YWAM VA

YWAM Int'l Prayer Day - Novermber 2008

2008-10-30T13:15:00.001-04:00

November Prayer Focus: Value Communications

Words have infinite value and meaning. What we say and how we say it
matters because it is a reflection of God. In this day and age, we are
all communicators. Every blog that we post and every phone call that we
make is an expression of our relationship with God. This month, Tom
Hallas reveals why communication is a gift from God, and how that gift
is so easily squandered or manipulated when we don’t ask God what He
wants us to say or what our message should be. God’s ultimate message
in Jesus Christ is reconciliation. Does our communication reflect that
message, or does it carry the baggage of judgmentalism or elitism? What
we say and how we say it has eternal consequences; how we represent God
and His work through YWAM is significant. God continues to heal our
nervous system, and we help or hinder that healing by how we
communicate to each other and to the world.

Please find suggested prayer points listed at the end of Tom Hallas’s
teaching. The Leader’s Guide will offer further insights on how to
prepare for the Thursday, November 6 prayer day. (Please note: Due to
the Thursday, January 1 holiday, the first prayer day of 2009 will take
place on the second Thursday of January, which is Thursday, January 8,
2009. We will resume praying every first Thursday of the month in
February.)

Please click here to view Alejandro Rodriguez’s teaching on communication:

http://ywamcommunication.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=115&Itemid=116&lang=en

Please click here to view Tom Hallas’s podcast on communication: http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=81s4j3akvsc

November Prayer Letter by Tom Hallas

Some months ago, when the whole family was gathered to celebrate my
father-in-law’s birthday, I typed his name into Google and pressed
‘search’. To everyone’s surprise, Google found a record of a project
that he had undertaken to transport an aircraft from a remote area of
Australia, have it restored, and then placed as a museum piece at an
airport in Tasmania.

Why is this significant? It was something he did forty years ago… and
no one in the family knew anything about it! He had long forgotten
about the project, even though it was significant at the time. But
Google is like the elephant that does not forget!

Google your own name – you may be surprised.

For many years we, as YWAM, were accused of being the best-kept
secret. Well, no more. We now need to embrace a new level of
responsibility for our open, public and transparent communication in
this diverse and pluralistic world. Because we are international in
our speech and universal in our embrace of all human beings, I believe
that new levels of the fear of the Lord should be governing what we say
about God’s world and how we represent each other as YWAMers. When I
use the term “the fear of the Lord” in this context, I think of it as a
reverential respect for God’s opinions, for His feelings, and for His
desires.

If we allow the Holy Spirit to unfold the feelings and desires of the
Trinity into our communication content, then we have no reason to be
fearful or cautious about what we have to say about the world to the
world, or about each other to the world.

May the Spirit lead us in this time of prayer and teach us,
establishing us as God’s mouthpieces to the multitudes who are looking
for the way home to the Father, but who do not know where to go.

With blessings,
Tom Hallas
YWAM Field Director, Asia and the Pacific
Team3 Plus

November Teaching by Tom Hallas

Some years ago, during a GLT meeting in Harpenden, England, a guest
speaker named Michael Schluter, said the following: “If the Father, Son
and the Holy Spirit have lived in an unbroken relationship of mutual
love and respect from eternity past, and that was the reality out of
which the whole universe has come into being, then the foundation of
all reality is relational, and if we do not live relationally then we
are moving against reality.” A guest presenter at another of Michael’s
seminars I attended recently spoke about “relational theology” – a way
of thinking about God which starts with God’s revelation of Himself and
His communication about Himself in Jesus Christ.

The idea of God’s communication about Himself through Jesus has been
informing my mind and my conversations since that time. Hebrews 1:1-2
comes to mind immediately: “In the past God spoke to us in different
ways through the prophets, but recently He spoke to us directly through
His son” (my own rendering of a number of versions).

In Jesus, God has spoken to us in His most eloquent, comprehensive and
clearly-understood way. In John 12:49-50, Jesus spoke of this
experience using the following words, which I take from ‘The Message’:
“I’m not making any of this up on my own. The Father who sent Me gave
Me orders, told Me what to say and how to say it…”

There it is! The essentials of communication – what to say and how to
say it! Here the Godhead is revealing something profound that is at the
base of all communication…. communication is for the hearer. Father,
Son and Holy Spirit did not have to do anything outside of themselves
to be eternally satisfied – they were complete in themselves. We were
created out of the overflow of extravagant love and the universe was
designed as our place of discovery.

Why was this? So that we could be genuine participants in that eternal
relationship through our “adoption as sons” (Ephesians 1:5 NIV).

The precise message that Jesus communicates about God is this – God is
a Father, was always a Father, and He has created us to be genuine sons
just as Jesus is – that is, joint-heirs with Jesus.

Jesus must define for us what it is that we have to say about anything.
Through Him all things come into existence.

A comment made by William P. Young is his book, “The Shack”, should be
the guiding principle in everything uttered: it’s not “what would Jesus
say but what will Jesus say” through me.

During this time of prayer, we are seeking God to help us develop
communication methods, systems and values that will correctly inform
and guide us in the content and processes of our communication.

I believe that a major part of what we, as individuals and as a
mission, are looking for is already contained in what God has revealed
to us in Jesus:

..        We exist because of Him;

..        He came because of the Father’s love for us;

..        He came as a human being; He fully entered into our condition as a Son of Man or

          Son of Adam – in our fallen humanity;

..        He became our substitute in facing the consequences of our fallen state;

..        He rose to speak on our behalf at the right hand of God.

When we formally communicate about a person, people groups or nations,
do we represent the subject matter so that our hearers, particularly
those who are the subjects, feel that we have understood them as they
really are? God in Christ became a human being forever. What amazing
identification, extravagant love.   Do we communicate Him like that?

Dr. Gregory Boyd in his book “Repenting of Religion” says that the “New
Testament leaves the people of God with two basic life commands that
should govern our behavior,” and I think these are values that should
always be the basis of our communication: “we should be motivated by
extravagant love and be free from a judgmental spirit.”

If God in Christ reconciled the world to Himself, not holding our sins
against us, then none of our hearers is beyond grace. We are
responsible as new creations to be free from a judgmental spirit and
see others reconciled to Christ – just as we were!

If this is true, then how should I speak about Osama bin Laden? Or
Adolf Hitler? Or Mao Tse-tung? Yes, they have committed monstrous acts,
and encouraged others to do the same. However, over recent times, a
question has begun to form in my mind: What is the difference between
Osama bin Laden and Paul the Apostle before he was converted? Not much,
really. Perhaps the technology available – Paul’s group used stones and
Osama’s prefers AK47s. We think of communication as helping people to
see but sometimes I think we are blind – blinded as to how God the
Father sees the human race. In Christ, He has embraced every human
being…. “you are accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).

Greg Boyd speaks of this blindness as coming from our eating of the
fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the fruit which we
were forbidden to eat. We assess others through our own cultural,
national and personal lens, deciding in a fleshly way what we consider
to be good and evil. We assign people to a condition of hope on a scale
of zero to 10: zero = hopeless; 10 = my kind of people. This was what
the Jews did in Jesus’ day. The idea of being chosen by God produced an
elitist mindset in them that was strengthened by their zealous
commitment to be governed by the law. Jesus warns that this attitude
will inevitably lead to murder – Matthew 5:21-23.

It was a simple process for the Apostle Paul…. If the Gentiles were
“dogs”, then those among them who chose to follow this Jesus were
worthy of death. That is why Paul could say when discussing his call to
ministry in Ephesians 3:6, “the Gentiles are….” , not can be, or
should be, but “are fellow heirs and present partakers of the promises
given to Abraham.” This has to be the biggest turnaround in human
history.

What was it that fell from Paul’s eyes before he could write these words—yes, scales!

One of the most difficult leadership tasks I’ve ever had was to oversee
an article that was focusing on a particular nation in the Asia Pacific
Field. Not one of the contributing writers had ever lived long term,
that is, more than five years, in a developing, difficult-to-access
nation, whose government was opposed to the Gospel. YWAMers lived in
this nation and still do. They face security risks every day. They are
dependent on a particular visa status to remain as residents. They are
constantly restricted in how they are able to share the message that
burns in their hearts. Yet, they are constrained by the love of God to
be there – the same kind of love that motivated Paul to go back into
Ephesus as soon as he had recovered from the beating he received during
his first attempt.

But one thing that Paul did not need was a visa. This is today’s
doorway to long-term residency in any nation in which we are not
citizens. Long-term visas are like treasures from heaven for the
modern-day missionary.

Yet, do you think that I could persuade the writers of the contributing
articles to refrain from broad, general condemnation of the host
government and to also refrain from using real names and places as part
of their stories? Had these articles been published, the YWAMers who
would have read the broad, stereotypical statements about their beloved
target people would have been rightly wounded and would have thought
“how can my fellow YWAMers say that about the people among whom I have
been called to live?”

The authorities who would have read their comments would have concluded
that the writers were promoting the undermining of their authority.

Let us determine to “get inside the skin” of those about whom we write
or speak before we make comments about them. Once released, these
statements cannot be taken back. Indeed, they could easily remain on
the internet for the rest of human history.

Let us see all of humanity through the lens of inclusiveness that is in the heart of God.

God so loved us that, in Jesus Christ, He got inside our skin, and
voluntarily put to death the effect of the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil, that we may live by the tree of life- His life living in
us.

As a worldwide movement, may the scales also fall from our eyes.

May we see the extravagant love of God for all people and be full of hope for every individual.

May our message – what we have to say and how we say it – be informed
by extravagant love free from a judgmental spirit.

PRAYER POINTS:

1)    First, please take the time to read the entire teaching. Review
the Scripture passages that Tom Hallas lays out in the teaching, and
pray into them. Ask God to reveal His heart, and allow Him to convict
us in areas where we have not conveyed God’s heart through our
communications.

2)    Does the way we communicate further isolate the very people we’re
trying to reach? (through articles, advertisements, the way we speak
about people groups, peoples of other major religions, etc.). Have we
effectively communicated who they really are or only who we think they
are? Have we created an “us versus them” mentality?

3)    “We should be motivated by love and free from a judgmental
spirit.” Provide a forum where people can respond to this comment as it
involves communication.

4)    Are we blind to how God sees each and every human being? Allow
time for God to bring revelation about how we unfairly categorize
people based on how comfortable we are with them.

5)    Do we as YWAMers alienate others by the “insider” language that
we use to describe ourselves or by portraying ourselves as better than
the rest? Do we risk the lives and visas of those working in
restricted-access nations by careless web-blogs and other
communications?

6)    Public statements that we make live on forever—reflect upon how
you and your local YWAM center/ students/ workers convey messages to
the general public. Is God pleased with what you’ve said and how you’ve
said it?

7)    Pray against the isolation that many YWAMers experience every day
throughout the world through our lack of communication. Pray for
particular YWAM locations as God brings them to mind.

8)    Pray that the scales fall away from our eyes that we may see people as God sees them!

November Testimony by Tim Heathcote (YWAM AfriCom)

Building a communication team for YWAM Africa is a big task. Six years
ago a group of three began this daunting job. Our mandate was fairly
clear: to serve the leaders, champion YWAM’s work and help build a
sense of connectedness in the continent. I remember well the words of
John Kisamwa, our Field Director at the time: “There are too many
negative stereotypes of Africa, tell some of the amazing stories God is
doing through us - champion YWAM Africa!”

Telling God’s stories is always an awesome privilege: ‘Say among the
nations the Lord reigns!’ As we’ve done this we’ve seen isolation
broken, finances released, prayer increased and workers recruited. Just
one example: Mozambique is full of modern day missionary heroes and six
years ago we accompanied a YWAM team on an outreach into a remote and
unreached part of the Zambezi delta. Hundreds of people were living
three days canoe travel from the nearest schools, health care or shops.
With the help of the skills at Media Village we produced a video,
Against the Tide, promoting this ministry.

