Staff Retreat

The day after graduation, we started our annual staff training.  We sensed a need to clarify our values and explain our new expanding leadership structure.  With the growth we’ve experienced, there was a need to expand our leadership team.  During staff training, we spent time reflecting on all God accomplished just in this last 12 months.  

DTS Outreach to South Africa

Jesus touches lives with the arms of His people - who have you hugged today?

The message of the Gospel in song

Prayer releases the power of the Creator of the Universe to change things!

God brings hope even if we are hopeless...

Sharing the Gospel through a Drama

Recent Graduations at YWAM Orlando

On August 14, we held a graduation for our spring schools.  There were 30 graduates, and this doesn’t include 8 Bible Core Course students who graduated earlier this summer.  We gave a campus tour to approximately 40 family/friends of the graduates and provided a banquet for them, during which Michael shared the vision of YWAM Orlando.   Following this, we all participated in the graduation of the students and heard life-changing stories from their outreaches. 

Master's Degree Update

Another milestone this year is the completion of Michael’s study for a master’s degree in leadership.  As part of our leadership responsibilities, we are traveling to Australia for a YWAM international gathering and some leadership meetings.   While we are in Australia, Michael will walk in the UofN graduation ceremony for his master’s.  It’s been a great challenge to keep up with studies as well as pioneering YWAM Orlando and keeping up with other leadership responsibilities, but God has been faithful.

Twenty Years!

Twenty years ago this summer, we arrived in Orlando with vision in hand.  Walden and Beverly Owen and their son had established a YWAM presence here, teaching in local churches, but were moving into semi-retirement.  They invited us to come and establish our vision of a YWAM training base in Orlando with a commitment to strongly support us in this effort. Since those days of small beginnings with a team of 5, we are now at 123 staff on 185 acres that is becoming a major missions launch pad, sending out missionaries both short term and long term.  This journey has been filled with stories of God’s miraculous provision and breakthrough.  We invite you to join us on November 21 to celebrate and thank God for all He’s done in the past 20 years and to pray for and envision the next 20 years.

God’s Accomplishments at YWAM Orlando August 2014-August 2015

God’s Accomplishments at YWAM Orlando

August 2014-August 2015

The Lord has accomplished so much this year in and through our team at YWAM Orlando. We spent a significant amount of time in our staff training just thanking God for all He as done. Below are just a few of these accomplishments:

• Camping Cabins Completed October 28, 2014
• Selected a new staff Site Superintendent for renovations of buildings on campus
• Speak Life Tour – Shared biblical truth in schools in USA to 25,000 to 30,000 students
•  Record number of students last fall - 75 total (50 DTS-25 SOMD)
• Held SE Conference at YWAM Orlando – 600 YWAMers, 150 guests in attendance
• First UofN Graduation on our campus with 2 graduates receiving Associates in Arts degrees
• First trail-blazing trip to a particular closed country in Africa, (can’t be named in a public blog) paving the way for the DTS to go there.
• Winter 2015 DTS - First team from YWAM Orlando ever to go to this particular closed country  (April 2015)
• Finding mission partners in 5 key countries among those who have no access to the Gospel of Christ or the Bible.
• First School of Ministry Development outreach to a particular closed Middle Eastern Country
• April 2015 Built our first sand bag home in a closed Muslim nation in Africa
•  Joined S Lake Chamber of Commerce
• Depot completed and dedicated on May 8, 2015 – 14^th building completed on campus
• Spring 2015 First Performing Arts DTS Track
• First Teaching to Transform seminar pioneered here- April 2015
• New ministry started with Internationals from a closed Asian country now working in the Caribbean
• New ministry started with Asians from a closed country working in tourism in Orlando – Spring, April 2015
• Local cable company pays to set up infrastructure for phones and Internet throughout campus
• Café Opened - July 3, 2015
• New roof provided and installed on Depot and the roofing material provided for 7 additional buildings.
• School Of Ministry Development creates a prototype for an improved mobilization tour – 570 People signed up for info, 8 people applied for schools.
• Growth in worship team and numbers of new worship leaders
• Aug 14, 2015 First wedding proposal in our café called the Depot