Youth With A Mission is a global movement of over 18,000 full time workers, in 180 countries operating at more than 1,100 locations. Our staff come from many different cultures, all to be apart of what God is doing worldwide! Youth With A Mission or YWAM (pronounced “WHY-WHAM”) was started back in 1960 focused on engaging the youth and getting them involved in missions. Today we still focus on youth but also involve people of every age group. YWAM expresses the love of Christ through three main outlets; mercy ministry, training, and evangelism.
Mercy Ministry
If you believe it, you have to live it. YWAM’s mercy ministry teams follow Jesus’ example of compassion to those in need. We operate relief and development programs in over 100 countries, working among people living in desperate circumstances. Our volunteers serve in areas such as agricultural assistance, the prevention of human trafficking, health care, and micro-enterprise development.
Training
YWAM’s training programs aim to equip Christians to serve others in everything from linguistics to cross-cultural ministry. YWAM’s foundational course, which serves as the prerequisite for all other training programs, is called the Discipleship Training School (DTS). Through our training programs we aim to better equip Christians to grow in their relationship with God and to serve others in everything from agriculture and health care, to business development and biblical counseling.
Evangelism
Christ’s love inspires us to use many creative means to make His gospel understood to any audience. We believe everyone has the right to hear the good news about Jesus and our hope is to see fellowships of believers worshipping and following Jesus in every nation, tribe and tongue.
YWAM Foundational Values
The Foundational Values of Youth With A Mission are the expression of our basic beliefs, as well as specific directives given by God since YWAM’s beginning in 1960. These shared beliefs and values are the guiding principles for our missions organization. While some are common to all Christians everywhere; others are distinctive to Youth With A Mission.
1. Know God
YWAM is committed to know God, His nature, His character and His ways. We seek to reflect who He is in every aspect of our lives and ministry. The automatic overflow of knowing and enjoying fellowship with God is a desire to share Him with others.
2. Make God Known
YWAM is called to make God known throughout the whole world, and into every arena of society through evangelism, training and mercy ministries. We believe that salvation of souls should result in transformation of societies thus obeying Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations.
3. Hear God’s Voice
YWAM is committed to creating with God through listening to Him, praying His prayers and obeying His commands in matters great and small. We are dependent upon hearing His voice as individuals, together in team contexts and in larger corporate gatherings, as an integral part of our process for decision making.
4. Practice Worship and Intercessory Prayer
YWAM is dedicated to worship Jesus and engage in intercessory prayer as integral aspects of daily life. We also recognize the intent of Satan to destroy the work of God and we call upon God’s power and the Holy Spirit to overcome his strategies in the lives of individuals and in the affairs of nations.
5. Be Visionary
YWAM is called to be visionary, continually receiving, nurturing and releasing fresh vision from God. We support the pioneering of new ministries and methods, always willing to be radical in order to be relevant to every generation, people group, and sphere of society. We believe that the apostolic call of YWAM requires the integration of spiritual eldership, freedom in the Spirit and relationship, centered on the Word of God.
6. Champion Young people
YWAM is called to champion youth. We believe God has gifted and called young people to spearhead vision and ministry. We are committed to value, trust, train, support, make space and release them. They are not only the Church of the future; they are the Church of today. We commit to follow where they lead, in the will of God.
7. Be Broad-Structured and Decentralized
YWAM is broad-structured and diverse, yet integrated. We are a global family of ministries held together by shared purpose, vision, values and relationship. We believe that structures should serve the people and the purposes of God. Every ministry at every level has the privilege and responsibility of accountability to a circle of elders, with overall international accountability to the YWAM Global Leadership Team.
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.
9. Have a Biblical Wordview
YWAM is called to a Biblical worldview. We believe that the Bible makes a clear division between good and evil; right and wrong. The practical dimensions of life are no less spiritual than the ministry expressions. Everything done in obedience to God is spiritual. We seek to honor God with all that we do, equipping and mobilizing men and women of God to take roles of service and influence in every arena of society.
10. Function in Teams
YWAM is called to function in teams in all aspects of ministry and leadership. We believe that a combination of complementary gifts, callings, perspectives, ministries and generations working together in unity at all levels of our Mission provides wisdom and safety. Seeking God’s will and making decisions in a team context allows accountability and contributes to greater relationship, motivation, responsibility and ownership of the vision.
11. Exhibit Servant Leadership
YWAM is called to servant leadership as a lifestyle, rather than a leadership hierarchy. A servant leader is one who honors the gifts and callings of those under his/her care and guards their rights and privileges. Just as Jesus served His disciples, we stress the importance of those with leadership responsibilities serving those whom they lead.
12. Do First, Then Teach
YWAM is committed to doing first, then teaching. We believe that firsthand experience gives authority to our words . Godly character and a call from God are more important than an individuals gifts, abilities and expertise.
13. Be Relationship-Oriented
YWAM is dedicated to being relationship-oriented in our living and working together. We desire to be united through lives of holiness, mutual support, transparency, humility, and open communication, rather than a dependence on structures or rules.
14. Value the Individual
YWAM is called to value each individual. We believe in equal opportunity and justice for all. Created in the image of God, people of all nationalities, ages and functions have distinctive contributions and callings. We are committed to honoring God-given leadership and ministry gifts in both men and women.
15. Value Families
YWAM affirms the importance of families serving God together in missions, not just the father and/or mother. We encourage the development of strong and healthy family units, with each member sharing the call to missions and contributing their gifts in unique and complementary ways.
16. Practice Dependence on God for Finances
YWAM is called to practice a life of dependence upon God for financial provision. For individuals and YWAM corporately this comes primarily through His people. As God and others have been generous towards us, so we desire to be generous. YWAMers give themselves, their time and talents to God through the mission with no expectations of remuneration.
17. Practice Hospitality
YWAM affirms the ministry of hospitality as an expression of God’s character and the value of people. We believe it is important to open our hearts, homes, campuses and bases to serve and honor one another, our guests and the poor and needy, not as acts of social protocol, but as expressions of generosity.
18. Communicate With Integrity
YWAM affirms that everything exists because God communicates. Therefore, YWAM is committed to truthful, accurate, timely and relevant communication. We believe good communication is essential for strong relationships, healthy families and communities, and effective ministry.
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