This film has now been widely seen. Many short-term outreaches have
visited to help the YWAM team there. A couple have started the first
school in the delta. Doctors have visited to offer treatment to people,
sometimes for the first time in their lives. A helicopter ministry has
flown people in and out to serve. Lives have been touched, people saved
and the church built. An incredible story of a community being
transformed!

This has nothing to do with us. We simply serve by telling the story of
what God is doing though our friends and colleagues. But good
communications invites response, and as we tell these stories other
people hear and are inspired to join in. Communicating breaks
isolation, freeing people to concentrate on what God has called them to
do. It also shares out the blessing, giving others the opportunity to
join in.

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© Youth With A Mission 2007

2008-09-03T19:48:00.000-04:00

September Prayer Focus: Hearing and Obeying the Word of the Lord

Is it possible for 17,000 full-time YWAMers to agree about what God is saying to all of us as a global family? While we may have different opinions on the details, only the Holy Spirit can bring conviction and revelation and get us all on the same page. So, even though we work in some 171 nations and most of us will never meet each other (this side of heaven, that is), it is possible to reach conclusions together.

This week, at the University of the Nations in Kona, some 200 YWAM leaders are meeting to lay before the Lord the many words He has spoken to us over the years and to hear from Him about how well we have succeeded in fulfilling these words. It is a holy gathering that we believe is to set the stage for our future. Thursday, September 4 is the last day of this Prayer & Strategy Conference and is also the YWAM Global Day of Prayer. You can be part of this historic event by having your own holy gathering and waiting on the Lord together with attendees in Kona.

To fuel your prayer time, please visit the news section of www.ywam.org for daily reports from the conference.

Please click here for Lynn Green’s September letter and teaching:

Please click here for a video interview with YWAM Chairman Lynn Green: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7S1UQxMC50

Please click here for a video interview with YWAM President John Dawson about what God is saying to our mission during this important time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjoY1TCjSII

It is important that we hear from you. Please post feedback from your prayer time here on http://www.prayerday.org.

The Chairman’s Prayer Initiative Team

September Prayer Letter by Lynn Green

Dear fellow YWAMer,

Thursday, September 4th is our ninth prayer day, and it coincides wonderfully with the end of our first global prayer and strategy conference. YWAMers from all over the world have been gathered in Kona this past week, and our focus has been hearing the word of the Lord and obeying.

Over the years we believe that God has spoken to us a number of prophetic words that are relevant to the whole of our global mission. Everyone is probably aware by now of the word shared at the Global Leadership Team meetings last year from Joshua 5 about crossing the Jordan and the necessity of spiritual circumcision; that very word led to this series of prayer days. Prior to that prophetic word, a respected brother, Dr. Atef, prophesied about YWAM being like Samson, once strong and vibrant, but then having our hair shorn and losing power. But now the hair is growing back, and the power of God is returning. We’ve also had strong and clear words about unprecedented growth in the number of missionaries that will serve in YWAM in coming years. These are just a few of the prophetic words that have been spoken over YWAM in recent years.
God has called us to be a people who listen to His voice, hear it and then obey, but sometimes we have regarded the word of the Lord lightly or have even forgotten it. I have personally been convicted about taking the word of the Lord too casually. That is one of the primary reasons why we have gathered in Kona: to wait on the Lord, to confirm words that have been spoken over us or reject them if that is the case, then seek God for understanding and application.

This exercise is not just for a few leaders in YWAM, but for everybody. I encourage you as part of your prayer day to be sure that you go to the prayerday.org website where you can access articles which capture prophetic words that have been spoken over us. That way each and every YWAMer who prays on this day can weigh the word of the Lord in their own spirits and respond in obedience.

Once we have reminded ourselves of the word of the Lord and tested any words that still need to be tested, we then need to ask the Lord what we should do about the words that we’ve agreed about together. That is why we have called the event in Kona a prayer and strategy conference. We are praying and reminding ourselves of God’s word, but also asking Him about the application of those words. What does obedience to these words look like to us? This is an exercise for every YWAM staff person and every YWAM team and base around the world. We all need to understand the context that the word of the Lord brings to us- and then what we are meant to do about it.

I believe God wants September 4 to be a day in which we are to realign ourselves with His word and have a clear understanding about how we are to pursue obedience. May the Lord speak to you clearly! Once again, I want to underline that we value your feedback. Please visit the prayerday.org website for resources, but also take a little time and give us some feedback so that we are getting a sense of what God is saying to the whole of the mission this week, not just those attending the prayer and strategy conference. We really need this. May the Lord be with you in a special way on September 4.

Lynn Green, YWAM Chairman

September Teaching: Hearing and Obeying the Word of the Lord

Matthew 4

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.3 During that time the devil* came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,‘People do not live by bread alone,but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’*”

When Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness he countered Satan’s attack by quoting a scripture back to him.* This spiritual battle was recorded to help us understand how to live victoriously.

We were designed to live in intimate fellowship with God, hearing His voice in the same way that Jesus heard His voice and obeying all that He says. When Jesus summarized His ministry, He said, “I only say what the Father gives me to say, and I do what I see the Father doing.” This is an extraordinary claim, but then Jesus went on to say something even more amazing: “As the Father sent me, so I send you.”

We are meant to constantly cultivate a clearer and more intimate understanding of what God is saying to us in the course of our everyday lives. The temptation for us, however, is to believe that God will only speak occasionally-- when it is very important. Therefore, we presume that we should use our own reason to work out how we should live on a day-to-day basis. Many Christians believe that, and some Bible teachers actually teach that. It does sound very reasonable, but Jesus is our model and our constant goal is to be like Him. He did not just occasionally hear from the father, He stayed in regular communion. And that is our high calling.

Often times, though, we don’t hear from God clearly. Since Jesus is our example we need to ask ourselves how we can hear God consistently. I have been on a personal journey in recent years of expecting God to speak to me in greater detail. So I will simply share some of the things He has convicted and convinced me about.

Firstly, I had to repent of unbelief. Even though I had clear and strong teaching about hearing God’s voice and seeking Him with an expectation that He would speak, I gradually began to believe that God would only speak rarely and that He would not answer when I ask Him specific questions. I began to believe this because it was my experience. However, now that I have accepted Jesus as the model, rather than my own experience, I believe that God does want to speak to me more regularly and in greater detail. And it is safe to assume that the reason He doesn’t do so lies with me, not with Him.

So I have had to repent of unbelief and come back to a place of expecting that, when I wait before God, He will speak to me. I am not yet where I want to be on this subject, but I am in a much better place then I was a couple of years ago. Unbelief can creep into our lives very subtly and I find myself needing to turn away from it-- that is, repent-- quite often.

Secondly, I have also been guilty of treating the word of God lightly. I felt that God spoke to me recently through a book that I was reading that I should live more clearly in light of words that He has spoken over my life. As such, I went back to a file that I hadn’t looked at thoroughly for a long time. That file contains a lot of pieces of paper of all different shapes and sizes and even a cassette tape. It is a record of words that God has spoken over my life though prophetic prayer or people submitting to me something they think God has said about me. Because I’ve been living this life of full-time ministry for nearly forty years, it is quite a thick file, and as I went through it I realized that I had forgotten much of what God has said to me. But like the nation of Israel we are supposed to remember what the Lord has said and live in the light of it (Psalm 145:4). As you read the Old Testament you’ll find that God wanted His people to record everything that He said to them, rehearse it, and teach it to their children. In other words, He didn’t want them to lose the power of the words He had spoken, He wanted them to live in the light of those words.

To remind you of that scripture again, Jesus said that man shall live by EVERY word that proceeds from the mouth of God. We need to be good stewards of what God has said. I have begun to write down some of those words again and carry them on small cards in my pocket, so that I can keep reminding myself of the word of the Lord, because God’s word is sharp and powerful. God’s word is what created the whole world and everything we see in it. As I live consistently with His word then He promises to overcome all of my circumstances and weaknesses and I continue to be conformed to what He has said about me.

The third thing that I had to relearn is the importance of believing God’s word more than my circumstances. Please have a look at the story of David when he was in the wilderness, trying to keep away from King Saul who was trying to kill him, and ponder his circumstances. He was trying to live on the edge of the Negev desert where it would have been very difficult to find enough food and water to live. And yet, men kept coming to him, so he had more mouths to feed. They were men who were in debt, or criminals or who had become enemies of the King.

Finally they were driven to go to the Philistines, Israel’s enemy, and ended up raiding other towns and villages from the town of Ziklag, which had been given to them by the king of the Philistines. David and his men travelled to the main cities of Philistia so they could go to war as part of the Philistine army, but they were rejected by the Philistine leaders. They must have been deeply discouraged as they trekked back to Ziklag. And when they arrived, they found it had been overrun by Amalekites who had taken captive all their women and children.

At this point, David’s men decided to stone him to death. But the Bible says in 1 Samuel 30:6 that David “strengthened himself in the Lord.” Then he rallied his men and went after his enemies and eventually recaptured all the women and children and also gained huge wealth through plundering the Amalekite camp.

How did he strengthen himself in the Lord? I believe he remembered all of God’s promises, and in particular, how God had said that David would indeed be king of Israel. With the Word of the Lord ringing in his spirit, he overcame the most discouraging circumstances I can imagine.

If David could find strength in God’s word in the middle of such desperation, I can also find sufficient strength to stay in faith each and every day of my life—regardless of the circumstances.

Let me suggest that you undertake a very helpful exercise:

If you have written down some of God’s words over you, take them out and read them again. Perhaps you can put them on small cards or pieces of paper and carry them with you as reminders through the day.

If you have not written down words from God, then sit down, remember them and write them down so you won’t forget.

If you are aware that you have not kept a record of God’s words to you, ask His forgiveness and ask Him to speak to you afresh. When he does, keep a record and remind yourself of His words regularly.

As we live in the light of what God has said to us, we will stay in faith and become overcomers! Remember, (we) do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God!

September Testimony by Kelly Hoodikoff

I’ll never forget the time we gathered in Yalta for a YWAM Ukraine staff conference during the mid-1990s. We were praying for direction as a mission and God’s will for the nation. At that time we were happy to simply rent facilities and stay as mobile as possible. Then God spoke and told us to buy land and build. God clearly spoke to me that this was going to be a multi-million dollar project. At that time, I was young in my leadership, and $100,000 was far beyond my ability to believe for, much less one million! But somehow, God gave me the faith to believe it would happen. It shocked me. I knew that God was going to do this because it was His word to us.

After seven years of continued growth of the ministries and the launching of many new schools and projects, we were ready for yet another surge of development. In 2003, someone approached me and gave over two million dollars for the development of the ministry! This was God’s word being fulfilled. I still remember the faces of our leadership team members when I announced the news to them. Joy filled the room as we thanked God together. Our faith increased that day as we remembered the word of the Lord, moved forward in obedience and waited in expectation to see what God was going to do.

The purchase of our properties is another story of hearing God’s word that I won’t recount here, but we learned through all this that hearing God’s voice needs to happen at every stage of development in ministry if we are going to see fruitfulness for God’s glory. I can’t wait to hear what God is going to say next!

Kelly Hoodikoff
Regional Leader
YWAM Eastern Europe

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DTS Outreach Powerpoint Presentation & Tamika's Experience in DTS

2008-08-25T16:08:00.005-04:00

Yesterday evening when we arrived at the Richmond airport, we were met with hugs, cheers and a welcome back song by YWAMers. It was a total surprise and it was great! We were all smiling and some of us cried, (mostly me, lol) :), and we really felt welcomed. A couple of years ago another DTS team came back from outreach and there was no one there to welcome them and they felt unloved. From that point on, our base decided to never let that happen again. Whenever a team comes back from outreach they're always met by other YWAMer's and they're made to feel loved and welcomed home. That's just what they did. Thanks guys!!!

