Reef to Outback News Page

With over 500 YWAMers, alumni, guests, hundreds of tents, good food, and the famous Loren and Darlene Cunningham, YWAM Australia partied it up last week at its most exciting event of the year - the YWAM 50 year Jubilee celebration!

Loren Cunningham may never have thought as a young man envisioning a wave of young people that he would start something that would change the lives of millions, send young people out to do missions, start more than 800 centres in over 100 different countries througho… Continue

ts that time again! A new quarter, with new faces all around. We just kicked off week one of the January 2010 Discipleship Training School.

This school is being lead by Ania Kossar and Naomi Emerson.

"I want them to touched by God in a way that will bring lasting change to their lives. I dont want them to have temporary change, I want it to be permanent", says school leader Ania Kossar.

After doing base orientation, eating a wonderful breakfast, introducing the Reef to Outback staff to the ne… Continue

So it's that time of year again. When the snow is coming down outside and everyone sits by the fire enjoying their favorite hot drink - or should i said their coke with extra ice as they build their sandcastles and eat pineapple in sunny Townsville!


We had an amazing Christmas together as a family here at RTO. With roughly 100 staff, students, and visitors all coming from different nations and cultures, we got to enjoy some delicious food, presents, water fights, and laughter!


In the excitin… Continue

At a special Thanksgiving ceremony, YWAM Reef to Outback staff celebrated friends, family, and of course - all of the wonderful things that happened in the last year of serving here in Australia. To remind us of some of the fun stories and victories along the way, the lovely Joanna Orpia put together a video presentation. Enjoy!

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When YWAM RTO staff member Jonathan Spainhour showed up to a morning tea with a handful of fliers advertising a donut flavour and naming contest, his fellow staff went wild. Everything from a Peanut Butter and Jelly donut to a Compassionfruit donut was submitted and conversations surrounding the yummy lum… Continue

Looking to do something different in 2010? YWAM has a variety of training opportunities and short term and long term outreach opportunities for people to engage with.

Here are just some of the ways you could could use your time to make a huge difference next year:

* Join the YWAM Australia & PNG Ship Tour!
- Hip Hop Dancers
- Cultural Dancers
- Band
- Tour Guides/Public Relati… Continue

Hi everyone!
Our July DTS has been on outreach for two weeks now and we have already heard back from them some simply amazing stories! New Zealand team visited a local church in New Zealand where we were invited to lunch with the congregation to the pastor’s home. They enjoyed the fellowship and built relationship with the community there. They also had their first visit to a local high school and gave a presentation to promote next year’s ship tour and, that evening, were able to organize youth… Continue

This weekend will mark the last opportunity for a post-office for the next couple of months; so we thought we would update you on our adventures so far. One week down and PNG has already lived up to its name as “the land of the unexpected”. We are having an amazing time.

All arrived safely in Kerema, stepping off a tiny 19 seat plane and being greeted by at least 35 kids in traditional-wear, welcoming us to their town with singing, dancing and frangipani necklaces. Such hospitality and welcome… Continue

Townsville City Council will host the Against the Grind youth festival on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October in partnership with Youth With A Mission and Townsville PCYC in October.

Against the Grind will offer some great activities across the two days, including:

* Big Top performance tent, featuring live music and art performances, guest speakers and workshops
* Rides
* Food Vendors
* Launch of the new Riverway Skate park
* YWAM Skate Ramp
* Townsville PCYC regional skate/BMX finale
* Local a… Continue

If you haven't visited YWAM Reef to Outback lately, let me paint you a picture -

At any given time, our 88 full time volunteer staff (average age 22) are bustling around the warehouse facility planning outreaches, training young adults, loading vehicles with sound equipment to head… Continue

Our team from the July DTS has been in Mt. Isa with Mission Adventures for three days now. We haven't been here long, but we've already accomplished so much! We arrived safely on Friday evening and recei… Continue

Don't let the giant food fight throw you off! The 42 young people participating are here for a lot more than a little silliness. Over the course of three weeks, YWAM Reef to Outback has welcomed youth from three Australia schools to come participate in Mission Adventures.

Arriving with some o… Continue

"Love, Sex, and Relationships"... "Identity"... sound good? And practical?

YWAM Reef to Outback had the joy of hearing these topics and more from the founder of YWAM Australia, Dean Sherman. With a wealth of wisdom and undeniable nuggets of truth, staff and students alike were challenged by… Continue

YWAM's latest video promoting the Australia & PNG Ship Tour was premiered this weekend at a celebration of Papua New Guinea's 34th year of independence.

The festivities, arranged by the Townsville & PNG Wantok Association, honoured the long history between both PNG & Australia as well as the close connection between Townsville and the nation's capital of Port Moresby. With nearly 4,000 PNG residents living in Townsville alone, the relationship is a very significant one.

The night w… Continue

It was happy and sad all in one as ten students from YWAM RTO's April DTS walked across the stage to receive their certificate for completing the course.

With outreach teams that impacted Indigenous Communities in the Northern Territories, Outback Australia, and rural Papua New Guinea, this group of young people made a fantastic mark not only on Australia but also on all of the staff and students at YWAM RTO.

The day was celebrated with pictures, music, and memories along with heaps of delicio… Continue

With an opening show in Kalispell, Montana, hometown of lead singer Mike Murray, Five Star Streets kicked off the tour with a bang. "Let Justice Sing," the title track for the band's latest album is the theme and the message is the same.

Wonderful songs interwoven with stories of making justice come alive for people in nations like Papua New Guinea sets the stage for an intense and entertaining evening.

The tour is helping to launch the band's latest CD and is also promoting YWAM's Australia &… Continue

It was the second annual retreat for YWAM Reef to Outback staff and it happened in a special place indeed. Hidden Valley, nestled just above Queensland's Paluma forest set the stage for a very special week.

RTO's April DTS, IPHC, and staff joined the July DTS for their second week of camping and had what will go down as one of the more special weeks in RTO history. For all of the wonderful stories of changing the world (yes, there are those), sometimes those moments to get away, get to know one… Continue

Mike Murray, front man for Five Star Streets writes a memoir from his recent to trip to Papua New Guinea. Five Star Streets will be touring the U.S. later this year and will be highlighting the needs of PNG during the concerts, giving people an opportunity to respond.

' />For me, my first trip to PNG will be marked with mem… Continue

In an exciting and solemn hour, Mike Murray - front man for Five Star Streets - hosted an intimate release of the band's latest album, Let Justice Sing.

The album, a passionate mix of experience and emotion put into song, captured the hearts of around 50 people who gathered to liste… Continue

The January Discipleship Training School, School of Music in Missions and Biblical Core Course and YWAM Reef to Outback will be hosting a live webcast of the graduation ceremony today at 10:30am (GMT +10).

To hear stories from the past 5 1/2 months, watch the students graduate, and maybe even pick out a friend or two you remember from your RTO days, simply log on to our "Community" page or CLICK HERE.

A big CONGRATULATIONS to all of the grad… Continue