YWAMers gathered For Such A Time as This

YWAM staff, students and international leaders gathered together for a week long workshop from 7th to the 12 of September. This was for the 2009 University of the Nations Workshop taking place in four different locations, Switzerland, South Africa, Ukraine and Egypt. The theme for this year’s workshop was “For Such A Time As This” based on the story of Esther.

Lydia and Pam participated with the South Africa gathering in Worcester. An estimated 2000 people were recorded to have taken part in this event around the globe. The four locations connected together via Genesis and shared the richness in their cultures bringing the international feeling to life. In the opening ceremony Loren Cunningham talked about the foundations God has laid for 49 years and challenged the mission to continue dreaming whilst pursuing intimacy with God.

For five days we took part in the daily cooperate meetings where we pursued God together for where he was taking us as a mission and individuals. There were definitely challenging times, as we explored the endless opportunities God is calling YWAM to. Alongside the morning sessions, afternoon were filled with workshops, to further teach and uplift on 10 different topics to choose from daily. One of the workshops was the Communication workshop that AfriCom facilitated. The emphasis was on the value and potential of good communication within the mission. AfriCom also assisted a team that were responsible for daily reporting the conference on the U of N website. With so many gathered, networking opportunities were endless and it was great to work with some potential communicators and photographers in the mission.

Lydia said one of the highlight of the workshop for her was when many stood up together to signed the Jubilee covenant. Illustrating the heart of many who wants to serve God earnestly and be committed to be part of seeing the Great commission fulfilled.

One the last day of the conference a large map of the world was unfolded in the meeting hall. And after a message from Loren Cunningham a torch was simultaneously lit in each of the four locations. This flame was then passed on from candle to candle that each person held. The evening ended with prayer for the nations as people walked on the world map. For indeed we have been chosen for such a time as this to pray and go spread the gospel to all nations of the world.

Check out www.uofnworkshop.com for more stories and updates on the five days.

All about YWAM Com Teams

To find out more about the role Communication Teams like AfriCom play in Youth With A Mission, check out this short video. If you like it, you'd like to find out more, or you simply want to make a comment, let us know by clicking on the comment icon below.

Another Networking Opportunity

The last part of August you might have missed besides our everyday office work comes in pictures. These are photos taken at the YWAM Nation2Nation gathering in Cape Town. Nation2Nation is a ministry of YWAM mobilising people from all nations to celebrate our diversity and unity in Christ. In additon to the great program,one of our very own Pam took the stage, performing a drama and an Afro dance. She has been practising a few dances with UP4THETASK a performing arts ministry on the YWAM training centre here in Muizenberg and it was nice to support and see her in action.

Talking about networking and partnerships, Pam and Lydia are packing their bags this weekend in preparation for the seminar that AfriCom will be facilitating at the UofN here in South Africa. Evelien leaves for the Netherlands in a few hours for a break. Will suffer some Evelien withdrawal symptoms and glad it’s only a little over a month she will be away

Meanwhile, in Argentina ...

While AfriCom has been busy getting a newsletter printed and posted, and connecting with the YWAM staff in the south central region, LatinCom has hosted their first corporate gathering since the global communication consultation that was held there in April 2008. Com Team members from around the Latin American continent met together in Buenos Aires to pray, discuss strategy and to connect with one another. Miranda was able to meet with them via Skype to bring a greeting from Com Teams internationally and to field questions. It was great to 'drop in' on our fellow Com Team members in South America and particularly to see the Portuguese-speaking Brazilians and Spanish-speaking Latinos seeking to work more closely together on behalf of their continent.

Com Teams in South America have developed differently to those in Africa. From the beginning of LatinCom we have had representatives in a number of countries and the challenge has been to coordinate the work of those individuals as part of a Com Team strategy to support the work of YWAM in that part of the world. In Africa we have always had the core team working together from one location, with a common strategy, but we have had to work hard to mobilize regional teams for different parts of the continent. We have a lot to learn from one another and in both parts of the world we are seeking to work more closely with YWAM's communication training that takes place through the College of Communication that is part of the University of the Nations.

LatinCom, we wish you the very best as you serve YWAM in South America! Thanks for allowing us to connect with your gathering, it was great to 'see' you all :-)

South Central Africa Regional Conference

You could hear the sound of a drum resounding through the South Central region of Africa. People came from the North, South, East and West, for one purpose; to be reunited as a family.
On the 9th of August, YWAM South Central Africa gathered for their annual two years regional staff conference in Livingstone, Zambia. Altogether they formed a family rich in diversity and flavour, living throughout Angola, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

YWAM South Central Africa is rich in its assortment of ministries, but this was not the centre of the conference. The message of the conference was simple, ‘together for the harvest’, and the focus was to rest and to be set free from bondages and fears that withhold us from walking in our full potential serving God. To be unified as a region and together reach these nations for God.

Words of encouragement were spoken. “We are people of labour, people of turmoil, but the number one in spiritual warfare is to rest, rest for strength.” Jonathan Mumbi, director of YWAM Zambia said on the first day. This set the tone for the conference.

Guest speaker of the week was Don Gillman, base director of YWAM Taiwan. He inspired us with his message and challenged us with his life stories and questions. A few of his questions were, how far are we willing to go for the gospel, what fears are keeping us from the will of God, what is true obedience and what are our value systems?
Through the daily preaching there was a calling to come back to the heart of God to find rest, to be strengthened, and to receive Gods grace in the middle of struggle or victory. To come back to a place where we “Obey the Father and not the need of men.” (Oswald Chambers).

With teachings in mind, fellowship in the heart and a cup of tea in hand, YWAM South Central Africa together tackled their fears and discussed their value systems.

At the end of the conference people were returning to their homes, encouraged and prepared for the task before them.

Lydia Smit

Bits & pieces

Some of the advantages of having our office next to the YWAM Muizenberg base are easy networking and opportunities to hear stories without having to travel far.
We also get to be part of the cool things happening under their roof and participate in ministry and events. The most recent event we attended was the Catalyst 9 gathering in Cape Town. Catalyst 9 is part of an YWAM international outreach which takes place in different cities around the world. What a great way to find out what the YWAM teams are doing in and around the city of Cape Town in partnership with local churches.

This week Evelien and Pam are in the office. The Heathcote family is in the UK for a well deserved break. Lydia is in Livingstone, Zambia where she is attending the South Central Africa staff conference. Check the blog next week to read about her time there.

Djembe, the YWAM Africa newsletter that we produce from our office went out this week. If you are on our mailing list check your mail box, if you would like to receive a copy please let us know.

Meet Vikki

This is Vikki Wright, an awesome American YWAMer working in the north of Uganda with her British husband and three kids. We first got to know Vikki and John through Tim's visits to their rural YWAM campus to teach on Discipleship Training Schools. It took us a while to realize that she has a love of writing, and a little longer to draw her into YWAM communication through the writing of stories from her region. Back in May this year, Vikki joined us for CRIT and her desire to incorporate communication into her ministry in a greater way began to take form.

This week, as we met at the East Africa regional staff conference, it became clear that Vikki really carries the vision for developing communication more effectively in the region. In addition to that, she is a respected part of her base leadership team and well-known to the regional leaders, which makes it easier for her than for others to dialogue with the leaders on communication issues.

With the blessing of the leaders, Vikki has expressed a willingness to be the coordinator for AfriCom East, which she will do with help from Sandra Merriman who is geographically closer to the group of communicators located in Jinja, Uganda. That group is also being ably facilitated by Agnes, one of the graduates of our 2009 School of Field Journalism. Together these women will make a great team as we keep moving towards the goal of building more effective communication to, from and around East Africa. Welcome to the team!