Click Here for the Google Map of our location

The idea of YWAM began with a 20-year-old American college student who was spending some time in prayer. As he leaned back in his bed and looked up, he saw what he called a “mental movie.” He saw waves on a map. The waves turned into young people, going to every continent, sharing the good news about Jesus.

This radical idea, that young people could be missionaries, stayed with this young man, Loren Cunningham. Four years later, in 1960, he started an organization with that idea expressed even in its name: Youth With A Mission. The organization grew quickly, and is now one of the world’s largest Christian mission organizations, with a staff of nearly 16,000 people working in over 1,000 locations across more than 149 countries. We represent numerous denominations and speak hundreds of languages, with half of our staff from “non-western” countries, such as Brazil, Korea, Indonesia, India and Nepal. Together we train and send out more than 25,000 short term missionaries every year.

YWAM Honolulu Base History

In 1979 God’s direction was to start a Youth With A Mission training and sending Base in Honolulu. Twenty staff and students led by Kalafi Moala from the YWAM Kona’s April 1979 School of Evangelism were the first to pioneer the work in Honolulu on the island of Oahu, home of over 80% of the states population, the door of the South Pacific and Asia. Kalafi was burdened by the cry of Asia, where half of the world’s population was still beyond the reach of the Gospel. What was needed was a fresh wave of young missionaries committed to the task of evangelizing the unreached nations beyond the Pacific. Soon Pioneer Ministries, as it was known back then was born.

When they first came to the island looking for the right place, God spoke to them to settle in the Manoa Valley. (Interestingly, Manoa Valley originally housed the first missionaries and their families on Oahu). Manoa Valley is located just 3 miles from downtown Honolulu and the beaches and 15 minutes from the Honolulu International Airport. So they believed God for a 3.5-acre parcel of land located at the mouth of the valley directly behind the University of Hawaii. On the property were 5 military bungalows (transplanted years later by the owner) and eight houses. In September 1980, the owner of the property was not interested in us; therefore our first two DTS’s bounced around from garage to a front room of a house in the back of the valley. During those schools many hours of prayer went into seeing the Lord bring about His desire for us.

One year later, September 1981, the owner’s brother decided to retire from managing the property and negotiations began. A six-year lease was drawn up. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness! As the first small group of pioneers moved onto the Base, it didn’t quite look like it does today. The Tin Cathedral was a dirt floored boat shed, jungle covered much of the property, and many of the houses were totally trashed.

Gradually, they cleaned up the houses, cut down the jungle, set up an office and began making improvements. To this day, improvements continue – though it seems we often stay just one step ahead of the termites. We are grateful for the wonderful blessing God has given us in these 3 prime Manoa acres. We have approximately 45 Base, DTS, KDTS, SOME and SBSCC staff and up to 70 students.

Pioneering the Base was difficult but rewarding. Over the years the Lord has changed thousands of lives and will continue to do so as students come here and are trained and sent throughout the South Pacific, Asia and the world. YWAM Bases in the South Pacific and Asia have been pioneered through us and we are trusting God to continue to use us to impact the world for Jesus!

Click Here for a full length promo video for YWAM Honolulu

Click Here to watch this SOME video on YouTube

September 23rd, 2010 is the beginning of our next S.O.M.E. Jhun and Jhie Jhie Camacho have lived in India for approximately 20 years. Jhun has served as director over all of YWAM’s ministries in New Dehli. With decades of missions experience the Camacho’s are excellent directors for the SOME.

Click here to download an application for our SOME or click here for more information. Don’t miss this opportunity to receive excellent training that will prepare you for the mission field or any ministry you feel called to.

Danny Lehmann founded the Seek Fund many years ago as a way to support these workers. Only workers from developing nations are eligible to receive support from the Seek Fund, and they must have been trained at YWAM Honolulu or our daughter bases. Each worker  maintains direct accountability and good recommendation from YWAM leadership in their field of service. These are missionaries represent part of the most dynamic movement in missions today: workers from the developing world reaching out to the developing world. Consequently however, they have little or no other means of financial support.

There are currently over a hundred workers who receive support from the Seek Fund. These workers represent many diverse ministries to thousands of the unreached. YWAM Honolulu has committed to tithe 2% of its income to the Seek Fund. Workers receive 20-40 each time money is sent, which is almost monthly. Please consider giving to the Seek Fund as a way to support missions.

Donations can be made to the Seek Fund by sending checks to “YWAM Accounting”, PO Box 61700, Honolulu HI, 96839 with a separate note saying the donation is for the Seek Fund, or by calling 808-988-1694 to arrange credit card donations. You also have the option to designate your donation to a particular worker or workers in a particular location. 100% of all donations are sent to workers on the fund – nothing is taken for the administrative costs of our office.

Click here for our travel site

Next time you are looking to travel please consider booking on this site to help support missionaries around the world. Mahalo!

Every Friday Night at 6:30pm you can join us for worship at “Launch”. Our first meeting of the Summer Quarter is Friday July 9th. Come for worship and to hear one of our guest speakers who come from all over the world. Feel welcome to come to the “Tin Cathedral” – our classroom next to the volleyball court.

Launch Speaker Schedule:

July9 – Danny Lehmann = YWAM’s Director of Hawaiian the Islands,
July 16 – David Burr = YWAM Honolulu Assistant Base Director
July 23 – Aaron Larson = One Love Oahu staff
July 30 – Ralph Corum = YWAM Honolulu Frontliner in East Asia
August 6 – Maria Daughtry = YWAM Honolulu staff
August 13 – Joe Portale = Director of the French World YWAM International
Further weeks still pending – schedule is subject to change

We also have a worship time every Monday morning at 8:30am and Intercession on Thursdays at 8:30am where we pray for the nations and issues affecting our world. Both of these also happen in our Tin Cathedral. You can also inquire in our office about what guest speakers are teaching in our training schools and sit in on our lectures to see what a YWAM training school is like.