Besides that here's my last newsletter about outreach. I didn't have a lot of time to sit and write emails while we were in Amsterdam. I was able to read them from time to time but we had limited time available. So please forgive for not writing updates more often. Here's a summary of my DTS lecture as well as outreach.

If you have any questions please let me know.

Right now we're back in Richmond for a week of debriefing. We're going to share our experiences with the YWAM community Tuesday morning and graduation is on Friday the 29th.

So, enjoy reading and I'll talk to you all soon,

God bless

Isaiah 6:8-9
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

April 7, 2008 is when I answered a call of the LORD for missions. I attended a Discipleship Training School in Richmond Virginia, DTS for short. The school consisted of two training phases, a three month lecture phase and a two month outreach phase. Some of the teachings were on topics such as pride and humility and biblical worldviews. The teachings that impacted me the most were hearing God's voice, relationships and the Father heart of God. Within these teachings God began highlighting things within me that needed to be changed, strengthened or killed. God also gave me opportunities to put into action what we learned in the classroom by real life situations.

For example, during the teahings on handeling conflicts with positive resolutions, our teacher had our class to perform skits which involved conflicts as well as a healthy way to resolve them. Well, earlier that morning a teammate and I had had a conflict and since we were partners, we decided to re-ineact what happened in front of the class. We added what the other was thinking, to better explain the reason why we reacted the way we did. By doing this, we saw the conflict in a whole new light. In the end we saw that if we payed more attention to eachother and their needs, opposed to only looking at ourselves and our own needs, then we could work together a lot better.

Outside the classroom, we learned about teamwork and what it means to be a leader as well as a follwer who supports the leadership. At times questions would resound in my head from teachings such as; 'Are you apart of the problem or solution?', 'Are you being a good follower?', Can you be a good leader if you can't be a good follwer?', 'Are you exibiting servant leadership?'. Sometimes a loud 'NO' rang in my ears and I had to re-evaluate my motives and reactions. These were hard and trying moments, but these were also moments where God was re-shapping me and chipping away at my hard heart. The words from Hillsong's 'Hosanna', characterized what God was doing in me and what He was going to do in the next phase of my outreach:

Heal my heart and make it clean,

Open up my eyes to the things unseen,

Show me how to love like you have loved me.

Break my heart for what breaks yours,

Everything I am for your kingdom's cause,
As I walk from earth into eternity...

For the last 8 weeks of our DTS outreach phase, we went to Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and we joined with various ministeries.

The first ministery I'll tell you about is called the Bridge ministry. We ministered with the bridge team once a week, and we actually stood on one of the bridges in the Red light district, which is a place of window prostitution, drugs and alcohol. We prayed, sang songs or talked with people who were on the bridge. There were times when we sang and God's presence made the atmosphere noticable lighter and it was easy to be joyful and praise Him. There were also times when no one was standing around so we sang, prayed or read the bible outloud and talked amongst ourselves. Sometimes other Christians would walk up and cheer us on suprised and glad to see people praising the LORD. Other times we were ridiculed, but often times words were shared and burdens lifted.

The next ministry involves some of the homeless people in Amsterdam. This ministry is nicknamed The Kadijksplain Cafe. This ministry is led by a woman from Mexico by the name of Rebecca Balderez. She's been in YWAM for 20 years and she's worked with the homless for 10 years, this particular ministry has been running for about a year. Under her guidance, we served the guys and girls coffee, tea, cake and bananas twice a week. We also sat or stood and talked with them or prayed. Sometimes I wondered what kept the regulars coming back week after week cause it wasn't just the food because the Salvation Army gave them soup, sandwiches and coffee before we went out. After observing and getting to know the guys, God let me know that it was His love that they felt through us.

The third ministry that we participated in was held in Amsterdam's prayer house called the Tabernacle of the Nations. There we sang and prayed with the Tabernacle team for Amsterdam, as well as other places around the world and YWAM teams, .

One time we also had the honor of participating with a prayer station that is placed in a part of the city where street performers, pigeons and tourist abound. There we walked around, prayed for and talked with people about the love of Christ. This was also where we were able to speak with and even pray with some Muslims.

The last and final ministry we participated with was the ladies ministry which ministered to the ladies in prostitution.This particular ministry we helped pioneer and it's located in a smaller and newer Red light District. This ministry is headed by a woman from Venezuela named Edna. She's been ministering to the ladies in prostitution for 10 years and within these years she's seen many hearts softened to the gospel. She's also seen some ladies leave the windows and live a life away from prostituion. With Edna, we served the ladies tea, coffee and cookies. We also prayed with them, gave them bible tracts or bibles if they asked for one. The ladies come from all over the world and we have many bibles in different languages but she can also use more. So, if you would like to participate in this ministry by donating bibles or bible tracts in different lanuages, I'll be happy to give you Edna's email address.

Overall, I can't say which ministry touched me the most because at different points, God used them all to show me some of His heart for the people in Amsterdam. Some of the ways He's drawing the lost back to Him is through listening ears, acts of kindness, service and love. This all begins with everyday conversation and it ends with, 'Can I pray for you?'. Once you look past the dirty or skimpy clothes, the makeup or unkept hair and get to know them, you can see the smiles and joy that they too want to feel and share. You'll see just another person who's not so different from you and me. They just have a different story to tell and are in desperent need of a new one. It begins with their names written in the book of life.

These are just some of the things that I learned and had the honor and privilage of participatin in during my Discipleship Training School. I thank all of you who supported me during this time and I pray that you'll conitnue to life up Amsterdam in your prayers, especially Edna, Rebecca and the ministeries I've mentioned.

God has His hand on Amsterdam and He is drawing all nations back to Him.

<:((((<><
Tamika

2008-08-12T11:47:00.003-04:00

Thank you for telling us about yourself. A member of our staff will contact you within 24 hours.

Love Richmond
Chris & Kara Zinchuck
YWAM VA Directors

2008-08-11T17:47:00.011-04:00

YWAM Life

A Day in the Life of a YWAM student or volunteer typically begins at 8 AM with personal prayer and devotional time. At least once each week--usually on Monday mornings, we have worship time together.

Classes run from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM with a 15-minute mid-morning break. Lunch is from 1:15 PM to 2:00 PM, followed by two hours of community work duties, giving you the opportunity to interact with fellow students and staff from around the world.

Dinner is served at 6:00 PM. Of course, meals often feature the cuisine of non-American cultures.

Evenings feature a variety of special classes, time for private study and/or opportunities to rest and relax. You can even go down the street to a local gym, where you can improve your body and get some time alone with God!

Weekends are generally free for recreation, homework and church, unless a field trip or special outing is scheduled.

During the spring & summer months, you can enjoy our Powhatan Community pool, tennis courts, basketball courts and baseball field.

Do you like parties? Well, YWAM-VA is the place for you--especially on Fridays nights. In Jewish tradition, Shabbat begins every Friday at 6pm and is celebrated with a fine meal involving more than just food, but blessing, prayer, praise and singing as well! Add to the mix the myriad cultural traditions of nations such as Brazil, South Korea, Belarus, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, Germany and others, and you have a celebration you'll never forget!

After Shabbat Dinner comes a grand community kitchen cleanup, followed by Movie Night in the Studio.

All during the week, you are welcome to participate in the ongoing group prayer ministry of the Richmond International House of Prayer (RIHOP), located just 2 miles from our main campus in Richmond's old downtown area.

Still have questions about what life is really like at YWAM-VA? Please contact us!! We will be happy to answer your questions!

2008-08-11T15:13:00.015-04:00

Community Life

YWAMVA Campus
Richmond Life
Find our Campus
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YWAM Life

2008-08-08T16:32:00.014-04:00

KKI

King's Kids International welcomes your participation in the battle for the hearts and minds of the emerging generation. Please consider joining us through prayer, financial giving, personal training and outreach involvement. To join a King’s Kids outreach team we suggest you go to YWAM's North American and International King’s Kids’ websites.

Is your church ready to develop an intergenerational missional community?

Today, many families are linking together with other families to create communities (teams) where children can grow in a real and relevant knowledge of God. Parents want their kids to really "own" their Christian faith, to step out of their comfort zones to love others in the power and grace of Jesus Christ.

In short, parents want to raise "World Christians." For this to happen, Christianity must be CAUGHT rather than TAUGHT, passed on "contagiously" through modeling/mentoring relationships in which all age groups contribute to the development of the emergent generation.

Over the years, King’s Kids has successfully incorporated biblical principles and values into hands-on training programs for countless youth workers--in all sorts of ministry contexts--including the local church. We call this mobilizing relationship with local churches the “Go Network...”

Go Network

The King's Kids GO Network is a partnership between YWAM/King's Kids and local churches in which churches have the opportunity to use the King's Kids model, principles and materials while retaining their own ministry name, identity and leadership.

The GO Network application process is a relationship-building time in which interested parties become acquainted with and committed to the YWAM/King's Kids Purpose, Principles and Values.

The desired result of the GO Network is to see a growing number of whole families--brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents--enter into a firsthand knowledge of God together, leading them to want to make God known to others--as a unified team. In this way, the King's Kids GO Network serves as a bridge for missions-minded local churches, providing access to international missions resources, such as:

* Curriculum and materials suggestions
* Leadership training
* Strategic planning with other GO Network teams
* Invitations to YWAM/King's Kids local, national and international events and outreaches

Interested? Please don't hesitate to contact us! CONTACT US

KKI North America

KKI International

2008-08-07T15:52:00.002-04:00


	To require more information about YWAM, please provide us with the following contact information:
	*Denotes required fields

*First Name:

*Last Name:

Address:

City:

State:

Zip:

Country:

*Phone:

- -

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*Email:

*I'm a :

Future Student
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I'm interested in:

(please select all that apply)

University of the Nations Courses

Discipleship Training School
English Language & Culture
Principles in Child & Youth Ministries
School of Jewish Ministries
Teaching English as a Second Language

Ministries

African Redemptive Operation Network

Jewish World Office

Urban Ministries

Kings Kids

Administrative/Logistical Support

Campus Ministry

IMPACT Teams

Richmond Ropes

NIKO (Wilderness Experience)
Cameroon Connection

How best to communicate:

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Comments & Questions:

2008-08-06T16:19:00.020-04:00

YWAM-VA Campus

Since 1982, YWAM Virginia has been helping youth and teens from around the world deepen their walk with God. In the classroom and especially on outreaches, students receive training that can truly change their lives. YWAM Virginia is a place where many discover God's call.

Our multi-cultural, multi-lingual campus offers different University of the Nations courses such as Discipleship Training School (IDS 701/702), English Language & Culture (HIS 233), Principles in Child & Youth Ministries (EDU 209/210) & the School of Jewish Studies (CCM 336/337).

Our staff, volunteers and students also reach into
the city of Richmond and the world through our eight community ministries: AFRONetwork (reconciliation), Campus Ministry, Impact Teams (construction ministry), Jewish World Office, KKI (family ministry), NIKO wilderness challenge experiences, Richmond Ropes Challenge Course & Urban ministry (At-risk youth).

Our urban campus is not what you would expect to see just five minutes from the downtown business district & State Capitol building. Full of flowering dogwoods, huge oak trees & towering tulip poplars; our beautiful 12 acre campus provides the convenience of the city with the serenity of the countryside. (If you come out early enough you can see our two wild turkeys roaming the lawn!).

Vision

At YWAM Virginia we actively:

Disciple the City of Richmond by developing training, ministry & holistic community
development programs in strategic areas of the city in order to influence each of the
seven spheres of society

Reach today's Youth through cutting edge training programs & outreach opportunities

Partner in short term missions & long term relationships with an emphasis on urban
Richmond & adopted nations

Promote recognition of God's original calling to the Jewish people, Native & African
Americans and other ethnic minorities.

