YWAM's Global Leadership Team Meets: Day 1

Each person had earlier been given a welcome pack that included a YWAM Lausanne ministry brochure with the title: "Come to where it all started". This bold statement made sense when YWAM's founder, Loren Cunningham, stood to welcome the leaders. He told them "we're here to look forward, but you always need to look back first before you can move forward". He then explained a little of the history of YWAM Lausanne, the place where it all started.
In 1969 God lead YWAM to start its first training school, the School of Evangelism, in Lausanne. This helped lead to a season of rapid multiplication in the mission. Forty years ago, this week, YWAM moved into a disused hotel and the YWAM Lausanne campus was born. For four decades now, ministries, schools and training centres have been pioneered out of this campus.

Fifteen years ago the large building was falling down, and had been condemned by the government. God called Loren and Darlene Cunningham back to Lausanne to help re-pioneer the base. After considerable rebuilding the campus is now thriving. Next weekend the base will celebrate its 40th anniversary, and the following week the University of the Nations workshop will be held here.

Lynn Green, YWAM's International Chairman, was also part of the small group who pioneered YWAM Lausanne back in 1969. He told the GLT tonight "It's special to be here now. Forty years ago we would have thought it was impossible that we could be here today." He exhorted the GLT to be expectant in this coming week of meetings, explaining that in the past few weeks the same word from the Lord has come repeatedly. We are about to enter a time of massive growth of the Kingdom of God: "we have before us the opportunity to trail blaze a path no one has walked before."

Tomorrow morning will start with a united time of prayer and worship. Running alongside the main GLT meetings this week is the Young Leaders' Track, with some 25 invitees. They'll join the GLT for times of prayer and strategising, as well as meeting separately to focus on leadership development. The Prayer Shield, with 19 intercessors, will also be meeting daily to pray for the meetings. We're urged by the apostle Paul to pray for our leaders. So please take time to pray that this week would be a time of remembering God's goodness of the past, and of hearing fresh direction for the future.