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(Image: Thousands saved: Impact World’s GC-Jam performs in a stadium in Fortaleza, Brazil)
How high are your hope levels? What are you expecting from God? Do you have a sense of hovering glory about to break loose?
The theme of our recent Global Leadership Consultation (GLC) in Fortaleza, Brazil was "Multiplying the Kingdom in the New Millennium." I think that’s what we will be doing and I have a feeling that God is up to something big. As in all promises, however, there are conditions to be fulfilled in order to enter into our potential.
God spoke to us about many subjects in Fortaleza. He highlighted the importance of living and maintaining our core values, teachings, and principles. He spoke strongly about unity in our diverse richness of vision. He called us to renewed holiness, obedience, and integrity in our lives. We were reminded to be thankful to one another rather than sinking into an attitude of retribution. Once again we were told that it’s our duty to provide equality of opportunity for women, young people, and people from the developing world.
The times of warfare to take possession of our inheritance were intense and powerful. God gave us special burdens for Africa, Australia, Asia, and China. The centrality of our relationship to God was heavily emphasized. Without Him we can do nothing.
As to vision, we felt reaffirmed in our practice of encouraging grassroots initiatives. We had more far more visions than delegates at the GLC! Much of our vitality and strength come from the room we give people to go after their dreams. However, some things did take on global stature during our meetings. We were invited by the Pacific and Asia leadership team to our international staff gathering, Olympic outreach, and to participate in a two-year emphasis on Asia. We noted a loading of vision towards the unreached in the written reporting. God powerfully admonished us not to forget Africa. Loren gave us a teaching on multiplying through training.
Meanwhile, mighty things were happening. Over 300 churches in Fortaleza used our meeting as a stimulus and united with YWAM to promote evangelism and missions in the city. All around us tens of thousands of people were getting saved and hundreds of pastors were making commitments to missions. This in itself was a clear word to our mission. The reason we have programs, courses, meetings, structures, etc., is to result in the transformation of people from darkness to light.
One of the most encouraging times of the week was when we heard from Luis Bush. He understands us so well and has such high expectations of us that it inspired everyone. We began, I think, to expect more of ourselves.
In 1960, YWAM started already different from other missions in some ways. We have continued to develop in a unique manner. Right now, roughly half of our mission force comes from the developing world. Our next president, Frank Naea, is a Samoan/Maori. We are following an organizational concept, the family of ministries, which seems to have few if any precedents. Throughout the consultation God encouraged us to be bold and accomplish our goals in new and creative ways.
I’m full of hope, and proud to be a part of YWAM. We have some problems, but we also represent a singular resource in the hands of God as we come up on the new millennium. It’s a portentous time to be alive. Let’s respond to God with wholehearted love, obeying His conditions and thus enabling Him to bless and use us to the maximum of our potential.
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