Why Richmond?

Founded at the falls of the James River, Richmond has played a pivotal role in the early history of this nation. Less than 2 miles from our student campus, Patrick Henry declared his famous call to action, "give me liberty or give me death!" Richmond is a city of passion with a history full of nation shaping events.

2008-08-06T11:26:00.005-04:00

JWO

The Jewish World Office is dedicated to seeing the Jewish People know the truth of Messiah, Yeshua & seeing them walk in their destiny of being a light & blessing to the nations. More...

2008-08-05T17:43:00.009-04:00

AFRON

"I started working with Discover Africa in 2004. What drew me to it was the fact that it encourages African Descendants to appreciate their African roots and not see it as depreciative."

Marylin I. Weka Fotso

AFRONet Work is a ministry that seeks to enable Africans and those of African descent to realize their potential and leadership in the international Christian missions movement. More..

2008-08-05T16:25:00.011-04:00

KKI

Pioneering family based youth ministry, King's Kids International began in 1976 in Hawaii under Dale and Carol Kauffman. Since then, hundreds of intergenerational missional teams have mobilized throughout Asia, the Pacific, the Americas, Western and Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

King's Kids disciplship teams have reached out to serve the poor and have impacted the wealthy. They have proclaimed God's love in a wide variety of national and international outreaches and events. More...

CONTACT US

2008-08-05T09:51:00.017-04:00

Richmond Life

Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the tenth state to become part of the United States of America. The City's estimated population is 200,123, but when you count the metro area as a whole, it's a lot bigger: 1.1 million souls.

The present city of Richmond was founded in 1737. It became the capital of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia in 1780. During the Revolutionary War period, several notable events occurred in the city, including Patrick Henry's, "Give me liberty or give me death" speech in 1775 at St. John's Church, and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1779-- the latter of which was written by Thomas Jefferson.

During the American Civil War, Richmond served as the capital of the Confederate States of America, and many important American Civil War landmarks remain here today, including the Tredeger Iron Works, the Virginia State Capitol and the White House of the Confederacy, among others.

Richmond offers many scenic and recreational opportunities, including...
The James River runs right through Richmond. The James River boasts the only Class 4 rapids within a US city. So Richmond is your place to get your feet wet, swim, canoe, kayak & white water raft.

Manchester Wall, located downtown on remnants of the old James River Bridge, is one of central Virginia's premier rock climbing areas, known for its multiple routes for trad climbing, sport climbing and top roping. Manchester Wall, and its 3 adjacent pillars, are superb for recreational and experienced climbers alike.

Belle Isle is a small (54 acre) island in the James River in downtown Richmond, accessible to pedestrian and bicycle traffic via a suspension footbridge. Belle Isle is a great place for people who love walking, hiking, running, biking, swimming, kayaking or just laying on the rocks getting a good tan. The island also offers many historic ruins and buildings along its many wooded trails. All this, only minutes from the heart of downtown Richmond!

The Byrd Theatre in Carytown is a fully restored, classic movie theater from the 1920s era that still features second-run movies on a weekly basis. The Byrd is especially popular with Richmond's many college students, thanks to its $1.99 tickets and dazzling interior design. On Saturday nights, before the 7:15 show, you are treated to a live performance on a vintage Wurlitzer organ that actually rises up from beneath the floor!

2008-08-01T15:11:00.010-04:00

IMPACT Teams

Impact teams are men and women, professional and non-professional, working together with staff of Youth With A Mission on overseas projects to advance the kingdom of God.

The primary focus and project site for outreaches for Impact Teams for 2009 is the YWAM training base in Pichlemu, Chile. On a broader scale, the ministry is committed to serve missions projects in all Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries .

Since the beginning of Impact Teams Virginia in the mid 80's, teams have served in six locations in Chile and in the countries of Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Bolivia and Honduras.

Impact Teams provide short term opportunities to church groups from one to two weeks and individuals for up to three months.

On a given outreach, there is flexibility and opportunity for such ministries as soaking prayer, working with children, running medical and dental clinics and teaching English in schools. If you would like to know more about our ministry and how to join us, click the link below!

2008-07-30T14:53:00.010-04:00

Urban Ministry

If you love helping at-risk kids or teenagers, Urban Ministries is for you. YWAM Virginia is serving the urban needy through holistic

community development and children's youth ministries...More...
CONTACT US

2008-07-29T16:29:00.017-04:00

Impact Teams

IMPACT Teams are short term missions teams serving in the area of construction, work with children, prayer ministry, and more. These teams are a big encouragement.

Not only is the work they do with their hands important, but a significant contribution is made in building the kingdom of God through relationships, prayer, and encouragement. More...

2008-07-29T11:50:00.004-04:00

Our SJS Lecture Phase covers the following:

• Jewish history, culture, religion and the land of Israel

• Relationship between the Church & the Jewish people, including

Jewish/Gentile issues in the New Testament

• Introduction to the Modern Hebrew language

• Jewish Ministry in Israel & the Diaspora today

• Modern Movement of Messianic Judaism

• Middle East & Islamic issues

• Reconciliation, intercession and spiritual warfare

• Evangelism and Post-modern communications

• Covenant: Why God’s Heart for Israel/ & the Jewish people?

Talk To Us

2008-07-29T11:42:00.004-04:00

SJS

The purpose of the School of Jewish Studies is to equip YWAM'ers with tools for relevant ministry among the Jewish people both in Israel & in the Diaspora. More...

2008-07-29T10:33:00.000-04:00

DTS

Do you want to know more God and make him known?

DTS will show to you how relationship with God can be fun and excited! More...

2008-07-28T14:58:00.008-04:00

ELC

"...learning English was fun and not difficult

with my ELC teachers and friends in Virginia. I also learned many things that I couldn't learn in my own country. ELC was one of the most important seasons in my life, and my ELC friends were unforgettable. I loved this school..."

Lin Emanuel, 24, South Korea

If you truly want to immerse yourself in the English language,

then our 12-week English Language and Culture course is for you! more...

2008-07-24T16:33:00.006-04:00

PCYM

If God has called you to work with children and teenagers,

we'd like to help you learn and apply a few principles in child and youth ministry.

Our PCYM course examines the issues and challenges of ministering

to today's youth culture and at-risk children within a Biblical framework.

PCYM aims to equip and release leaders who will impact young people who

will, in turn, impact the world of the future...more...

2008-07-24T15:52:00.012-04:00

Campus Ministry

According to surveys of Christian 12th graders

who are planning to go to college, 70% don't go to

church. Of those that do, only about 3% have made a serious commitment to follow Jesus.

By the time a student enters university, it is usually too late; very few unbelievers will turn to Jesus, and most believers--upwards of 70%--will turn away from Him sometime during their college career.

This is a very sad situation. What is the problem?

Many reasons could be given. One that stands out for us is this: there simply aren't enough ministries on college campuses to meet the very specific needs of students. We thank God for those that do exist (Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) and Intervarsity Fellowship (IVF) for example), but we know God wants to plant many more. Which is where YWAM-VA Campus Ministry comes in.

Like we said before, a college education is meant to broaden minds and sharpen skills--preparing young people to make positive changes in society. Campus ministry goes one step further: we open hearts and deepen character. We can, with God's Spirit, prepare college students to make a long-lasting spiritual impact on our world. We can raise up leaders who will influence future generations!

The fact is, campus ministry has influenced and inspired some of the greatest leaders in world missions. For example, the nation of South Korea was first evangelized by a missionary who'd been trained in campus ministry. In other words, what began on a single, isolated college campus eventually helped SAVE the spirit of an entire NATION! The writer of this article, a native of South Korea, can vouch for this!

We at YWAM-VA have a hope that every college on the East Coast of the United States would clearly reveal God's glory. To realize this hope, we need help. Help from God, help from other ministries, help from.........YOU! We simply cannot do it by ourselves!

Is God touching your heart to work with today's college students? If so, YWAM-VA Campus Ministry has a place for you. When you work with us, we guarantee you will have opportunity to:

evangelize non-Christian college students on local university campuses
disciple, encourage and pray for Christian college students
serve and love college students in practical ways
help to equip and encourage future missionaries and ministry leaders.
receive both practical and theoretical training to do all the above!
help to design and establish a University Discipleship Training School (UDTS) program at YWAM-VA. We trust God to reveal His Glory through us.

In conclusion, we in YWAM-VA Campus Ministry want you to know that we are trusting God to reveal His Glory through us. If God could raise up William Cary, a poor shoemaker, to become the father of Modern Missions, we know he can raise up our ministry to touch more lives than we could ever dream possible. We feel we have the same spirit as William Cary. If you share this spirit, or want to catch it, please contact us!

Click here to Contact Us.

2008-07-24T10:54:00.011-04:00

Campus Ministry

Once a week we get together with Richmond

university students to pray and to share the gospel.

Universities are meant to broaden the minds and sharpen the skills of young people. We encourage this wholeheartedly. Many YWAM-VA staff have graduated universities from around the world and know firsthand the value of a college education. But we want them to know so much more; we want them to know JESUS and His call on their lives... CONTACT US

more...

2008-07-23T14:30:00.012-04:00

More about NIKO

Designed to prepare youth for missions

in developing nations, this outdoor adventure program can radically develop your character.

By providing ample opportunity to practice servant-hood and giving up of personal rights, NIKO can help you become both the leader and team-player you've always wanted to be.

Interested? It's easy to apply for the next NIKO! Just click on the link NIKO Facebook below, or contact us by more traditional means. We'll set you up with an application and tons of information!!

facebook
CONTACT US

applications in pdf. format

2008-07-22T15:28:00.012-04:00

How to apply?

Fill the application and contact us.

Next school: april 6, 2009

DTS Application in MS Excel format

DTS Application in Editable PDF format

Online DTS Application

2008-07-22T11:25:00.005-04:00

How to schedule your team?

1. Give us a call at our office number (804) 236-8898 or cell (804) 677-2828.

Our office hours are Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30. You can also send your requests by web form by clicking on the contact us link below.

2. Choose your date and then mail in your $50 deposit along with the Deposit Letter.

We facilitate teams by appointment only on a first come first serve basis. Course times are reserved upon receipt of your $50 deposit.

Teams can be a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 30.

downloadable forms

2008-07-22T11:08:00.007-04:00

Downloadable forms

Deposit Letter

Medical Release form

Richmond Ropes Rates

2008-07-22T10:58:00.003-04:00

Downloadable Forms

deposit letter

2008-07-21T18:36:00.001-04:00

DTS Life

OUTREACH PREPARATION

Some afternoons will be given to preparing for outreach either in our individual teams or as a class. Preparation will most likely include music, drama, testimony preparation, cultural information, evangelism, etc.

SMALL GROUP MEETINGS

Some afternoons there will be small group meetings where students and staff members will have a chance to share needs, discuss the lecture content and minister to one another.

INTERCESSION GROUPS

This is an immediate way to become involved in world evangelism. Intercession times will take place a few mornings each week to learn to hear God's voice and to intercede for the nations.

REQUIRED READING

Book reports must be completed and turned in by the dates given during the orientation. Books required for book reports will be provided for you through our library check out system.

JOURNAL

The weekly journal will be an important tool to record God's faithfulness and your personal growth. It is a requirement to successfully complete DTS.

WORK DUTY

Each student will be assigned to a work duty. You will be asked to work for approximately 10 hours a week on the base. Work duties are as much a part of the discipleship process as all other school curriculum and provide an opportunity for you to serve.

OUTREACH

As important as the Lecture Phase is to the DTS, the Outreach Phase is where you have opportunity to put into practice all you have learned in the classroom. The successful completion of the outreach is a requirement for the DTS.

2008-07-21T18:23:00.005-04:00

Release Your Passion!

