Staffing Agreement
This agreement lists the terms and conditions ("particulars") of all full-time Staff (simply referred to as 'Staff' throughout this statement) serving with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) Sendai.
1. Who This Agreement Applies To, and From When They Are Valid
This Agreement applies to all Staff serving with YWAM Sendai from the day they start attending a scheduled meeting or event.
2. YWAM DNA
It is necessary to have completed a YWAM DTS in order be a YWAM Staff anywhere in the world. This is where the YWAM DNA is imparted. As a DTS graduate and a YWAM Staff, it is important to make a commitment to the YWAM Purpose, Beliefs & Values and the Legacy Words & Covenants. This is what we consider to be the YWAM DNA. Staff are expected to not only know what YWAM is about, but also to live it. We ask all Staff to refresh themselves regularly on what it means to be a YWAMer.
3. YWAM Sendai Vision
Staff are expected to fully embrace YWAM Sendai's Vision to become a mission hub for the whole Tohoku region. We feel that God has called YWAM Sendai to become a healthy and vibrant YWAM / UofN training centre, established specifically in order to multiply ministries throughout Sendai city and the whole Tohoku region. We want to see Japanese or Japanese-English training schools designed to equip people to reach the Japanese people specifically, and giving them practical experience in reaching the Japanese in Sendai through various ministries. The cornerstone school we are establishing is the DTS. Once this is established, we desire to run secondary schools to better equip people, including the Japanese. As we are a pioneering team, we expect all Sendai YWAMers to be an active part of establishing our DTS. Once we grow in number as a Staff team, this expectation will be removed and Circles will be established that focus on specific ministries or schools.
4. Pay, Benefits, Insurance, & Pension
Staff receive no pay from YWAM Sendai and must take full responsibility of all YWAM fees, ministry expenses, state obligations, and personal expenses incurred during their service with YWAM Sendai. Staff are expected to raise a minimum amount of financial support, as discussed with YWAM Sendai Onboarding prior to them joining as Staff. There is also a need for ongoing fundraising to maintain, or even increase, this support. This is due to a combination of rising living expenses here, as well as any decrease in financial support over time. It is vital to communicate regularly to supporters and churches, both for prayer support and for financial support.
Staff are also not entitled to any benefits, including housing.
Staff are not enrolled into any health insurance or pension in connection with their service with YWAM Sendai. As residents of Japan, Staff are obliged to enroll in and make required payments into both the Japanese National Health Insurance and the National Pension system.
5. Staff Contributions
As each Staff member is financially supported in order to live in Japan, Staff needs are met. Though this is the case, YWAM Sendai itself has expenses that are not met because YWAM Sendai does not have its own regular income. In order to meet these needs, each Staff member is expected to pay a monthly contribution of ¥6,000.
The following are ways in which this money may be used:
- At least ¥1,000 goes to the YWAM Japan National Office
- Fund to purchase and maintain a building (for office, meetings, cafe, school lectures, public worship etc.)
- Emergency fund (disaster relief etc.)
- Ministry events
- Admin costs (printing, website, office supplies etc.)
- Purchasing shared assets (computer, projector, instruments, vehicle etc.)
- Community meeting supplies (coffee, snacks etc.)
- Fund to purchase and maintain a vehicle
- Hospitality (hosting guests, volunteers & teams)
- Donate to local churches and ministries
- Rent and utilities of YWAM facilities
Staff have the right to ask specific questions regarding the how the Staff Contribution, and YWAM Sendai's funds, are used.
6. Place of Work
The City of Sendai is the primary place of work for our Staff. There is a combination of working from home, other Staff's homes, churches, public places, and any other properties/facilities YWAM Sendai uses for work. Sometimes traveling out of city (including overseas) will be necessary.
7. Working Hours
Staff are expected to work for 40 hours per week, with these hours spread throughout the whole week, including weekends. At least one full day off per week can be expected. Work hours are expected to be divided between the necessary functioning of YWAM Sendai, and for ministry, as shown in the following table:
| Category | Hours per Week | Description |
|---|---|---|
| YWAM Sendai Functioning | 8 hours (20% of time) | All scheduled core meetings, role-related administrative work, etc. |
| Ministry | 32 hours (80% of time) | DTS/other UofN school, Kokubuncho (red-light district) ministry, Kokoro Kitchen, park/sports ministry, homeless ministry, meeting Japanese people, evangelism, discipleship, prayer walking, event prep, etc. |
Note on language study: For all new non-Japanese speaking staff, it is encouraged that most of the ministry time be spent studying the Japanese language for the first two years in Japan (outside of DTS season, currently). After the first two years, staff can use up to 8 hours of ministry time to study the language (leaving at least 24 hours for ministry). Any other language study should be done outside of work hours.
