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. We ask all Staff to refresh themselves regularly on what it means to be a YWAMer. Staff are expected to not only know what YWAM is about, but also to live it. Staff are expected to invest in their personal relationship with God through daily habits such as prayer, Bible reading/study, and worship.
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.
4. Pay, Benefits, Insurance, & Pension
Staff receive no pay from YWAM Sendai and must take full responsibility of all YWAM fees, ministry and outreach expenses, language learning expenses, training 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. It is vital to communicate regularly to supporters and churches, both for prayer and 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 obligated to enroll in and make required payments into both the Japanese National Health Insurance and the National Pension system.
5. Staff Contributions
Each staff member is expected to make a monthly contribution of ¥6,000 to YWAM Sendai in order to help cover corporate expenses.
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. Staff are encouraged to take 1 full day off per week. 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 for families with small children: 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 Leadership.
8. Core Meetings
Staff must make a commitment to wholeheardedly attend all scheduled core meetings. Scheduled meetings are variable and can change at short notice.
Note for families with small children: 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. Japanese Language & Culture
In order to make God known to the Japanese, and to become a Japanese-English bilingual community, all non-Japanese speaking Staff are expected to develop a passion to learn the Japanese language and culture, 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, social groups) and to consume Japan-native media. 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. The goal is fluency. It is expected that Staff will take a Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT, the national standard of proficiency testing) annually until N2 is passed.
For all new non-Japanese speaking staff, up to 16 hours of the ministry time (50%) can be spent studying the Japanese language for the first 2 years in Japan (outside of DTS season, currently). After this, up to 8 hours of the ministry time (25%) can be used to study the language until JLPT N2 is passed. Any other language study should be done outside of work hours.
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, not to default to English.
10. 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).
11. 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 |
|---|---|
| Public Holidays | Staff can usually expect to have Japanese public holidays off (around 16 each year). When this is not the case, alternative days will be decided upon. |
| Annual Leave (Holiday Entitlement) | Staff can expect 20 days off per year. We encourage taking at least 1 full week at a time for deeper rest. This does not roll over into the next year if not taken. |
| Fundraising (Furlough) Leave | Staff are encouraged to visit their support network 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 up to 3 weeks per year for this (this can roll over into up to 4 years for a max of 12 weeks every 4 years). |
| 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). |
| 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. |
| Sabbatical (Long) Leave | After serving for 5 years, staff can request to take up to 3 months for sabbatical to pursue a passion, for spiritual renewal, or to get needed rest. This should be planned at least 6 months in advance. |
| Miscellaneous Leave | All other forms of leave that may not fit in the above list are classified as miscellaneous leave. |
12. Training
Staff are required to complete a YWAM Discipleship Training School (DTS) prior to applying to join as Staff, at their own expense.
Further training is also encouraged, but not necessary; especially the YWAM Discipleship Bible School (DBS) or School of Frontier Missions (SOFM). Time off can be given for such training.
13. 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.
14. 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 Leadership.
If the grievance is not resolved to their satisfaction, or if the grievance relates to the YWAM Sendai Leadership, they should contact the YWAM Japan Area Circle Team.
15. 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.
16. Local Church
All Staff are expected to 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 felt led. Regardless of how this looks, we desire to love, serve, and be an encouragement to God's people here in Sendai.