INTEREST TRACKS

What excites you? What are you passionate about? Come and be a part of YWAM Virginia's distinctive DTS program which is made unique by a multi-track experience including Campus, Messianic, Urban and Ropes Course. Each track consists of 2-4 hours per week of outreach within your passion...

CAMPUS Track

YWAM Virginia reaches out to international college students and faculty on a weekly basis at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). On the DTS Campus Track, you'll experience campus ministries firsthand.

JEWISH Ministry Track

Working in conjunction with YWAM International's Jewish World Office, DTS students like you will discover the Jewish roots of your faith when you embark upon the Messianic Track. During your 12-week lecture phase, you will join in weekly worship services at Tikvat Israel Messianic Congregation, celebrate Hebraic Feasts and Festivals--including weekly Kabbalat Shabbats and Torah Studies with Messianic rabbis--and enjoy tasty meals free of pork and shellfish. Concerning your Messianic Track outreach, you will likely focus on reaching young Israelis as they travel throughout the world to places such as Goa, India.

Are you called to serve and bless Jewish communities? Then DTS Messianic Track is for you!

URBAN Track

Your DTS Urban Track will have you rolling up your sleeves and getting to work with at-risk kids in Richmond’s Fulton Hill neighborhood. As a second layer of learning during the 12-week lecture phase, you will spend 2 hours each week mentoring youth from our community, in addition to joining the weekly service at the Richmond Outreach Center. Additional outreach opportunities may include planning of inner city events, working with city officials, planning hip/hop events and working with the public school system.

ROPES Track

Ready to take a leap of faith? DTS Ropes Track is just what you're looking for! On this track, you will "learn the ropes" of facilitating groups on YWAM VA's fully functional and certified* ropes challenge course, which features more than a dozen high and low elements situated on our base's 11 acres of ravines and trees. Not only will you learn the "hard" skills of working with rope, cable and carabiner, you'll practice the "soft" skills of working in teams, encouraging people and debriefing groups.

* inspected and approved for use by the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT).

2008-07-21T17:53:00.002-04:00

Schedule & Curriculum

Typical Daily Schedule:

* 8:00 Worship & Intercession

* 9:30 Lecture & Teaching

* 1:00 Lunch

* 2:00-4:00 Work Duties

* 6:00 Dinner

* 7:00 Free, Study or Evening Class (once a week) or Community Outreaches (once a month)

* Weekends - Free/ church

The Curriculum

During a DTS, we include the following tools and teaching methods as part of the course:

LECTURES

We usually spend a minimum of 12 hours in

lecture each week covering the following topics:

* The Character & Nature of God

* Biblical world-view

* World missions

* Inductive Bible Study

* Evangelism

* Intercession

* NIKO (Wilderness Challenge Experience)

* Father Heart of God

* Reconciliation & Repentance

* Hearing God's Voice

2008-07-15T12:07:00.000-04:00

2008-06-16T14:07:00.000-04:00

Shabbat Shalom!.....

Belarusian Birthdays!

Dima, Tanya & Nika all have Birthdays in June!

6:00 pm....6:00 pm....6:00 pm!

Friday, June 20 Outside

For this Shabbat we will have many guests.

Please do not bring guests without registering them in advance.

This will be the regular evening meal for Students.

All staff planning to attend please Register by 12:00 Noon, Thursday, June 19

No late registration please.

Register with:

ywamjwo@aol.com

Include your name & how many in your family will attend.

Staff donation for evening meals is $1.00 per person.

Help with Dinner cleanup is greatly appreciated.

2 short Russian Comedies in the Studio will follow Shabbat meal

Web Album: DTS Reaching Out to Neighborhood Kids

2008-06-12T14:03:00.001-04:00

DTS Outreach with Fulton Hill Kids

YWAM VA Audio Collection

2008-06-04T15:43:00.010-04:00

Mitch Anderson's Personal Testimony and Message on "His Burden Is Light" (August 2008)
Mitch is the Director of YWAM Pichilemu, Chile

Chris Zinchuck's Message on Program Vs. People-Focus (July 2008)
Chris is the Director of YWAM Richmond, Virginia

Jeff and Kathy Boyum's Message on their Call to India and Hearing God's Voice (June 2008)

Camille Bishop's Message on Leadership Transitions (May 2008)
Camille (Ph.D.) serves the Provost Office as a staff trainer with a passion to help our U of N school leaders and staff become better equipped to serve our students from around the world. University of the Nations / Office of the Provost

Kay's Message on History and Vision for the JWO (April 2008)
Kay is the Director of the Jewish World Office, based in YWAM Richmond, VA

2008-06-04T10:18:00.000-04:00

Chris’ Notes 150 Days

On January 8, 2008 we were commissioned to begin as Base Directors here at YWAM VA. Since this time we have seen 150 days or 21 weeks pass. What has God done during this time?

Luke 2:52 tells us that Jesus grew in wisdom & stature and in favor with God and man. Jesus started a revolution in the physical and spiritual world. He left his mark socially and brought real understanding to hearing God voice and living out truth. What kind of mark are we leaving in Richmond?

Things God has done during the last 21 weeks at YWAM VA.

Spiritual (10)

Jan 29^th-sent out Wilson & Medja as new Directors for orphanage in Haiti
Feb 11-15-Walk in the light week (repentance & reconciliation)
Combined with new covenant to “enter the circle”
April 6^th- Started ELC, DTS & PCYM with a total of 28 students
April 17^th-launched Richmond Ropes Course, Pastoral Care Team, Worship Leader, Campus Ministry
In processing of establishing new bodies to serve our YWAM community–Leadership Council, School & Ministry Leaders’ Council, International Council, Community Life Council
In process of adding 4 new Leadership Council members
In process of adding 2-3 new Board members
Established RIHOP Jewish prayer watch
Joined ywam’s international chairman’s monthly prayer focus

Physical (15)

Jan 12-Helped Araujo Family move
Applied for building loan of $100,000
Provided refuge for a missionary family from India
In preparation, we spent a week fixing up the property. (reorganizing kitchen, painting)
Ropes Course: Built 2 new high elements, extended the low circuit and cut new trails
Almost finished two new bathrooms on the studio
Almost finished opening up the basement as a new study area
Finished Daniel’s bedroom on the guys house
Stained the fence along Waverly/built relationships with ComChap Missional Commun.
Process of rearranging the offices to be more fun and efficient
Installed new dishwasher
Installed new bizhub (saving tons of time)
Reorganized the carriage house garage
Phone system in the Inn reconnected
Mirian & Staff have prepared 1,800+ lunch servings

Social (11)

Jan 8-Hosted commissioning dinner for Chris and Kara
Feb 18-22 “hosted the south east base directors in Williamsburg VA”
March 17-21 launched 2^nd NIKO in the DR
Married four of our staff in May
Sent out 9 staff: Jaime & Maristella, Joseph & Yvette, Steve & Monica, Donna, Crystal, Nehemias,
Met with Board members and wives for time of relationship development
Nehemias helped Shakiem get a job (which he has maintained)
World Outreach Ministry Center (Fulton Community Church) in partnership with Character Club
YWAM VA was requested by the editor of the Fulton Neighborhood Assoc. to submit regular articles for publication
Initiated & hosted “Growing Kids God’s Way” weekly parenting seminars (attended by YWAMers, YWAM friends, a City Employee)
Personal choices to be involved in politics by petitioning for Pastor Don Coleman to join the City School Board

The Day of Remembrance

2008-05-23T14:38:00.001-04:00

You are cordially invited to …

The Day of Remembrance

to commemorate the

170^th Anniversary of “The Trail of Tears”

Principal Chief Michell Hicks and Vice Chief Larry Blythe of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation

support this commemoration

U.S. and state government leaders will address the gathering

Friday, May 30, 2008

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Lunch will be served afterwards

Murphy, North Carolina

Directions available on request

Please respond to Alison Muesing

at 704-439-6210 or amuesing@aol.com

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NIKO Pictures

2008-05-23T04:29:00.007-04:00

Passover Seder

2008-05-12T12:02:00.002-04:00

Passover Seder on Friday, May 23 6:30pm @ INN !

Gain a deeper insight into God's plan of redemption!

Even though Passover is over,

we can still celebrate God's goodness & faithfulness!

Special guest, Gilbert Carthigasu, from Singapore, will conduct our Seder.

6:30 pm, Friday, May 23 at the Inn

This will be the regular evening meal for Students.

All staff planning to attend please Register by 12:00 Noon, Thursday, May 22.

No late registration please.

Register with:

ywamjwo@aol.com

Include your name & how many in your family will attend.

Staff donation for evening meals is $1.oo per person.

Help with Dinner cleanup is greatly appreciated.

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S H I N E ! Mexico Outreach

2008-04-22T16:04:00.001-04:00

“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.” Daniel 12:3

When: July 25th – August 13th 2008

Where: Boot camp (Outreach preparation) Friday, July 25th – July 31st
Richmond, Virginia on the YWAM campus.

The Outreach phase – July 31st – August 12th
Outreach will begin with orientation in El Paso, Texas with King’s Kids El Paso. We will spend a day or two in El Paso going through orientation of what to expect in Mexico before going to our base location in Juarez, Mexico. We will then return to Richmond to the YWAM campus for debriefing and “re-entry”.

Cost: $35.00 non-refundable registration fee due by April 30. Outreach fee - $1,500.00 due May 31, 2008. I will also send you a sample support raising letter upon request if you would like help raising your support from your church, friends and family.

You will need: a passport if you don’t already have one. Each team member under 18 will also need to have a signed and notarized letter from your parents giving permission for you to be on this team going into Mexico. We will also send you a “What to bring list” upon your acceptance to the team.

We will also be sending you a personal devotional study for you to be working on 30 days prior to coming to boot camp. This devotional will be on a theme that we will use throughout our outreach to help you grow in your Christian witness and to be better prepared to SHINE your light in the darkness.

What we will be doing: Sports is an international language that transcends cultures and language. Our purpose will be to engage the children and youth of our target area through soccer, playing games with them and competing against teams for the purpose of building relationships of trust and friendship. We will also look for service projects that we can demonstrate Christ’s love through serving those who host our team. In everything, whether on the sports field or serving others, we want to be shining examples of Christ’s love to a hurting world.

It is also our objective as a team to grow in our own Christian character. We will give opportunities for each team member to sharing out of their own life, giving testimony to God’s grace and goodness. This may happen one on one, on the sports field or in a church service. We trust that each team member will grow in their own personal relationship with the Lord, so that we will indeed be like the stars of the heavens.

Where to send it: Please send your completed application along with your $35.00 registration fee and outreach fee to KKI Mexico Outreach/ YWAM, P.O.BOX 7736, Richmond, VA. 23231. Attn. Roger Hershberger. You may also contact me at roger@ywamva.org or call (804) 236-8898 (w) or (804) 305-1401 (c).

Messianic Believers Welcome in Israel !

2008-04-22T08:22:00.011-04:00

Let God be true & every man a liar!

4:00 am Wednesday, April 16….about 20 of us joined Rabbi Jamie & Stacy Cowen to pray for their oldest daughter, Amy….& to pray for the decision being handed down by the Israeli Supreme Court regarding Amy's application for Israeli citizenship.

Because Amy (a Messianic Jewish Believer) believes that Yeshua/Jesus is the Messiah, she was being denied status as a "Jew", thus de facto, status as a citizen of Israel.

The Jewish people as a whole & those Jewish people who identify with Yeshua/Jesus, King of the Jews, suffer an age-old rift stemming out of everything from simple misunderstanding to raging spiritual blindness & outright persecution. The modern state of Israel, born out of the heart & word of God, as well as the ashes of the Holocaust, has historically denied citizenship to those who identify with Yeshua.

This is not only out of legalism but largely out of fear due to past persecutions of Jewish people by folks operating in "the name of Jesus."

4:30 we began to pray….simple, insightful & passionate prayers for Justice, Deliverance, Light & Truth

5:30 we finished & stood to our feet.

