What does God think of His creation?
The beginning of lockdown, March 2020. I’m sitting in the kitchen reading the news on my phone trying to relax. The news item? Another environmental problem – a familiar and sad theme but still strangely interesting. But this time I notice the Spirit is trying to get my attention to not just understand but pray about the […]
We don’t have a problem with women in leadership! …do we?
Gender-inequity in Youth with a Mission (YWAM)? No, we don’t have this problem! We do have women in leadership roles! Of course we do! I mean, if our founder even wrote a book with the title Why Not Women?, then there cannot be a problem! …or can it? But let’s be honest. Are we daring to […]
What is an Eldership Team? How does its authority and responsibility function?
When I was first asked to join the Area Eldership team for Youth with a Mission (YWAM) Central Europe, I did not know all that it would entail. It was back in 2015 when our mission was transitioning from having a hierarchical structure with Regions and Directors to having a more flattened structure with Areas […]
Do’s and Don’ts on Social Media
Have you ever been on a mission trip? As Christians, we are called to make God known in all corners of the world. No country is too far, no climate too cold or too hot. We go because we want the world to know Jesus. If you ever went on a mission trip, you most likely made a […]
Keys to Dynamic Written Communication
As I sit down to write this piece, I am aware of the wealth of material available in print and online about this very subject. If you want to learn how to communicate well in writing, there is no shortage of excellent resources to help you learn. (Two worthwhile places to start would be to […]
Garden City: Work, Rest, and the Art of Being Human.
Garden City: Work, Rest and the Art of Being Human In Garden City, popular pastor and speaker John Mark Comer gives a fresh take on our calling and our purpose, with a surprisingly counter-culture take. Through his creative and conversational style, Comer takes a good look at Genesis and the story of a man, a woman, and […]
Theology of Work
The first few years after I left YWAM full-time, I felt the work that I was not doing in the church or YWAM was a waste of my time and of no value, because I was not working for the Lord. This was my thinking. Luckily through Holy Spirit, Bible, books, seminars, and long talks with many […]
‘Thinking’ About Vocation
The word vocation comes from the Latin word “vocaré”, which means to call or name. It is a term that has been extensively discussed amongst scholars and theologians and throughout the centuries has been associated primarily with those who occupied positions within the clergy or church domain. That meant other forms of work, such as […]
Builders, Boomers, X, Y, Z: Understanding each of the five generations currently in YWAM
When you first arrived at your Youth With A Mission (YWAM) location, who was the first person to meet you? Was it one of your Discipleship Training School (DTS) staff, or a transport manager, your team leader or base leader? Good chances it was someone in their twenties – and whatever their age, ready to […]
YWAM’s Secret Sauce?
The young and the old together YWAM. In essence, it is a space where the young and old can fulfill godly purposes. Together. My YWAM journey began when a 20-year old Minnesota-born boy found himself at a YWAM event. It took place in Munich at the 1972 Olympic Games Outreach. I remember it as a […]