In 1956, Loren Cunningham, a twenty-year old Bible College student, relaxed on his bed after a gospel quartet singing engagement in the Bahamas and asked God to speak into his mind. He was given a mental movie of waves crashing every shore that morphed into kids his age and younger covering every continent. Four years later, as a newly ordained pastor in Los Angeles, he led a group of young people on a mission trip to Hawaii and founded Youth With A Mission. Today, Loren’s vision has grown into a mercy and missions volunteer organization that operates in 1000 locations in 180 countries with a staff of over 18,000.
One of those locations is San Pedro in Belize. And that’s where one of our young people, Lauren, will attend YWAM’s Discipleship Training School from September 4 to January 18. During the first three months she will be involved in the Lecture Phase, which offers a blend of speakers, challenging academics, small group experiences, one on one time with qualified staff, and outdoor adventures. The next two months, known as the Outreach Phase, will see Lauren living in primitive conditions and working long days as she and her team bring God’s message of hope to people in word and deed.
“I chose to go into a missionary program, because I wanted to mature and find my way in God's path before I move on to university,” Lauren explained, adding that she feels a strong calling to come closer to God.
Lauren follows in the footsteps of Kim, another member of our congregation who served many years as YWAM staff in Australia before returning home this spring. Like Kim, Lauren is committed to YWAM’s vision: To know God and to make God known.
Lauren has been given permission to place a fundraising letter in our church mailboxes. She needs to raise $5,650 by September 4. Marja and I will certainly donate something; I hope you will, too.
“I want to immerse myself in God's will,” Lauren said. May God bless her as she joins the waves of young people that Loren, YWAM’s founder, envisioned fifty-six years ago.
- Pastor Peter
One of those locations is San Pedro in Belize. And that’s where one of our young people, Lauren, will attend YWAM’s Discipleship Training School from September 4 to January 18. During the first three months she will be involved in the Lecture Phase, which offers a blend of speakers, challenging academics, small group experiences, one on one time with qualified staff, and outdoor adventures. The next two months, known as the Outreach Phase, will see Lauren living in primitive conditions and working long days as she and her team bring God’s message of hope to people in word and deed.
“I chose to go into a missionary program, because I wanted to mature and find my way in God's path before I move on to university,” Lauren explained, adding that she feels a strong calling to come closer to God.
Lauren follows in the footsteps of Kim, another member of our congregation who served many years as YWAM staff in Australia before returning home this spring. Like Kim, Lauren is committed to YWAM’s vision: To know God and to make God known.
Lauren has been given permission to place a fundraising letter in our church mailboxes. She needs to raise $5,650 by September 4. Marja and I will certainly donate something; I hope you will, too.
“I want to immerse myself in God's will,” Lauren said. May God bless her as she joins the waves of young people that Loren, YWAM’s founder, envisioned fifty-six years ago.
- Pastor Peter
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