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BY Howard Norton AND Thurman Mason

,t^

COALLeK

CONDENSED FROM NATIONAL COURIER

its members from many denom inations, and the only qualifica tion for membership is a love for Christ and an urge to spread the
These

gospel. Each worker supports

himself, wherever he is in the

worldwide network of YWAM

Jesus People

are growing

and going
^.. /'. m
msus

bases. And nobody goes hungry. They trust the Lord to provide for their needs while they are doing his work, and the record shows that He does provide. Cunningham has a full-time staff of about 1,000 to help give
guidance to additional thou
sands of volunteers aU over the

world. Now living in the Hawai

ian seaside town of Kailua-Kona,

where he is putting together a new base of operations for the Pacific area, Cunningham ad mits that "it's hard for us to keep
track of it all."

Evangelism is the mission of the movement, and evangelists

worldwide network of training

must be trained to be effective. That led to the creation of a

schools where, for a tuition fee in

RUEFUL adults have long pon dered why "youth is wasted on the young," but that lament
doesn't fit a 16-year-young

the neighborhood of $150 to $200 a month, they are taught the basics of Christian living, the art of spreading the gospel, and the elements of leadership. They also study languages. Courses last

group called Youth With A Mis

sion. Founded by Loren Cun

from eight to 14 months. In addition, the schools offer a

ningham when he was still in his

for the Prince of Peace.

20s, this international youth movement is evangelizing in 50 countries as a sort of peace corps
Youth With A Mission draws
Copyright 1976 Logos Fellowship International, 201 Church, Plainfield, N.j. Used by permission

from September 17, 1976, issue.

broad range of vocational sub jects, such as construction, auto maintenance, paramedics, and sewing. The aim is to make these young people self-reliant in the more primitive areas of the world. As Cunningham puts it, "When they get out there in a jeep, and something happens.
39

we want them to know what to

do."

from Finland to North Africa,

of chain of schools in America."

Preparation has priority at YWAM. "We are establishing schools a day's drive apart," he says. "We have already reached that goal in Europe, all the way

few young people and send them out to help in various mis sion fields during their vaca tions. After their original sum
mer mission, some of the stu
dents returned to fields where

and we are getting close to our goal of setting up the same kind
The YWAM occupies a 16thcentury castle in Bavaria, an old hospital in Holland, a hotel in
Switzerland, and what used to

there was no missionary. YWAM gave them help, and

thus became involved in the
area.

Later YWAM got into the work of inspiring missionary vision in

what used to be an orphans'

home.

Denmark. In Scotland, the movement has set up base in

In the Hawaiian Islands, Cun

be a girl's boarding school in

ningham says he hopes to have

soon a hotel as the central base

Islands and Asia.

and a passenger ship capable of transporting 800 to 1,000 mem bers to assignments in the Pacific
YWAM is "an association of

fellowship," not a structured or ganization, according to Jim

Dawson, who bears the title di

rector of personnel. Each of its units incorporates and carries on its functions independently.
conceived the idea of YWAM he

churches. As the churches came

When Cunningham originally

There is no formal statement of faith in the YWAM movement.

alive and began to grow, they became sending churches.

for the Assemblies of God in

was director of youth ministries

Southern California. His job in volved setting up summer out reach programs for his church, and he caught the vision of an
interdenominational outreach.

Christians with a desire to

"As long as they are fundamen tal, born-again, Bible-believing

brothers and sisters," said Dawson.

spread the gospel, they're our

The first plan was to recruit a

40

of Youth With A Mission is to

The first step in becoming part

undergo training at either a Dis-

cipleship Training School or a School of Evangelism. Programs

at the DTS are designed to teach
the basic fundamentals of Chris

the other hand, no one flunks

out due to poor grades. There are times of worship,

tianity to young Christians. At the School of Evangelism,

teaching, and Bible study set aside every day. For 11 months,
students at the evangelism
school are trained to become ef
fective witnesses.

the plan calls for a more inten sive 11-month program concen trating on personal discipleship
and spiritual maturity. The first School of Evangelism
in the United States was started

"We want to teach people to

know God, to know what the

Scriptures say about iiim. Who

He really is," says Steve Hulst, a
Hammonton staffer. He points

YWAM OCCUPIES
A 16TH-CENTURY CASTLE IN

out that, according to the Bible,

life eternal is "to know the only
true God, and Jesus Christ

whom tie has sent."

BAVARIA, AN OLD
HOSPITAL IN

After basic training, there is a wide variety of ways students

can fulfill the Great Commission.

HOLLAND,
A HOTEL IN

Some go on to seek ordination, while others may find full-time staff positions with YWAM.
Some return to work in secular
areas.

SWITZERLAND, AND A GIRL'S

BOARDING SCHOOL IN DENMARK.
seven years ago in Hammonton, N.J. A local church donated nine
acres of wooded land, and with

Last year more than 80 percent of those who completed the evangelism training program found full-time positions with
YWAM.

For students like John Marsi

and his wife Linda, having a knowledge of the Lord means being willing and able to share
liim with others.

in two years volunteers had completed the first of several beautiful Swiss-style buildings
that house the students.

The term "school" may be mis

"We're learning to let God de velop us," says John. After 10 months at the school they quickly admit the most impor tant thing they've learned is "to
be obedient to the Lord."

leading. YWAM schools appear

to be a cross between Bible col

leges and communes. Although

you'D have to pay tuition to at tend one, you won't receive a

The presence and peace of the

Lord at YWAM greatly im pressed the Marsis, and that's what they'll take along on their ^

degree when you graduate. On

own mission. \^
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