YWAM: Young Waves Are Multiplying?

Stories of second-generation YWAMers, practising what their parents have been preaching about influencing society through the life-spheres, raise our hopes for the future.

Film-maker David Cunningham, son of YWAM’s founders, was chosen by a major film company to produce a film based on best-seller Ghost Soldiers, after Steven Spielberg turned it down.

A year or so ago, the teenage daughter of a YWAM urban missioner was discovered to have exceptional singing talent, and has since been guest of the president of an Asian nation as she performed in nation-wide celebrations, appearing repeatedly on national television.

Daniel Bedingfield, whose parents lead an inner-city YWAM ministry in London, topped with UK hit parade earlier this year with a song he recorded in his bedroom, Gotta get through this.

Recently, Daniel was in Amsterdam where he hung out with other second generation YWAMers, including my sons. I was in Kiev when I received the following email from my son Stefan, sharing his thoughts triggered by their discussion.

“We were discussing YWAM and it’s future and how we ‘second’ generationers fit in. Someone mentioned Loren’s vision of waves of young people and something struck me regarding the nature of waves, especially big waves. Having surfed (or tried to) in New Zealand and other places, I’ve grown a healthy respect for the sea and the power that waves can have. There’s always a feeling of awe and wonder about them, appearing to keep coming up from out of nowhere, always new and changing yet consistent and reliable.

“The thing about waves is that if you’re in one and your not riding it, then you are definitely going to get munted (‘kiwi’ for wasted or destroyed). This is especially valid if it’s a big wave. I remember almost dying in Fiji after this freak wave came in from a totally unexpected direction and it was HUGE. I still thank God I didn’t get cheese-sliced by the reef just two metres underneath us. Had I tried to surf it, I might have been able to have the ride of my life – had I actually been able to surf big waves!

“Another aspect of waves is that they cover a huge distance before they reach land and actually break. When waves break at Jaws in Maui for example, they will have covered about 1000 kilometres of open sea before finally reaching their climax and creating an awe-inspiring sight. At sea however you wouldn’t realize a thing if the wave would pass underneath you, because of the depth of the ocean. But the wave is definitely there and often building in power until it becomes obvious to see the closer it gets to the break.

“My point is this. God is in the business of preparing waves, big waves. I think Loren’s vision of young people pouring over the nations is as relevant as ever. There are still some big waves coming! We might not be able to see these waves yet because they are still at sea and being prepared by God, but if you look closely at the rhythm of the ocean you can tell there is something coming.

“I think the legacy of growing up in YWAM (-like) environments is one of the things that your generation has blessed us with. It’s been God’s way of preparing the new wave, even as the old wave was still approaching land (and not yet finished by a long shot, I hope). The big wave riders keep close watch of weather buoys that measure the heights, periods and timing of waves in order to know if there are big waves for them to surf.

“Kind of the same way I’ve been picking up signals of big waves coming in the next generation. For example, in Holland (and to some degree in the UK), the Soul Survivor movement which clearly had it’s roots in YWAM (and Heidebeek) with the various people involved. Also the original Heidebeek worship recordings which helped inspire Graham Kendrick’s worship recordings, who in turn inspired the Soul Survivor UK guys, which again inspired Soul Survivor in Holland. Now I know there’s a lot of other aspects involved in making Soul Survivor what is today, but my point is that God is preparing these big waves through so many different people and organisations. I’m sure you know of your own examples throughout Europe, but through this I realized God’s faithfulness in creating new waves.

“It’s easy to look at the world and get discouraged and wonder where God is in the whole thing and what about his master plan to save the world. But if you look at the signs, the fact is that he is preparing massive waves to change the world. All the different areas of society that Christians are starting to get involved in – business, music, movies, politics, etcetera… you can really sense a big wave coming.”

What more can I say? Just don’t get ‘munted’. Ride the waves!

Till next week,

Jeff Fountain