Note for families with small children: In general, it is expected that the parents of small children will share the above work hours between them. Of course, each family will have different needs so this can be discussed with a Staffing Steward.
8. Core Meetings
Staff must make a commitment to wholeheardedly attend all scheduled core meetings. Regardless of which Circles a Staff is part of, all Staff are expected to at least attend a General Staff meeting, worship, and intercession time on a weekly basis. Scheduled meetings are variable and can change at short notice.
Note for families with small children: We value doing ministry as a family! If a parent feels able, children are welcome at all of our core meetings, but we realise that each family and child is different. We ask that at least one parent attend each of the scheduled core meetings, and that each parent try to alternate when possible. This is so that one of the parents doesn't become disconnected from our community.
9. Leave (Time Off)
If any Staff need to be absent from scheduled events or meetings for any reason, they must inform the relevant leader as soon as possible. When to take scheduled time off should be discussed with any direct ministry leader over their role(s), as well as Staffing Stewards.
| Leave Type | Defined |
|---|---|
| Annual Leave (Holiday Entitlement) | Staff are encouraged to take 3 weeks off per year (this does not roll over into the next year if not taken). |
| National Holidays | Staff can usually expect to have Japanese national holidays off (around 16 each year). When this is not the case, alternative days will be decided upon. |
| Fundraising Leave | Staff are encouraged to travel to visit their sending church and supporters periodically in order to update them on their service with YWAM Sendai, as well as to maintain their financial support. Staff are encouraged to take 2 weeks per year for this (this can roll over into the next year, and be combined with annual leave to extend it). |
| Commpassionate (Bereavement) Leave | Staff can request leave to accommodate the loss of a family member (or other emergencies/life changes). |
| Maternity (Parental) Leave | Staff can request leave when their family has a newborn child (either before or after the birth, or both). |
| Sabbatical (Long) Leave | Staff can request take time off to pursue a passion, volunteer, partake in some kind of project, or to get needed rest. |
| Sick Leave | Staff can request leave that is taken when a they fall ill, whether for a day, weeks, or months depending on the severity of the illness. If longer than 3 days, Staff will be requested to visit a doctor. |
| Miscellaneous Leave | All other forms of leave that may not fit in the above list are classified as miscellaneous leave. |
10. Training
Staff are required to complete a YWAM Discipleship Training School (DTS) prior to applying to join as Staff, at their own expense.
Staff are required to also learn the Japanese language up to at least Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT, the national standard of proficiency testing) level N2 comprehension while serving with YWAM Sendai, at their own expense. A portion of work hours can be allocated for this depending on how long the Staff has been in Japan. This can be discussed with Staffing Stewards.
Further training is also encouraged, but not necessary; especially the YWAM School of Frontier Missions (SOFM) or School of Biblical Studies (SBS). Time off can be given for such training.
11. YWAM Sendai, Japan & Global Gatherings
Staff are expected make it a priority to attend YWAM gatherings. This includes YWAM Sendai Staff retreats (annually), YWAM Japan gatherings (annually, besides YWAM Together years), YWAM global gatherings (such as YWAM Together - around every 4 years), and ministry focused gatherings (such as DTS Workshops).
12. Notice Period
The notice a Staff member must give to end their service with YWAM Sendai is usually at least 4 weeks.
We may end any Staff member's service at any time by also giving at least 4 weeks notice.
13. Grievances
If any Staff member wishes to raise a grievance, they should put it in writing to Staffing Stewards. If the grievance relates to Staffing Stewards, the grievance can be brought in writing to the YWAM Sendai Board Circle.
If the grievance is not resolved to their satisfaction, or if the grievance relates to the YWAM Sendai Board Circle, they should contact the YWAM Japan Area Circle Team.
14. Communication
Staff are expected to communicate well both in person and online. As our Staff team is made up of those from different cultures and languages, over-communication, rather than under-communication, is important. Staff are expected to be active and attentive to all communication done over Discord, not simply to wait until a scheduled in-person meeting.
15. Japanese Language & Culture
In order to make God known to the Japanese, and to become a Japanese-English bilingual community, Staff are expected to develop a passion to learn Japanese culture and language, and to keep learning even when it gets tough.
Right from the beginning, it is expected that Staff will pursue opportunities to be immersed in Japanese-only settings (e.g. church). Learning this language requires discipline and good strategy. We encourage each Staff member to set achievable goals in language study and to stick to a study schedule. We are in this together, so we ask everyone to keep each other accountable. As we want to be a bilingual YWAM community with Japanese as our common language, we challenge each Staff to speak in Japanese together.
16. Local Church
Though Staff worship together regularly, we expect that all Staff be an active part of a local expression of Church. This could be an established church or a house church, or Staff could start their own church if feel led in that direction. Regardless of how this looks, we desire to love, serve, and be an encouragement to God's people here in Sendai.