Click Here for a Google Map of our location

YWAM Honolulu runs two Korean DTS’s a year and some Discipleship Training Courses for local Korean business people in Honolulu. Korean Ministries has strong relationships with several local churches on Oahu and is pioneering new works in East Asia. They are a truly wonderful element of our base.

You can check them out here on their own website.

DTS helps you learn to feel the pulse of that world and deliver a message of life. Are you ready for more? Are you ready to see what God can do through a life totally surrendered to Him? Knowing God and making Him known, that’s what DTS is all about. Join us, and dare to believe in the impossible!!

The Discipleship Training School is an intensive program designed to develop responsible Christian character. It emphasizes the development of solid, Biblical foundations, a dynamic personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and a life that reflects these to others. The DTS program includes interactive classroom sessions with visiting speakers, personal discipleship, worship, and local evangelism.

Your DTS outreach could find you serving anywhere from a quiet Fijian village to a bustling Indian city. Living among the people, you will be able to express your faith through your testimony, participation in friendship evangelism, a drama team, or just sharing the Gospel one-on-one. DTS offers a unique opportunity to set yourself aside for God, to draw close to Him, and see what He can do through you. Prayerfully consider when you should do your DTS. You’ll be glad you did.

Click Here to download a DTS Application

YWAM Honolulu’s Korean Ministries also runs two Korean DTS’s each year. For more information click here.

Cost: Lecture Phase $3800
Outreach Phase (including airfare) $2900

Starting Dates:
January 14, 2010 – June 13, 2010
September 23, 2010 – February 27, 2011
January 13, 2011 – June 5, 2011

This course is designed to give students a thorough understanding of the inductive approach to Bible study, equipping them with many tools for integrating the Word of God into one’s personal life, and using it as a foundation for ministry.

As a student, you will learn how to employ many creative and diverse methods for reading, interpreting and applying the scriptures. You will also be involved in topical seminars, dramatic re-creations, and various forms of research, including historical, archaeological, literary and geographical studies.

During the course you will receive an overview of the entire Bible, as well as study many individual books in depth from both the Old and New Testaments. We will equip you to work with every genre of literature found in the Bible, including the Gospels, the Epistles, and the Torah, as well as Prophetic and Poetical books thus providing a holistic overview.

Besides learning the skills needed for studying the Bible, the School of Biblical Studies Core Course (SBSCC) provides a means for learning how to incorporate the scriptures into areas of evangelism including, public proclamation, street preaching, worship and intercession. We value scripture memorization as well as meditation. We also give opportunities to gain experience in leading small group Bible studies, and in enhancing teaching and preaching skills.

As a part of Youth With A Mission Honolulu, we provide a broad range of learning opportunities. Activities include worship, intercession, small groups, work duties, plus lots of fun times with friends and adventures in and around Honolulu.

An optional outreach with the SBSCC is highly encouraged! Former SBSCC students have been sent to countries such as India, Thailand, Brazil, Cambodia, Fiji, Nepal, the Philippines and more. Students are encouraged to take the skills taught in the classroom and apply them in a cross cultural setting. It is an opportunity to practice teaching and preaching skills and to minister to people in diverse settings. Our goal for SBSCC outreaches is to come alongside the local Church, strengthening and empowering the international body of Christ with the Word of God.

The SBSCC will equip you for a lifetime of Bible Study.

So what are you waiting for? Apply today!

Click Here to download an SBS Core Course Application

Cost: Lecture Phase $3600
Completion of DTS is required

Starting Dates:
April 15 – July 11th, 2010

Do you want to give some spare time to help fulfill the Great Commission? YWAM locations around the world can use your help! Volunteering for YWAM could mean giving a few hours a week at a YWAM location near you, or spending a year serving overseas.

Here are some common needs:

• Kitchen
• Housekeeping
• Construction/Electrical/Plumbing/Carpentry
• Building/painting/repair
• Grounds Maintenance
• Fund Raising
• Accounting
• Data Entry/Computer Work
• Web/Graphic Design
• General Office Help
• Administrative Tasks
• Secretarial Duties/Telephone and Reception
• Journalism/Communication/Editorial Work

Click here to download SOME application (PDF)

The SOME will take you one-step further into your calling in ministry. The program builds upon the foundations laid in the DTS and begins developing you as a communicator of the Gospel. The school has a strong mission emphasis and includes intercession for the Nations, teaching on the biblical, historical and current strategies used in World Evangelization. There are six billion people alive on earth today, and over half of them have never hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Seven thousand people groups still wait for a Christian witness. God is looking for dedicated men and women who can be the channels of His love to the spiritually wounded and dying of this world. The School of Missions and Evangelism seeks to form you into one that can carry that message.

This begins with staying close to God’s heart for the world. Prayer and worship are key aspects of the SOME program. Knowledge and understanding is gained through the teaching ministries of our guest speakers. They address the topics of: evangelism strategies, the doctrine of salvation, ministry development, apologetics, principles of leadership, and discipleship. Throughout the lecture phase, workshops and community outreach help to develop skills in teaching, preaching, leading Bible studies, and in personal and street evangelism; to equip you to be a disciple maker. Graduates of SOME have gone on to minister effectively in India, Japan, Nepal, China, and many other nations of Asia and the Pacific. The School of Missions and Evangelism can be your next step toward fulfilling your missions call.

Cost: Lecture Phase $3600
Outreach Phase (including airfare) $2600

Starting Dates:
September 23, 2010 – February 27, 2011