School of Apostolic Pioneering
Equip students and staff with the skills, knowledge, and character required to pioneer new ministries and bases that are reproducing and effectively reaching the lost.
History has shown that the expansion of God’s kingdom has been accomplished though discipleship and multiplication, as outlined in the Great Commission. YWAM’s role in this has been to establish new bases and ministries throughout the world that do evangelism, training and mercy ministries. The idea behind SOAP (The School of Apostolic Pioneering) is to equip students to successfully pioneer new YWAM bases and ministries that are both self-sustainable and reproducible. It is an intensely practical twelve-week course that will encourage each participant to pursue the apostolic call that God has given them.
SOAP is for those with the heart of a pioneer and the perseverance and tenacity to face the challenges of starting a new ministry that’s relevant in today’s world. With instruction from experienced pioneers of missions worldwide, both veterans of YWAM and those who have recently finished their DTS can improve their skills, their focus, and their visions. A Base or ministry leader will be able to multiply their work by encouraging their staff to do the SOAP with the intention starting the work in a new location. In SOAP, each student will formulate and refine an in-depth pro-posal to start a new ministry. Upon completion, they’ll set out to implement their project with the wisdom of those who have gone before. Graduates will receive 12 credits through the University of the Nations.
SOAP Philosophy of Learning
SOAP focuses on learning together and from one another, and everyone is encour-aged to participate, contribute, and question. There will be lectures from experi-enced pioneers and group discussions as well as alternative learning methods such as pilgrimages, individual and group presentations, creative testing, local outreaches, and practical assignments such as forming a personal network of supporters and do-ing research on an omega zone (geo-political region). Students are challenged to take ownership of the concepts by putting them into practice in meaningful ways.
SOAP Values
These are the values permeating every aspect of SOAP, from what we teach to how we live our lives.
Hear the Word of the Lord and Obey It. One of YWAM’s Foundational Values says that we are committed to hearing the voice of the Lord whether it is for defining our vision, praying for a people group, or making a financial decision in the budget.
Be Intentional, clear, and directional with what we are achieving in our lives and ministries in response to the Word of the Lord. We should always be able to identify our vision and how it will help complete the Great Commission. This involves a lifelong commitment to recognizing and developing our particular talents and skills, implementing positive habits and disciplines, building our character, and planning. It means being strategic and deliberate about expand-ing God’s Kingdom.
Be Visionary. SOAP attempts to foster a surge of new YWAM bases and minis-tries through a ‘born pregnant’ mentality—the founding of every new ministry must have the goal of planting another base within five years. Rather than merely adding new ministries, our strategy will multiply the number of minis-tries.
Exhibit Servant Leadership, Function in Teams, and Do First, then Teach are the other values that will be particularly emphasized.
SOAP Curriculum
Some of the topics that will be covered include: Attributes of a Base Leader and Leadership Structures, Church Planting Movements, Understanding the Apostolic $ the Strategic, Recruiting and Fundraising, Faith in Finances, Dealing with Legal, Financial and Administrative Matters, Understanding, Surviving $ Thriving within a YWAM Base, 4K, Developing your Base's Specific Values, Principles of Pioneering, YWAM's calling and anointing, Urban Missions, Strength Finders, Research $ Preparation, Living by Faith, Business as Mission, and Cross Cultural Communication.
Many weeks throughout the SOAP we have visiting speakers who have themselves pioneered ministries all over the world. Just a few that we have had over the last couple years are Fred Markert (founder of Strategic Frontiers and several YWAM ministries throughout the world), Darlene Cunningham (co-founder of YWAM), Sam Dharam (pioneer of many bases and ministries of YWAM India), Aldrin Bogi (founder of Sixteen28 Ministries in Bangalore), and Dave Stone (founder of First Rate Corporation).
SOAP Assignments
There are weekly assignments that will emphasize the practical skills and knowledge required to pioneer a new ministry. Forming and fulfilling goals, making budgets, maintaining communication with a network of supporters and workers, and re-searching the needs of communities, will all be covered. Students will also form a ministry strategy for gathering a team, maintaining assets, doing promotional work for their new YWAM base or ministry, and supporting their workers. These assignments will be integrated in the final project. Reading and doing reports on books about leadership and pioneering principles will also be required.
In one weekly assignment, called a ‘Sphere’s Lab,’ students will research one of the seven spheres of society in the location they intend to pioneer. For example, if they want to start an education ministry for children at risk in Jaipur, they can conduct online research, interview experts in the field, or conduct an in-depth study of a similar organization. The student will answer the questions: Why is education the way it is in Jaipur? How is this NGO making a difference with these street children? How would I improve upon this if I was to start a ministry for children at risk in Jaipur?
Pioneering week
This is slightly different for each SOAP school. We have gone out and pioneered one week ministries, started Satsungs or contextualized house fellowships (India), done a research internship with a mercy, cp, or training ministry for a week, and had pioneering faith weeks in which the student is required to pioneer a one week ministry.
SOAP Final Project and Outreach
The final project is the students’ opportunity to use everything that they’ve learned in SOAP to form a successful plan to pioneer a new ministry. The lectures, assign-ments, and ongoing dialogue between students, staff, guests, and visiting speakers inform and prepare students for the final project. It will define students’ calling and vision, and then clarify how these will move them forward in practical steps to pioneer a new mission. Upon completion of SOAP, students will be encouraged to ac-tually implement their final projects into new bases and ministries throughout the world.
Our mission is to equip students with the skills, knowledge and character that will aid in fulfilling their apostolic calling. Through teaching and instruction, personal research, hands-on projects, book reports, discussions, tests, assignments, relationship building and networking, and local outreach they will be better prepared to deal with the real world situations that they’ll soon face as the start new YWAM bases and ministries worldwide.
