous toward us, so we desire to be generous: giving ourselves, our time, and talents to God with no expectation of remuneration. When we look at the world, there are individualistic cultures and collectivistic cultures. Individualists see themselves apart from others and make decisions accordingly. These are generally considered western cultures. Where collectivists think of themselves as a part of the group and decisions are based on the group. These are typically regarded as non-western cultures. How does the YWAM value “Practice dependence on God” apply to individualists and collectivists? How does God provide for us in YWAM? Traditionally, everyone in YWAM is responsible for raising their personal support, which is more individualistic. Collectives get their needs met from the collective. Currently, the wording of the value would allow collectives to trust God as a collective for their needs to be met. We can see this in the Bible when Jesus and His disciples received support as a collective (Luke 8:3). However, there are times when problems arise. I have met YWAM leaders in collective cultures who are responsible for raising the support for everyone they lead. This becomes a massive burden for the leader but also limits their followers. Additionally, another problem arises. Suppose a person or group in the collective believes God is calling them somewhere else. In that case, they may be persuaded not to leave due to the fear of having no support after leaving. Also, they may not want to become leaders because they do not want to carry the burden of raising support for all of their staff. So how do we address the problem? I lived in Asia for 20 years, and I do have a couple of suggestions. 1- The collective should carry the collective. What do I mean by that? The responsibility should not be all on the leader. The group should be looking out for one another. I am an American, but I am married into a Filipino family. There were times when my brother-in-law needed financial help. He was taking care of my mother-in-law, and his job didn’t pay all that well. My wife and I would give what we could to help them out. Now years later, he is doing much better and is supporting us. The collective should take responsibility for those in the collective. So if some need help, the collective should jump in as a whole, not just the leader. 2- Everyone should invest. I have seen at times when, in a collective setting, there is a staff who joins YWAM because there is a bed and three meals a day. They don’t invest in the collective. They are more of a “taker” rather than a “giver.” This is a discipleship issue that leaders need to address. This value also addresses generosity. We are all called to be generous. This needs to be a part of our discipleship. If you are a YWAMer, I would love to hear what you think in regards to this. I am sure there are angles I am not seeing. Please feel free to leave a comment or a question. ---------------- In July 2021, I finished my Master's degree at the University of the Nations in Team-based communication. The title of my thesis was "Looking at the Application of Youth With A Mission's Foundational Values Through Different Cultural Lenses." If you like to read it, click here. Blessings. |
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