Rabbi Jamie's phone rang. It was Amy.

The Israeli Supreme Court had essentially declared that it is not Ok for the government to discriminate against the Messianic Jewish Believers.

Light pierced the darkness!

Walls of injustice fell down!

Citizenship granted!

This is significant! This is a bit earth & heaven shaking!

God laughs, the angels rejoice & the devil has a bit of a foot on his head!

Wild & wonderful blessings

Kay Hudgins

Amy Cowen Writes:

By now, I assume that most of you have been informed that shouts of joy & victory resound in the tents of the righteous...(Ps. 118). Wednesday, April 16, the Israeli Supreme Court ratified a settlement between 12 Messianic Jews (including myself) and the State of Israel, granting citizenship to all parties and marking a significant victory and groundbreaking event in Messianic Jewish aliyah to date. In a landmark Supreme Court decision, the settlement states that, 'affiliation to Messianic Judaism will neither hinder nor prevent grant of citizenship rights to those eligible under the Law of Return through their father's side' (meaning: those not considered "Jewish" according to halacha or Jewish La w). This legal precedent not only guarantees rights to those represented in the case, but also paves the way and opens immense doors to unhindered Messianic Jewish aliyah (with Jewish ancestry on father's side).

As mentioned previously, I do not believe it merely coincidental or ironic that this victory has indeed occurred during the season of Pesach, a holiday that commemorates the miraculous Exodus from Egypt and embodies themes of deliverance and salvation. The Lord has truly delivered once again! Echoing the words of Moses & Miriam upon crossing the Red Sea, You [God] will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance--the place, O LORD, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, O LORD, your hands established. The Lord will reign forever and ever (Ex. 15:17).

God has indeed fulfilled His promise, bringing us into the land and mountain of our inheritance! Though the battle was long, cumbersome, and arduous at times, God was my very present source of strength and tenacity, and it was He who gave me the ability to press on and persevere in the midst of adversity and the impossible. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him (Ps. 126:5-6).

The Lord is forever faithful, and He will continue to fulfill His purpose and desires for each of us though the path may not be effortless and sometimes wrought with obstacles or challenges. Those who are particularly walking through difficult times, continue persevering and clinging to what God has promised you for He will surely deliver and bring it to fruition in time. Is not my house right with God? Has he not made with me an everlasting covenant secured and arranged in every part? Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire? (2 Sam. 23:5)

I cannot thank each and every one of you enough for your endless prayers, encouragement, and support during this entire process. I firmly believe the prayers and intercession that were lifted up to Heaven around the world broke through and paved the way for this miraculous victory. I am overwhelmed and touched by the amount of response I have received, and I pray that God will bless each of you immensely for pouring your hearts out during this season. Hag Sameach and may you have a wonderful and blessed Pesach (Passover)!

Love in Messiah, Amy

Update on Bertha Swarr

2008-04-22T08:06:00.003-04:00

About 10:30pm on Thursday, April 17, Bertha Swarr had a stroke. Praise God Paul was right there and called 911. Most YWAMers found the shocking news the next morning and prayers went up to God's throne from Stan Christy and men's group, then from all the students and other participants of the Ropes Course challenge scheduled for that day.

Chris and Roger were able to visit Bertha and bring the comforting news of her getting better to all of us. Praise the Lord, Bertha seems to be stable right now. Let us continue to lift her and Paul up in our prayers.

Here are some more updates and iformation on when to visit below:

Tuesday, April 22, Patricia says:
"Bertha will have an X-ray today and then will stay for physical therapy. The major thing right now is to see if she can eat by herself without the tube."

Sunday, April 20, Kay writes:
"Bertha is progressing well & quickly & has been moved to a regular room. Feeling & movement of her left side is restored, though not at full tilt. Initially the left side of Bertha's face was droopy & her speech slurred; but, now this is almost unnoticeable. She is able to get up with assistance to go to the restroom.

Probably the 2 most frustrating deals for Bertha right now:
1) she is in the hospital!
2) she has not been allowed food or drink since the stroke Thursday night. They are giving her hydration & nutrition through a naso-gastric tube until any difficulty swallowing is ruled out (hopefully Monday).

Bertha will need some Physical Therapy but full recovery is expected.

Paul continues to be confident & energetic.
Bertha is reading a book that someone brought her...& really want's to go home
Paul & Bertha are hanging out together at MCV & they are blessed by continued prayer of God's people

Please continue in prayer for Bertha's healing & Paul's stamina.
I will continue with periodic updates.

MCV 11th floor of Main Hospital (A)
Room 354
Visiting hours are:
10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Blessings
Love kay (please pardon my spelling/grammar...I'm still working on my English)"

April Prayer Day

2008-04-15T09:58:00.002-04:00

April Prayer Focus: The Breaking of Strongholds

(please note: an April prayer day summary with bullet points appears at the bottom of this e-mail and on our website, www.prayerday.org, which may assist you during the Thursday, April 3 YWAM Prayer Day).

True repentance and walking in forgiveness were explored and practiced together in February and March. This month, we take a closer look at true spiritual power and how it is only consistently manifested in the person who has dealt with and brought to the light anything that stands in opposition to God's truth. We deal with the very root systems of belief that keep us in darkness in certain areas of our lives. These systems of belief are called strongholds. How do strongholds develop? How are they torn down? You'll find answers as you read this month's prayer guide. You'll read stories from people just like you who are learning to overcome by being truthful with themselves and others. Let's begin to apply the following truths during the April 3 prayer day and make this our lifestyle in the months and years to come!

Share with other YWAMers about your Prayer Day. Just go to the section titled "Your Feedback" on the homepage of www.prayerday.org and post your comments. If you'd prefer, please send your comments to prayerday@ywam.org. Also, to receive these prayer guides via e-mail, please register at www.ywamlist.org/prayerday.

April Leader's Letter by Lynn Green, International Chairman, YWAM

He was not, by most accounts, an impressive man. In fact, many people remarked that they were disappointed when they first saw J. Hudson Taylor—and even more so when he began to speak because he lacked the power of forceful oratory. But what an impact he made! Here is an account of a message he preached in Carnegie Hall in 1900:

The subject of Hudson Taylor's address had been billed as "The Source of
Power for Foreign Missionary Work". The Mayor of New York and the
President of the United States attended the event along with all the most
senior missionary leaders. Taylor stepped forward, characteristically stood
a moment in silent prayer, then raised his head and smiled briefly.

"Power belongeth unto God," he began…

"We have tried to do, many of us, as much good as we felt we could easily
do, or conveniently do, but there is a wonderful power when the love of
God in the heart raises us to this point that we are ready to suffer, and with
Paul we desire to know Him in the power of His resurrection (which
implies the death of self), and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made
comformable to his death. It is ever true that what costs little is worth
little…"

That message, delivered in a voice so quiet that people had to strain to hear, impacted the
crowd to such a depth that hundreds would testify some thirty years later that their lives
were forever changed that morning in New York City.

I wonder how many YWAMers can identify with Hudson Taylor's message? I have known seasons where the power of God was mightily at work in me and through me,
accomplishing more than I could imagine. But I have also known times when I "tried
to do as much good as I felt I could easily do" and the results have been very limited and
temporary. Having experienced both modes of ministry, I really don't want to waste another day living within the limits of my power to do good. I want to see the power of
the Holy Spirit mightily at work in me! I know I speak for us all.

As we approach this fourth day of prayer together, we are still using Joshua 5 as our framework. The Israelites obeyed God and circumcised themselves before attempting to
take the land that God had promised to them. We are on the verge of new growth, a huge vision to see expressions of the Kingdom of God in every sphere of society and in every Omega Zone. But that will not happen except by the power of God working mightily in us. To do that, we need to remove every hindrance in our lives. I have previously written about the importance of ongoing repentance and I want to emphasize that again. We often think of repentance as something that we do when we come to Christ and then, perhaps if we really mess up we might need to do it again. But repentance is a gift of God to nurture growth daily.

Jesus called us to be just like him. "As the Father sent me, so I send you." He is the model for our lives. He is the standard by which we judge ourselves. Whenever I fall
short of His standard, I want to repent and keep trusting the Holy Spirit to make me more like Him. He is normal; I am not. When we look at it this way (and it is the scriptural way) we see that repentance is a gift from God to enable us to keep growing.

On our path to becoming normal like Jesus, we must mature. Part of repentance is asking God to reveal to us the lies of the enemy that we have believed about ourselves and about others—that is, anything that stands in opposition to God's truth in any part of our lives. Please read on to find out how "strongholds" develop and how they can be broken through God's power and our cooperation with Him. As we deal with sin in our lives and any resulting strongholds, we clear the way for the power of God to work mightily through us. May all of us in YWAM discover the Source of Power that marked Hudson Taylor's life and bear more fruit than we could ever imagine!

In His Peace,

Lynn Green
International Chairman, YWAM

APRIL TEACHING: UNDERSTANDING STRONGHOLDS

(copyright "Living Free", Revalesio Ministries, 2005)

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NKJV) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NASB) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

A. What is a Stronghold?

Some practical illustrations:

Scientists using radar have found the heart of a first century Roman military camp. Carnuntum was one of the empire's most strategic strongholds north of the Alps.
A computer analysis has revealed an extensive network of restaurants, taverns, baths and meeting halls. In its heyday at the end of the second century AD, Carnuntum was home to about 50,000 people.
Radar Finds Roman Stronghold Ruins. Report filed Sept. 24 2001 with Anonova News Service.
"The Taliban have agreed to surrender their last remaining stronghold, the southern city of Kandahar. The Taliban will hand over control of their spiritual headquarters to local tribal elders beginning on Friday."
CNN.com, December 7, 2001.
Strongholds serve as military camps; fortified defences (for a territory); base of operations; home; headquarters.

B. What is a Spiritual Stronghold? (in reference to 2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

They are thoughts, beliefs, philosophies, attitudes, actions and values that oppose God's truth including how to live life according to His design.
They are powers of reasoning "raised up" against the knowledge of God. They arrogantly defy.
Satan's strategy is to deceive individuals, couples, families, churches, communities, cultures, institutions, and organisations into believing and valuing what opposes God's truth or is out of alignment with His truth. He has been trying to get us to deny God's truth from the beginning!

God's truth is absolute

Every degree to which we oppose God's truth, on every issue of life, gives Satan the opportunity to establish his stronghold – his base of operations – in our life
Pride, independence from God, and self-sufficiency are among the characteristics of things raised up against God
Truth is more than book knowledge. Truth, literally sets the course of our life. Jesus says in John 8:31-32 "You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

C. How is a Spiritual Stronghold Built?

Strongholds are built by allowing the enemy to have a "place" or "opportunity" in our life through sin.
The Greek word topos is translated "place", "opportunity", or "foothold" in the translations below. It is a word with broad meanings but fundamentally is defined as: "territory, land: in the oldest clear use in the singular it means a defined place, then a specific territory, area or land; district, town, dwelling-place."

Galatians 4:3, 9 (NLT) And that's the way it was with us before Christ came. We were slaves to the spiritual powers of this world…And now that you have found God (or should I say, now that God has found you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual powers of this world?

Demonic Stronghold Building Plan

Hurt, offence
leads to
"Topos"
causes
Behaviour
causes
Hurt and offence

Can we become "un-offendable"?

Ephesians 4:26-27 (NKJV) "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.
Ephesians 4:26-27 (NASB) BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN: do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.
Ephesians 4:26-27 (NIV) "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

D. The Progression of Strongholds

Even though believing followers of Jesus Christ belong to God, they can give Satan a place or jurisdiction in their lives.
Satan's stronghold construction begins with our thoughts. This is why Paul says that our transformation as believers begins with renewing our mind.

Romans 12:2 (NLT) Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is.

