Determining calling has never been easy. Making the step into occupational ministry can feel both exhilarating and overwhelming at the same time. The simple process that Young Life Military has adopted to help others discern one of the most significant decisions of their life is proving to yield incredible results.
Young Life Military has a discernment process that helps prospective candidates for field ministry talk with God and self-discover if this ministry is where God is leading them. Field Operations Director, Robert Raedeke, says, “The secret sauce is not in the weekend event we host, it is the 4-6 week process candidates go through leading up to the weekend. By the time Discernment Weekend happens, they are 85-90% sure they are being led to Young Life Military.” The 4-6 weeks prior to Discernment Weekend candidates will
Complete an application
Submit their resumé
Complete a questionnaire
Turn in a 3-minute video
Zoom interview with the Young Life Military Recruiting Team
If they have continued through the process up to this point, they will have a Zoom call with a Field Director. If they are invited to Discernment Weekend, the invite occurs on the Field Director Zoom.
Throughout the process, Robert points out that the ball is in the candidate’s court as they determine if they want to continue to pursue ministry with Young Life Military. He says, “We don’t rush the process and don’t miss steps as they are all crucial to the candidate discerning if they are called to this ministry.”
Prior to attending Discernment Weekend we have the candidate watch a series of four pre-recorded videos, each with five questions that they are to bring their answers to Discernment Weekend. This allows for the weekend to not be so much us talking to them, but a group conversation and time for them to share so we get to know them better. During the weekend candidates share their life story. The whole weekend is an extended interview as well as a time for them to ask questions and get answers. It is time for our team to interact with them over meals and meetings.
After the weekend we give them time to reflect and three days later call to follow up.
At the weekend they will have been given a budget and fundraising packet and this follow-up call is a time to find out what they are thinking. If we decided to move forward we then go through the budget line-by-line, through the Faith & Conduct policy and we send an official offer letter.
We have found this process and the weekend is an optimal way to get to know candidates and for God to lead the process of helping them discern if Young Life Military is the right fit for them.
Written by Kristina McCloskey
**If you are interested in learning more about our discernment process /resources/ schedules and how you can adapt it to your context please reach out to Kristina McCloskey, kmccloskey@clubbeyond.org