Youth With A Mission is a global movement of Christians from many backgrounds, cultures and Christian traditions, dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world. Also known as YWAM (pronounced «WHY-wham»), we unite in a common purpose to know God and to make Him known.

When YWAM began in 1960, our main focus was giving young people opportunities to demonstrate the love of Jesus to the whole world. Today, we still focus on youth, but we have members (known as “YWAMers”) of almost every age.

We serve primarily in three ways: though training, through proclaiming the gospel, and through caring for those in need. We currently work in more than 1,200 locations in over 180 countries, with a staff of over 18,000.

Ministries
YWAM’s many ministries fit into three main categories: evangelism, training, and mercy ministry. Through these ministries, we desire to see God’s transformation in every sphere of society.

Evangelism
Christ’s love inspires us to use many creative means to make His gospel understood to any audience. We use tools such as music, performing arts and sports to connect with people of all ages and develop friendships which can lead to conversations of eternal value. YWAM also starts churches in places where there may be no church at all.

We believe everyone has the right to hear the good news about Jesus and our hope is to see fellowships of believers worshipping and following Jesus in every nation, tribe and tongue.

Training
Through our training programs we aim to better equip Christians to grow in their relationship with God and to serve others in everything from agriculture and health care, to business development and biblical counseling.

Our introductory course, the Discipleship Training School, is offered in many nations and languages. It’s an intensive five months of growing more like Jesus and serving Him in the world.

YWAM’s University of the Nations (UofN) offers specialized study in areas such as science and technology, linguistics, the humanities, and Christian ministry.

Mercy Ministry
If you believe it, you have to live it. YWAM’s mercy ministry teams follow Jesus’ example of compassion to those in need. We operate relief and development programs in over 100 countries, working among people living in desperate circumstances.

Our volunteers serve in areas such as agricultural assistance, the prevention of human trafficking, health care, and micro-enterprise development. Their goal is to ease suffering and provide hope for those affected by poverty, disease or injustice.

Spheres

In all of our ministries, we desire to see God’s transformation in every sphere of society. When Jesus talked about the kingdom of God, He described an upside-down world, a transformed world. What would a world like that look like today?

In YWAM, we talk about seven dimensions of societal transformation. We call these spheres. Our many ministries influence the spheres in a variety of ways. The spheres are:

• Family
• Government
• Economics (science, technology and business)
• Religion
• Education
• Media
• Celebration (arts, entertainment, and sports)

Work with Churches

YWAM Works “hand in hand” with national and local churches in each country. Each and every volunteer in YWAM is an active member in his or her church and the missionaries, short- or long-term, are sent to the mission field by their respective churches.