It is by your thoughts that you make decisions; your decisions become actions, and they soon become your values in life. These values begin to define you and have now become your lifestyle. So now your thoughts are out of alignment with God's truth; your lifestyle is out of alignment with God's truth. Then you find yourself in varying degrees of bondage as Satan builds his stronghold in your life through obtaining a place of jurisdiction that you gave to him.

II. Keys to Destroying Strongholds

A. We fight with powerful spiritual weapons

We live in a world of flesh and blood, but our war is spiritual and must be fought with spiritual weapons.
Ephesians 6:12 tells us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against wicked spirit beings; powers of darkness. The demonic spirits that orchestrate and execute the schemes of Satan are not of the natural world.

Remember:
Ephesians 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."]

B. The Gift of Repentance

The foundational truth to our destroying strongholds in our life is "repentance". Repentance is not morbid introspection and ungodly sorrow. Contrary to popular opinion, repentance is a wonderful and privileged gift given to us by God. This can be seen in the following verses.

Acts 5:29-31 (NKJV) "…God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel."
Acts 11:18 (NKJV) "…Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life."
2 Timothy 2:25 (NASB) "…Those who oppose Him He must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth"
Romans 2:4 (NASB) "Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?"

C. Revisiting True Repentance

The Greek word translated "repentance" in the above verses is the word metanoia. It literally means "a change of mind". True repentance is filled with radical implications, for it turns us from something, toward something different.
It transforms one's life, one's values, one's attitudes, and one's actions. True biblical repentance includes our entire being; the mind, will and emotions. This results in new thoughts and beliefs, new words and actions, and eventually new emotions.
It is not enough merely to be sorrowful for sin; one must change his or her values, belief system, and lifestyle, in order to make specific changes to turn from the sin. It is important to note that repentance is an ongoing process.
Scripture is clear that it is dangerous not to replace confessed sin with righteous behaviour, for Satan will return to reoccupy the vacuum left by confession.
The subsequent condition of one's life will be substantially worse if righteous behaviour does not replace the confessed sin. Jesus speaks to that in Matthew chapter 12.

Matthew 12:43-45 (NLT) "When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, 'I will return to the person I came from.' So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept and clean. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation."

D. Forgiveness is Key

Like repentance, forgiveness is a powerful weapon in the hands of a follower of Jesus. Just as we have been forgiven, we are commanded to forgive. Any unforgiveness we harbour is another access point for the enemy in our lives.

Just as we repent of our sins, we must forgive others who sin against us
We have been forgiven of our debts, so too have the privilege of releasing others.

Matthew 6:9-15 (NIV) "This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

Matthew 18:21-22 (NIV) Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times".

Colossians 3:13 (NIV) Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

E. There is a Threefold Cord that we must Sever

1. The World – the world system in opposition to God
2. The Flesh – our sinful nature
3. Satan & the powers of darkness
(good summary is Ephesians 2:1-3)

These are three individual and separate fronts with which we contend.
However, they really are tightly wound into a single "cord". You cannot separate the battles we face with the world system, our sinful nature, and demonic powers. All three are like individual strands tightly wound together making a formidable rope of war against us.

F. We must fearlessly face our Enemy

Believing followers of Jesus Christ in New Testament times were not afraid of directly addressing the demonic.
We need not fear demonic spirits that war against us. We have been given the power and authority to defeat them in Christ!
Denying the existence or influence of Satan is unbiblical and a certain path to strongholds.

Example: the Secretary of Defence would never call a press conference and make a statement like this: "In order to win the war, we have decided on this strategy: we are going to completely ignore our enemy. We will not try to figure out their strategies, see where they are encamped, nor their fighting techniques. In fact, I think we will pretty much deny their existence." It sounds absurd, but this is how many followers of Jesus in Western nations address the enemy of our souls. We are in a war, and we cannot ignore our enemy. We have been given divinely powerful weapons to defeat them!

As Jesus did, so must we forcefully rebuke and evict demonic beings in the specific strongholds, sins, and temptations that we confront. We do this by revoking the enemy's jurisdiction in our lives through repentance and forgiveness.

Renouncing Lies: A Testimony by Cathy Nobles

When the prayer team from New Song City Central Church in Tacoma, Washington first introduced the 4 R's (repent, receive, rebuke and replace) to us here at YWAM Harpenden two years ago, I signed up for prayer because I knew I was weary and feeling as if I was failing in fulfilling the call of God on my life. In our meetings, the openness with which the team shared their own personal renewal stories touched my heart in some very dry places, and I knew I wanted the freedom I saw in young and old alike on the team. When they prayed for me, and shared the blessings of how God created me, I was encouraged with the insights, but it was in identifying the strongholds and repenting of them that change began in me. I felt as if someone had helped me identify where the enemy had taken my heart captive through strongholds. Proclaiming the truth and walking out that truth had power that began to renew me.

That first step of renouncing lies of self-hatred and self-condemnation and believing the truth of God's word awakened my heart to desire more freedom. The next step of growth for me came when a prayer duo prayed me through some hard layers of self-protection. In naming and repenting of the masks that my fears of failure and insecurity were hiding behind, I have been freer than ever to pursue God's heart for myself and others. God's continuing work of sanctification in my life is such a gift, and I want to push on to complete the work He has given me to do.

Cathy Nobles,
Reconciliation Walk Team Leader
YWAM Harpenden

Renouncing Fear: A Testimony by Michael Berg

As I prayed, asking God what He had for our Southeast USA District Leaders' Meeting a year and a half ago, I felt that God reminded me of this group from Tacoma, Washington that God had been using recently to minister to YWAM leaders. Because of the word of the Lord, I did something that was very abnormal for me-- I invited someone to come and minister that I had never personally heard before. I've never been one to run after "experiences" or the latest thing, but somehow I knew this would be different because of God's leading.

At our opening meeting God spoke through the Tacoma team that part of how He made me was to be a fearless leader, and yet the strategy of the enemy was to make me fearful. I knew that when I was much younger I faced a fear of failure, but believed that this was no longer an issue. God spoke with such clarity that I realized for the first time how much the enemy wanted to hold back the move of God at YWAM Orlando due to my caution, born out of fear. Most things didn't bring fear to me, but when it comes to "risk it all" acts of obedience, I found myself shrinking back. I realized that I needed to repent of my unbelief, renounce the stronghold of fear, and replace this with a trust in God to do the impossible even through me.

I've always wanted to be a man of faith, and have done many things that required faith. But God wanted to take me to a level of trusting Him that I'd never experienced. Currently I'm trusting God for the release of a very large campus for our base-- talk about testing my faith – I can't think of a better way for God to have me walk this out. I'm so grateful that He loves you and I enough to speak with such clarity. This new level of personal freedom has led to a new level of freedom in my family and among the staff at our base. I'm left with a tremendous sense of gratitude to the Lord!

Michael Berg is the Director of YWAM Orlando and the YWAM Southeast District Director for the USA.

Summary of Letter and Teaching (A bullet-point summary to assist you on April 3)

Of the two kinds of power Lynn Green refers to in his letter, which do you most identify with?
A stronghold is anything that stands in opposition to God's truth
We give strongholds a foothold in our lives through sin
Strongholds can be broken
We fight with powerful spiritual weapons (Eph. 6:12)
There is a three-fold cord that we must sever (the world, the flesh and Satan and the powers of darkness)
We must fearlessly face our enemy
Denying the existence or influence of Satan is unbiblical and a certain path for strongholds to take root.

If at all possible, please read the entire teaching before or during your prayer day!!!

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© Youth With A Mission 2007

2008-03-12T14:17:00.029-04:00

Richmond Ropes

Have fun facing your fears!! At Richmond Ropes the challenges are:

physical, mental and emotional. Have fun and test your limits.

Many of the elements are also designed to encourage

team work, leadership, confidence, trust, perseverance

and communication.

How to schedule your team?

Getting Started

2005-12-16T17:16:00.002-05:00


	To require more information about YWAM, please provide us with the following contact information:
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Future Student
Future Staff
Youth Pastor/Leader
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I'm interested in:

(please select all that apply)

University of the Nations Courses

Discipleship Training School
English Language & Culture
Principles in Child & Youth Ministries
School of Jewish Ministries
Teaching English as a Second Language

Ministries

African Redemptive Operation Network
Jewish World Office
Urban Ministries
Kings Kids
Administrative/Logistical Support

Campus Ministry

IMPACT Teams

Richmond Ropes
NIKO (Wilderness Experience)
Cameroon Connection

How best to communicate:

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mail

Comments & Questions:

About Us

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Our Staff

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Hey, welcome to our staff page!

Here @ YWAM Virginia the staff count is around 30.

Staff/ Volunteer Application

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	This is the first of three steps in completing your staff/volunteer application. For step two, upon clicking the submit button, a PDF of the full staff application will download to your computer. Please fill out the PDF application and return it to the YWAM office. For step three, a representative from the YWAM office will contact you.
	*Denotes required fields

*First Name:

*Last Name:

*Address:

*City:

*State:

*Zip:

*Country:

*Phone:

- -

*Email:

I'm interested in:

(please select all that apply)

University of the Nations Courses

Discipleship Training School
English Language & Culture
Principles in Child & Youth Ministries
School of Jewish Ministries
Teaching English as a Second Language

Ministries

African Redemptive Operation Network
Jewish World Office
Urban Ministries
Kings Kids
Administrative/Logistical Support

Summer Trips

Richmond Ropes
NIKO (Wilderness Experience)

*Personal giftings or professional training:

Evangelism
Administration
Computers
Teaching/Training
Graphic Arts
Music/Drama/Creative Arts
Lawn Maintenance & Garden
Culinary
Child Care
Automotive Repair
Hospitality

Principles in Child and Youth Ministries (PCYM)

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The Challenge:
Almost half the world's population is under 18 years old. Three out of five children, on the world average, have experienced sexual or physical abuse before they are 16. Thousands of innocent lives worldwide are being destroyed through abortion, wars and deprivation. Family disintegration leads to millions of kids living on the streets or exploited by the Porn Industry. Never before in the history of the world has there been such an unprecedented attack on children and youth. What will you do?

The Solution:
God's desire is for all young people to discover their destiny and fulfill their potential in Him-- to have a hope and a future. God's heart's desire is to release young people of all nations to go to the ends of the Earth to make a difference and to help complete the Great Commission.

YWAM's Principles in Child and Youth Ministry (PCYM) course examines the issues and challenges of ministering to today's youth culture and at-risk children within a Biblical framework. PCYM aims to equip and release leaders who will impact today's young people who will, in turn, impact future generations.

PCYM offers you....

A 12-week residential training school with international leaders and teachers, followed by a 4-8 week outreach.
Lectures, workshops, practical experiences, individual projects, weekend camps, small groups, Bible study and more.
The support of experienced leaders who are committed to helping you deepen your character and your ability to lead AND be part of a team.
Principles that are applicable to any "real-world" situation, be it pioneering in Africa, working with at-risk youth in inner cities, or serving the local church.
Guidance in discovering your spiritual gifts and practical skillsets.
Help in finding your destiny as a child and servant of Christ.

Who is PCYM for?
PCYM is for people who are called to serve young people. More specifically, PCYM is for those who want to develop their gifts, deepen their understanding of children, and discover their destiny. Any and all youth leaders, pastors, parents, children's workers and young people who feel God's heart for today's youth are encouraged to apply.

Where is PCYM held?
The PCYM school takes place on YWAM-Virginia's 11 acre wooded campus in historic Richmond, the state's capital city. Our campus is ideally situated in an urban neigborhood just minutes from the downtown hub.

What subjects does PCYM cover?

Human development: understanding the physical, emotional and mental development of children and teens.
Understanding today's youth culture and what "makes them tick."
Specific problems facing dysfunctional families and at risk children.
God's plan for the family.
Working effectively with youth in actual urban situations.
Discovering the Biblical principles of working with Post-modern, Post-Christian young people
Guidance for releasing young people into worship, intercession, evangelism and leadership.
Opportunities to sharpen skills, discover gifts and callings, grow in character, deepen Biblical understanding and gain practical experience.
the foundational principles of King's Kids International and Youth With A Mission.

