What is YWAM

   It began in 1960 with an ordinary young man and an extraordinary vision. Loren Cunningham described it as a waking dream.  Helping the lonely and the hungry. Caring for people everywhere they went... That God-given vision has become a reality. Loren started Youth With A Mission in 1960. Since then thousands have been involved world-wide in fulfilling Christ's commandment to, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation." (Mark 16:15)

YWAM is People

    We are all ages - young people, families and retired persons are working with YWAM. We come from many ethnic, educational, denominational backgrounds. We love Jesus and thank God for allowing us to play our part in helping to fulfill the Great Commission. Each year 100,000 are involved in short-term work while over 16,000 of us work as permanent staff in more than 1,100 operating locations in 171 nations.

    No one in Youth With A Mission receives a salary, so each of us - from the newest volunteer to the International President - is responsible for his or her own needs. Some staff receive regular support from a home church, friends, and family, and others rely on God's provisions through different ways.

Three-Fold Ministry

    

    There are three main ways we are involved in the goal of taking the Gospel to all the world:

    * Evangelism - spreading God's message

    * Training - preparing workers to reach others, like DTS ( Discipleship Training School)

    * Mercy Ministries - showing God's love through practical assistance

    These three ministries are being carried out in many different ways by the basic unit of YWAM - teams, which can be small or large, mobile or localized, made up of short-term volunteers or long-term staff. Each of these teams is committed to a specific goal of evangelism, training or mercy ministry, working in cooperation with local churches and sister organizations.