Family Ministries (YWAM) began with family camps in
Family Ministries is a three-fold YWAM ministry.
1. A MINISTRY OF YWAM, involving:
- Seminars on family, marriage, parenting, healthy sexuality and addiction.
- Family restoration.
- Ministering to the families of the poor and needy countries of the world
- Camps for family enrichment.
- Family counselling.
- Family therapy clinics.
- Short-term missions on family values.
2. TRAINING. As one of the three main streams (or divisions) of the
- Foundations of Family Life seminars.
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- Bachelor of Arts (Family Ministries).
3. FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE is a centre of the University of the Nations. The FRC conducts a school in family ministry (FMS), seminars on the family, provides resources on the family, is engaged on research on the family, teaches on the family and sends short-term missions to the poor and needy areas of the world.
Mission Statement
YWAM INTERNATIONAL FAMILY MINISTRIES MISSION STATEMENT
To glorify God, to bring the gospel to the unreached families of the world,
and to restore families to their biblical destiny
I. Objectives
A. To Evangelize Families
To bring the Gospel to the unreached families of the world. Our target is the lost,
wherever they may be found. Of particular interest are families who have been
denied access to the Gospel.
B. To Restore Broken Families
To bring healing to broken individuals and families and to help them return to
the biblical blueprint for family life.
C. To Strengthen Christian Families
To help Christian families live out biblical family lifestyles in the midst of hostile
and anti-family environments.
D. To Train Families In Ministry
To provide practical, biblical, training opportunities for individuals and families
called to work in family ministry.
E. To Challenge Families To Fulfill Their Destiny
To challenge families to recognize their role in fulfilling the Great Commission.
F. To Mobilize Families Into Missions
To provide opportunities for families to participate in local, national and
international outreaches.
II. Strategies - to accomplish these objectives include, but are not limited to, the following:
A. Family in ministry teams
B. Seminars, conferences, workshops, camps.
C. Family Resource Centres
D. Out-patient Family Counseling Centres
E. Marriage mentoring programs
F. U of N schools (DTS-FM, FMS, BLS, LTS)
G. Partnering with local churches, YWAM bases, agencies and ministries.
H. Promotion of biblical family values in education, public policy and civil laws
I. Media productions
III. YWAM Int'l Family Ministries Values Statement
Basic YWAM Values
One of the foundational values that YWAM recognizes is the value of the family. YWAM's commitment to the family is expressed in the document entitled, "Foundational Values of Youth With A Mission." Item number 15 in that document reads as follows:
" YWAM affirms the importance of families serving God together in missions, not just the father and/or mother. We encourage the development of strong and healthy family units, with each member sharing the call to missions and contributing their gifts in unique and complementary ways."
Specific YWAM Int'l Family Ministries Values
To answer the basic question, "What is a family?" we must first answer the
question, "What is the nature and character of the God that we serve?" Gen.1:27-28.
B. We recognize there are timeless family values and principles that must not be
attached or limited to a particular culture or historical time period. Psalm 145:13,
Malachi 3:6. Hebrews 13:8, James 1:17.
C. We affirm the family as a primary place for discipleship, training and
character development. Deut. 6:4-9, Eph. 6:4, Prov. 1-7, Gen. 8:19.
D. We recognize the family as a major key to reaching a culture or people group.
Mt. 28:19-20, Mal 4:6, Acts 16:31.
E. We recognize that the strength of a nation is related to the integrity of the
family. Mal. 4:6.
F. We affirm the family as a proving ground for ministry and church leadership.
I Tim. 3:4-5, II Tim 3:14-15.
G. We affirm the need for biblical family models to be established worldwide.
Mt. 5:14-16, Jn. 13:34-35.
H. We affirm the biblical ideal of marriage to be a life-long covenant between a man
and a woman. Gen. 2:23-24, Mt. 19:4-6.
I. We affirm the value of individuals being a part of a family, either nuclear, extended
or surrogate. Gen. 2:18, Ps. 68:6.
J. We recognize the need for biblical family values to be taught in education.
Prov. 22:6.
K. We recognize that families need to be mobilized to participate actively in fulfilling
the Great Commission. Mt. 28:19-20.
For additional information: www.ywam-fmi.org, www.uofn-frc.org
Andreas and Angela Fresz, azf@ywam-fmi.org Revised March 2010
Family ministry involves both prevention and therapy. Prevention means teaching and demonstrating God's principles of marriage and family, before breakdown occurs. Family counselling comes in when breakdown has occurred and is a ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). These two aspects of the ministry occur as follows:
1. An anointed prophetic ministry to the nation in a manner that can be understood by the ordinary person of today. It is a message of hope from a God of hope, proclaiming his will, character and grace to a very needy world.
2. The teaching of biblical principles of marriage and family, so people will no longer call evil good, or good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter (Isaiah 5:20)
3. Teaching on family systems and the dysfunctional family - on how families operate, the normal and the abnormal. This includes instruction on the effects of the family of origin, family abuse and compulsive/addictive behaviour in the dysfunctional family.
4. Specialised training in family therapy and counselling, in view of the restoration of the broken and hurting individual and family. The healing of the male is considered a key issue.
5. Teaching and helping families to be "World Christians" and be involved in the fulfilment of the Great Commission of making disciples of all the nations. This will include outreaches locally, nationally and overseas and adopting an unreached people group.
Implementation of the Vision
The following methods are used to implement this vision:
- Intercession for God to raise up prophets, teachers and ministers.
- Intercession for the church.
- Seminars on the family in general, marriage, parenting, sexuality, addiction.
- Family counselling.
- Family camps.
- Family ministry short-term missions.
- Family therapy and counselling clinics.
- U of N training courses (Family Ministries School, Family Therapy School).
- Children and youth ministries.
- Rehabilitation of the highly dysfunctional.