What is the cost?
Tuition for the 12-week lecture phase (EDU209) is $2,400 and covers books, materials, room and board. The cost of the optional outreach or internship (EDU210) varies, depending on destination and duration.

How Do I Apply?
We're glad you're interested! Just click on the Talk To Us link below...
Talk To Us

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NIKO

This ain't no walk in the park, Baby!

NIKO is a 4-day extreme wilderness

challenge camp and leadership training

program like none other, more...

Urban Ministries

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YWAM Virginia is serving the urban needy through holistic community development and children's youth ministries.

Our Local Ministries include:

Character Club
Leadership and Character Training for Youth
Mentoring
After School Programs
Community Service Projects
Food Pantry
Sports and Recreation
Hosting Outreach Teams in the Community

Opportunities for you to get involved and make a difference:
Many of our Fulton Hill children come from broken homes and have been exposed to violence and drugs at a very young age. If you have a desire to make a difference in the life of a child living under the challenges of inner city life, we would love to have you join us as a volunteer or full-time staff. * We need tutors, mentors and friends to be a positive influence in the lives of these young people. Would you consider investing some love and time into these children?

Every Thursday night we hold Character Club at Powhatan Hill Community Center, where we share the gospel and instill Christian values through teaching, crafts, activities and small group interaction. This is a great opportunity to meet the children and get to know them. Perhaps God would lead you to mentor one personally--one on one!

If you have a group interested in inner city ministry, we'd be glad to work with you towards providing opportunities for evangelistic, service, or intercessory outreach events.

Intercessors, we welcome any and all of you who will come and join us in praying for the Fulton Hill and East Side communities!

*you must complete a DTS before becoming full-time Urban staff

Contact us

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What is DTS?

Our Discipleship Training Schools (DTS) aim to prepare messengers of the gospel, helping students to know God in depth.

Our goal is to encourage students to develop in personal character, to cultivate a living relationship with God, and to identify their unique individual gifts and callings in God.

Cross-cultural exposure and global awareness are special emphases throughout these courses, preparing the students to reach current and future generations and answer the call to "go into all the world and make disciples of all nations" -Matthew 28:19.

This intensive Christian training course begins with a 12-week classroom phase, followed typically by a 12-week outreach. The format is unique because although this is a college-level course, it is not set up like most college programs. In most universities, you attend several classes covering several topics at once.

DTS is part of a larger university system called the University of the Nations, where each student focuses on one subject at a time and is given opportunities to apply learned principles in outreach settings as part of their course.

DTS is a microcosm of this model in that we cover each topic for an entire week, rather than having several short teachings on various subjects. For example, you will spend an entire week covering prayer, another week covering evangelism, and another covering relationships.

All students are required to be part of a live-learn environment. In this setting we attend lectures, eat, have small groups, prepare for outreach and do work duties together. Students live in community-style housing with people of various nations, cultures and denominations. We strive to live as a family, which promotes constant application of the lessons being taught in the classroom. Meals are served in our beautiful dining room and are included in the cost of the school.

What is your passion? Check out DTS Tracks!

DTS Life

Schedule & Curriculum

How to apply?

English Language and Culture (ELC)

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ELC

Our English Language and Culture school aims to improve your English skills and acquaint you with American culture in an environment focused on Christian missions.

Exactly what does your ELC course cover?

Our course is an introduction to English. The student will be introduced to basic phonetics, grammar and vocabulary. By the end of the course a student should exhibit a dramatic improvement in speaking, reading, writing and comprehending English. Coursework will also prepare you to work cross-culturally in English-speaking nations around the world. Note: ELC is a full-immersion language course; all instruction and conversation is in English.

How long is the course?

This is a 12-week course.

How much does it cost?

The tuition is $2400 (USD) for the 12 weeks and includes housing, food, books and materials. If you are from a developing nation, please inquire about the availability of scholarships that could reduce your tuition costs.

ELC Life

Your day typically begins at 8 AM with prayer and devotional time. Formal classes run 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, with a 15-minute mid-morning break. Lunch is from 1:15 PM to 2:00 PM, followed by two hours of community work duties, giving you the opportunity to practice English outside of class. Dinner is served at 5:30 PM. Evenings feature a variety of special classes, including The Purpose Driven Life, Everyday Conversation and English in Movies. Weekends are generally free for recreation, homework and church, unless a field trip or special outing is scheduled.

Once each month, you and your fellow classmates will take a field trip to a city of cultural or historical importance. Washington DC, Colonial Williamsburg, Norfolk and Virginia Beach are typical destinations, though others are possible during your school. These all-day trips give you firsthand exposure to American culture, while at the same time giving you opportunity to practice your English in the "real world."

Application forms are available in English, Portuguese & Spanish. To complete online, click on the Online Application Form link below. You may also download an application (see links below). If you do not have access to a computer, contact us by email or phone and we will be happy to send you an application by mail

Our next courses begin September 15, 2008 & April 09, 2009

Application Form in English

Application Form in Spanish

Application Form in Portuguese

ELC@ywamva.org

(804) 236-8898

University of the Nations-Virginia

PO BOX 7736

Richmond, VA 23231-0236 USA

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School of Jewish Studies (SJS)

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After the three-month lecture phase, a variety of three-month internships are offered.

In addition to Israel, other possible destinations include New York City,

Ukraine, India, Brazil and other places with large Jewish populations...

Over 25,000 Israeli youth visit India every year after they have completed

their time in the military. This presents a great opportunity to share the love

of Messiah with them. If you or anyone you know are interested and want

more information, please click on the Talk To Us link below.

Lecture

Talk To Us

JWO

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Jewish World Office
...A global movement within YWAM.

Living the love of Yeshua the Messiah with Jewish people & sharing God's covenant love for the Jewish people within the Church...

Equipping a new generation of Jewish & Gentile Believers to share the love of Yeshua (Jesus) with the Nations...

Mobilizing a global prayer force to pray for Israel & the Jewish People through An Intercessors Guide to the Jewish World...

Pioneering ministries world-wide in covenant partnership with the Messianic Jewish Community...

Join us as we go to the ends of the earth to reach the Lost Sheep of Israel... sending teams to Israel, Brazil, Ukraine, Spain, the "Hippie Trail," & other Jewish communities.

About Richmond

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Founded at the falls of the James River, Richmond has played a pivotal role in the early history of this nation. It was here that Patrick Henry declared, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" A place of American "firsts," Richmond boasts the first permanent Jewish community, the first African American missionary and the first African American governor. Sadly, it was also the first port in North America where slaves were bought and sold at auction.

Since its founding, Richmond has been at the crossroads of every major division in American history. Whether the clashes among the Native Americans, or between the Indians and the British; the French and the British; the British and the Colonists, or the Americans themselves in the Civil War: all these historic schisms intersect on Richmond's hills. And while Richmond has a call to leadership, it also has a history of enmity between brothers based upon the roots of greed, lust for power, racism, and ultimately even murder.

We believe that God's purpose for Richmond is to transform this region from being a crossroads of conflict to a model of reconciliation.

Founded:
1737 By William Byrd II

Population:
City of Richmond 192,000
Richmond Region 996,000

Racial Composition:
Richmond - 57% Black, 38% White
Richmond Region - 30% Black, 64% White

AFRONetwork

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AFRON

African Redemption Operation Network is a ministry of YWAM-VA that seeks to enable Africans and those of African descent to realize their potential and leadership potential in the international Christian missions movement.

We are also called to facilitate reconciliation, healing and restoration of Americans, Africans, Europeans and other peoples suffering from the consequences of slavery and colonization.

The African people, those from Africa as well as those from the Diaspora, have unique talents and skills that can greatly bless and impact the world at large.

In earlier centuries, Africa contributed tremendously to the spreading of the gospel. Today, God is calling Africans to manifest His kingdom through the expression of their unique cultures and God-given talents--both here and abroad. In this historic era of modern missions, the African people are desperately needed!

Does your heart beat for peoples with an African heritage? Does your heart sing at the possibility of experiencing real and lasting reconciliation between races, classes and cultures? We in AFRON would love to talk with you. We offer numerous opportunities for training and service both here and overseas. Contact us!!

Student Application

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	This is the first of three steps in completing your student application. For step two,upon clicking the submit button, a PDF of the full student application will download to your computer. Please complete the PDF application and return it to the YWAM office. For step three, a representative from the YWAM office will contact you.
	*Denotes required fields

*First Name:

*Last Name:

*Address:

*City:

*State:

*Zip:

*Country:

*Phone:

- -

*Email:

I'm interested in:

(please select all that apply)

University of the Nations Courses

Discipleship Training School
English Language & Culture
Principles in Child & Youth Ministries
School of Jewish Ministries
Teaching English as a Second Language

Ministries

African Redemptive Operation Network
Jewish World Office
Urban Ministries
Kings Kids
Administrative/Logistical Support

Summer Trips

Mission Adventures
NIKO (Wilderness Experience)
Cameroon Connection

*Semester applying for:

September
January
April

*Personal History :

Please describe your conversion experience.

Please describe your present spiritual relationship with the Lord.

What areas of your character are you presently seeking God to further develop and improve?

Please describe your spriitual and/or ministry goals, including missionary service goals.

Please decribe your relationship with your local congregation, i.e., areas of ministry, service, leadership experience, gifts and abilities.

Please describe your business, professional, missions, or other significant experiences.

How would you describe your relationship with your family?

How does your family feel about your plans to enroll at UofN?

Nations Destiny

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Reconciliation and destiny through music

Nations Destiny is a band who reveals and depicts the destiny of the nations. A ministry of YWAM, Virginia Nations Destiny is an agent of reconciliation and a catalyst for cross-cultural relationships. YWAM, Virginia, an international and multicultural missions community, has been called to model and facilitate reconciliation in an urban context and with this calling to serve Jewish, African-American and First Nations people groups in Richmond, the USA and the world.

Through music that charts new territory and imparts a legacy Nations Destiny will contribute to the redemption of music in the context of worship, evangelism and entertainment. It is a band that plays at Worship services as well as at clubs and festivals and by doing so proclaims the Glory of God throughout the spheres of influence in society.

This ministry is being spearheaded by Linford Hurst. He has the desire to see the nations walking in the fulfillment of their destiny. The path God has given him is reconciliation through music. Currently we are looking for musicians to join with us in this undertaking. For more information or if you wish to assist with the launching of Nations Destiny contact Linford at linford@ywamva.org or call the office at 804-236-8898.

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Ministries

KKI

Our Schools

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(DTS) Discipleship Training School

(SJS) School of Jewish Studies

(ELC) English Language and Culture

(PCYM) Principles of Child and Youth Ministries

Our City

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Community Life

YWAMVA Campus
YWAM Life
Richmond Life
Facebook
YWAM Staff
Find the campus

CONTACT US

Welcome to YWAM in Richmond, VA

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Base Tour | Contact Us | YWAM.org | Richmond Ropes

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Getting Started
It's easy to get started. What's required is a personal relationship with God and a desire to help others know Jesus personally. It doesn't matter what denomination, which country or what nationality you are. If you are dying to make a difference... FAST CONTACT FORM

I'M A FUTURE STAFF
I'M A FUTURE VOLUNTEER
I'M A FUTURE STUDENT

"I never dreamed that I would have friends from so many countries" Jesse Melo - Brazil

Let us learn more about you

Apply Online
You only get one life. If you want to make yours count, if you want to make a difference, then YWAM Virginia is the place for you. Fill out the online applications and one of our staff will contact you soon.

Online Student Application
Download Editable Student Application (PDF)
Staff/Volunteer Application

Paypal Donation button

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