WHAT WE BELIEVE

• Make God known
• Practice worship and intercessory prayer
• Champion young people
• Be international and interdenominational
• Function in teams
• Do first, then teach
• Value the individual
• Practice dependence on God
• Communicate with integrity
• Know God
• Hear God’s voice
• Be visionary
• Be decentralized
• Have a Biblical Christian worldview
• Exhibit servant leadership
• Be relationship-oriented
• Value families
• Practice hospitality

Do you want to know more about what we believe?

YWAM’s 18 foundational values define how we live and reflect our beliefs. 

If you want to know more about what we believe, send us a message or look at the YWAM International web page.

A BIT ABOUT YWAM

What is YWAM?

Youth With A Mission (YWAM, pronounced /ˈwaɪwæm/) is an interdenominational, non-profit Christian, missionary organization with locations in over 180 countries and its own university, the University of the Nations. We train more than 25,000 short-term missions volunteers annually. Founded by Loren Cunningham and his wife Darlene in 1960, YWAM’s stated purpose is “to know God and to make Him known”.

The first school run by YWAM was called the School of Evangelism, held in Switzerland in 1969 with 21 students.  YWAM’s first permanent location in Europe was Lausanne, Switzerland, where a second school took place from the summer of 1969 to the summer of 1970 in a newly renovated hotel in Chalet-à-Gobet that the mission purchased.

YWAM has been in Spain for 50 years and there are currently YWAM centers (or bases, as we call them) and ministries in Oviedo, Barcelona, Bilbao, Caceres, Madrid, Costa Tropical (Almúñecar), Vigo, Granada, Sevilla and Santiago de Compostela.

Our community is unique, multigenerational, diverse and international!

YWAM'S HISTORY IN SPAIN

How did YWAM Spain start?

The first YWAM team came to Spain in 1968 followed by a second team in 1969. The first apartment was rented in Torrejón de Ardoz (Madrid) in the summer of 1972.

Why Torrejón?

One of the main reasons for YWAM to settle in Torrejón was the ministry with the American air base which, at the time, was located there. In addition, on the outskirts of Torrejón there was a neighborhood specifically designed for the American soldiers, and YWAM was given the opportunity of renting apartments at an affordable price just 20 minutes from the airport and 30 minutes from the vibrant city-center of Spain’s capital city, Madrid.

Over the years, YWAM Madrid has become a well-established operational center running many different ministries simultaneously with a staff of up to 80 people at times.

At the beginning of the 1980s, YWAM Spain was granted legal status by the Spanish Ministry of Justice, at a time when the organization had centers in Torrejon and Cornellá, Barcelona.

By 1982, coinciding with the celebration of the FIFA World Cup held in Spain, YWAM was established in the five major cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville and Bilbao.

YWAM Madrid

It was in 1992, during the Barcelona Olympics, following a tough legal and spiritual battle, that YWAM Madrid acquired the organization’s current facilities in Torrejón de Ardoz.

Our base is functional, modern and suitable for carrying out the ministries currently run by YWAM Madrid: Discipleship Training School (DTS), Leadership Development School (LDC), b2b for emerging leaders, Impact World and our NGO, Asociación Cien por Cien Vida (100% Life). In addition, YWAM Madrid regularly sends teams to Asia, Africa and Europe on cooperation programs and works with local churches in Torrejón, Madrid and other locations within Spain.

What is Torrejón de Ardoz like?

For many Spaniards, Torrejón is one of the best places in Spain to live. It is a city within the metropolitan area of Madrid, and is very well connected by road (with access to the A2, the M-50, M-45 and the M-206) as well as by bus and train. It is the eighth most populated city in Madrid, with 130,000 inhabitants.

One of the places to visit is Parque Europa with replicas of many well-known European monuments; Torrejón is also well-known as the European Capital of Christmas because of its Magical Christmas celebrations.