Why live by faith?

Each of our staff serve here at the University of the Nations in Kona, Hawaii because they have sensed God drawing them to be a people who are called to live on the edge, daring to believe that nothing is impossible for God.

One of YWAM’s Foundational Values declares our dependence on God for our personal and ministry finances. Through a lifestyle of prayer and faith we’ve seen amazing financial provision.

For each of us, and for each base and ministry God’s supply comes primarily through His people. As God and His people have been generous towards us, so we desire to be generous.

This lifestyle of faith is the model given to us by Jesus, Paul, and the missionary teams of the New Testament. The book of Philippians begins with a thank you letter from Paul to his supporters!

Ministry partnerships formed between missionaries and their supporters are invaluable – not only for the financial support, but more importantly for the prayer that comes with it (“where your treasure is, there will your heart be also...”).

We become accountable to our “investors” and reciprocate with prayer, communication that involves our partners in ministry, and providing teaching and other resources to enrich their spiritual growth.

YWAMers give themselves, their time and their talents to God through the mission with no expectations of remuneration. We take God at His word where Jesus said in Matt 6:30 - 33 (NLT):

“And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

So you see, we take God literally at His word.

This is one of the ways through which we ensure that He gets all the glory and honor for the work we’re doing. None of us can take credit for being able to pay our rent and all the other living expenses on time each month, or airfares to go where He says “go”.

We can only point to our Father in Heaven and the faithfulness of His people who listen and obey, and be amazed again and again at His constant flow of supply.

Like the Israelites, we too have testimonies of God’s faithfulness through the years. The story of miraculous provision is as real today as it was for the Israelites when they wandered through the wilderness for forty years.

You will find in us a people who are in awe of the privilege of being able to work in ministry with our Creator God, and who are recipients again and again of His amazing grace.

We are so aware of our constant need to be looking to God alone as our source of supply. Discovering that He is a jealous God and He longs for us to live life leaning on Him for everything - whether it be finances, healing, breakthrough in ministry, or anointing to do His will - He is the source of supply for all of our needs.

For more understanding on faith and finances, please read Loren’s book Daring to Live on the Edge.

Why live in hawaii?

Hawai’i is often called the “Crossroads of the Pacific.” It’s an amazing melting pot of cultures and races integrating in a single spot.

This island chain also forms a spiritual and social bridge between the Americas, Oceania and Asia. So whether you come to the Hawai’ian Islands as a YWAMer, a tourist, a business person or retiree, there’s a good opportunity to experience diverse, intercultural community living.

Doing life in a multi-cultural, multi-generational and multi-denominational community is great training for anyone preparing for missions.

Beyond that, the geographic location of Hawaii plays a strategic role in missions. God called YWAM Kona to be a “lighthouse” to 26 Pacific island nations of our liquid continent, many of which feel very isolated. In contrast, Hawaii faces the Asian rim nations – some of the most populous nations on earth. The Pacific & Asia region include many of the nations in greatest need of receiving Good News!

Youth With A Mission here in Kona opens up doors of opportunities as new ministries are constantly growing and developing. Averaging 1,200 students per year, there is a constant flow of new missionaries through the University of the Nations campus.

At first glance, this volcanic rock in the middle of the Pacific... farther from any continent than any other island chain, making it one of the most remote places on earth... doesn’t sound like a choice location for one of the world’s largest mission training centers.

But God’s ways are above our ways, His thoughts above our thoughts.

In 1973, during an all-night prayer meeting near Honolulu on the island of Oahu, God spoke to Loren Cunningham and other YWAM leaders, staff and students about YWAM starting a work on the “Big Island” of Hawaii. To one, He gave the letter “K”, to another, the word “Kona”. Others saw visions of very specific places where YWAM was to locate.

This amazing time of “hearing God’s voice” (the story of our mission!) led Loren and others to embark on a faith adventure that involved incredible miracles – including the provision of the Pacific Empress Hotel and land where YWAM’s University of the Nations now stands (get the full story by reading Loren’s Book, Is That Really You, God?).

We later discovered that God had called us to the very place where the first Christian missionaries landed in Hawaii, establishing the first Christian church, and where revival broke out that transformed the whole of Hawaiian society. We are reclaiming this spiritual inheritance and working and praying for revival in THIS generation!

YWAM UofN Kona is now one of the largest Christian missionary training centers in the world. God has transformed the lives of over 50,000 people who have served and trained here during the past 30+ years... and the best thing is, we are bursting at the seams, with more and more people coming with a passion to know God and make Him known.

The University of the Nations is a global university. It began in Kona, but since its inception here in 1978, it has grown to offer more than 800 different kinds of courses and seminars (some of which are offered in 100+ languages), held at more than 600 locations in 142 countries.

Hundreds of thousands of students are registered within the global UofN system who have taken at least a Discipleship Training School (DTS), the entry course and pre-requisite for all other UofN courses and/or for becoming YWAM staff. Nearly 20,000 students attend UofN courses each year.