OUR ANTIOCH CALL
Uighur children , Xinjiang , China
YWAMSG ’ S FOUNDING YEARS AND THE SINGAPORE CHURCH IN THE 1980s
Singapore , like the city of Antioch in the Bible , is strategically located along the ancient sea route of the Silk Road . Traversing Asia and the West , it is a busy meeting point for peoples from the nations . Like Antioch — an important centre of politics , commerce and religion in the ancient Roman and Ottoman empires — Singapore exercises her influence in both the ASEAN region and beyond . Like the Antioch church that changed the world when she sent out her first missionaries ( Acts 13 ), the Singapore church similarly has the capacity to impact the nations when we live out our calling .
It was Billy Graham who pronounced Singapore as the Antioch of Asia in 1978 . YWAM was planted in Singapore in 1980 , as a launching pad to bring the Gospel to the unreached peoples of Asia . Our international leadership recognised that Singapore ’ s strategic position is ideal for YWAMers to pass through for a time of refreshing and replenishing , before being released into the nations with creative and culturally-sensitive expressions of the Gospel . And when a spiritual revival swept through Singapore in the 1980s , many believers were indeed sent out as missionaries .
THE ANTIOCH CALL AND OUR YOUTHS
Over the last 40 years , YWAMSG has consistently responded to the Antioch call . In 1998 , we served Joshua21 , a youth missions prayer movement initiated by LoveSingapore . Hundreds of youths were challenged to lay down their lives , to discern and obey God ’ s call . In 2001 , we supported
another LoveSingapore initiative , Fever100 , which mobilised youths for short-term missions in Asia . Hundreds of young people committed themselves to go on mission trips every year .
We also partnered with local churches to train their youth groups and led them out on short-term mission trips . It was heartening to see our Singaporean youths encountering God through missions , and the long-term partnerships established with ministries in the fields , and the field workers who were blessed by the resources from Singapore .
“ Antioch serves to impact and influence ,” says Joseph Chean ( Joe ), National Director of YWAMSG . YWAMSG seeks to live this out by helping generations of young people catch God ’ s heart for the last , the least and the lost , and find their role in the Great Commission within their sphere of influence . Singapore ’ s Antioch call lies in her future generations catching this vision .
MOBILISING NATIONS TO OTHER NATIONS
Singapore ’ s organisational gifting has helped YWAMSG live out her vision of mobilising the global body of Christ for missions in Asia . Hundreds of Singaporeans were sent out through short-term GoTeams ( 2003 – 2005 ) to support YWAMSG ’ s 5 adopted Unreached People Groups — Bamar , Tibetan , Naxi , Hui and Buyi . Thousands from around the world gathered in Singapore for our GoFest mission conferences in 2006 , 2008 , 2010 and 2015 . YWAMSG also equipped teams and individuals from other bases — such as
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