Our Vision
To nurture and pioneer missional communities locally and globally.
We believe God has given us a mandate to bring Kingdom transformation to our city
by establishing communities of people who will embody Jesus to their neighbours
and the nations.
Our Story
Youth With A Mission Durban was birthed after much prayer after the end of Apartheid in early 2004. It was pioneered by a small team with strong connections to the local community, both demonstrating the love of God in practical ways and then creating opportunities for young people to hear the gospel and then be trained to take the gospel into the nations! Nineteen years later the heart of our base burns with the same fire God instilled many years ago!
Much has changed since then, our team has grown and with it, the impact we’re making here in our city. We run a literacy program for children and youth, a community Bible study program, a home-based care team, an empowerment project for the elderly and work in a specific school in Embo township. We have been consistently running Discipleship Training Schools, in addition we have added a Discipleship Bible School to our training track. We are pioneering our first leadership seminar this year. We are currently retaining 10% of our DTS students as full-time volunteers.
We bought our first property in 2017 in an instalment-based sale; despite the financial challenges of Covid God was faithful in providing the money to pay off the property! This has further established the ministry and rooted the vision God has given us.
Meet The Team
YWAM's 18 Foundational
Values
1 / Know God
YWAM is committed to know God, His nature, His character and His ways as revealed in the Bible, the inspired and authoritative Word of God.
2 / Make God Known
YWAM is called to make God known throughout the whole world, and into every arena of society through evangelism, training and mercy ministries.
3 / Hear God's Voice
YWAM is committed to creating with God through listening to Him, praying His prayers and obeying His commands in matters great and small.
4 / Practice worship and intercessory prayer
YWAM is dedicated to worship God and engage in intercessory prayer as integral aspects of daily life.
5 / Be visionary
YWAM is called to be visionary, continually receiving, nurturing and releasing fresh vision from God.
6 / Champion young people
YWAM is called to champion youth. We believe God has gifted and called young people to spearhead vision and ministry.
7 / Be decentralized
YWAM is a Christ-centered, faith-based global volunteer movement, united by shared vision, core beliefs, foundational values and relationships.
8 / Be international and interdenominational
YWAM is international and interdenominational in its global scope as well as its local constituency.
9 / Have a biblical Christian worldview
YWAM is called to a biblical Christian worldview. We believe that the Bible—the textbook for all of life—makes a clear division between good and evil; right and wrong.
10 / Function in teams
YWAM is called to function in teams in all aspects of ministry and leadership.
11 / Exhibit servant leadership
YWAM is called to servant leadership as a lifestyle, rather than a leadership hierarchy.
12 / Do first, then teach
YWAM is committed to doing first, then teaching. We believe that firsthand experience gives authority to our words.
13 / Be relationship-oriented
YWAM is dedicated to being relationship-oriented in our living and working together. We desire to be united through lives of holiness, mutual support, transparency, humility, and open communication, rather than a dependence on structures or rules.
14 / Value the individual
YWAM is called to value each individual. We believe in equal opportunity and justice for all.
15 / Value families
YWAM affirms the importance of families serving God together in missions, not just the father and/or mother.
16 / Practice dependence on God
YWAM is called to practice a life of dependence upon God for financial provision.
17 / Practice hospitality
YWAM affirms the ministry of hospitality as an expression of God’s character and the value of people.
18 / Communicate with integrity
YWAM affirms that everything exists because God communicates. Therefore, YWAM is committed to truthful, accurate, timely and relevant communication.