Annual report english by YWAM Ålesund, Norway

16/17 A N N UA L R E P O RT

Dear Friends, We are so privileged to have you reading this and being along for the journey!

Much is happening at YWAM Ålesund in the coming year of 2018 – we are hoping to move to Ålesund Centre with the whole DTS! God is speaking about growth and making prayer to be at the centre of all we do. The Annual Report covers August 2016 until May 2017 which is when most of our activities are running. We are excited about what is ahead!

Many blessings,

Sarah Voss and Samuel Dragon Baseleaders

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4. 5. 6. 7.

CREATIVE DTS

DTS OUTREACHES 6

AID - ARTISTS IN

DEVELOPMENT 8 SOUL CHILDREN 9

CURRENT STAFF 10

NEW DEVELOPMENTS 2016/17

PLANS FOR 2017/18 13

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/// Creative DTS The DTS is the main program running at the base. This year we have 21 students in 4 creative tracks: Fine Art, Music, Photography, and Barista with 9 nations represented at the school. DTS has a rich flavor of people from all over the world coming to grow in their relationship with God as well as growing in their own identity in Christ. With the creative arts married to the DTS we have found it to be a valuable experience in which the students grow in their faith as well as their creativity, gaining more of a understanding of where God is calling them. This year we’ve had four tracks; Photography, Fine Art, Music, and Barista. The photography track students were very interested in portraits and landscape. Music track focused on writing and growing in stage performing. Barista focused on espresso drinks, pour overs, and becoming barista certified. And Fine Art focused on inspiration, practicing their skills and prophetic art.

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/// DTS Outreaches LOCAL OUTREACH Every year our DTS students do a “mini outreach” where they spend a week in Norway, and reach out to the local community. This year, the students stayed in Ålesund, and partnered with Agape Kirka, Vineyard Kirka, and Laget. Together with the church/organisation, they went out and visited schools, ran a youth night, visited a women’s shelter. Laget has been a valuable partnership this last year. They are an international organisation focused on running groups in schools where students can meet and discuss about the Bible, Life and God as well as ask questions. A partnership between us and Laget is something that’s been spoken about for a while, and this year was the first year we were able to make it really work. It’s a great opportunity for our DTS students to share what they’ve learned with the high school students in the group, and also for both student groups to experience new cultures and people. We regularly joined with Laget groups in 4 different schools this fall and spring, and are looking forward to refining this co-operation in the next DTS year.

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INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH This year we’ve sent out students to 3 locations. Hungary, South East Asia, and The Philippines.

Hungary The team in Hungary is made up of 6 students and their leader. They have had the opportunity to focus on street evangelism, feeding the homeless, working in their YWAM cafe on Friday nights and developing relationships with the people there. Here you can see them cutting hair at a homeless shelter in Budapest.

Philippines The Philippines team was involved with YWAM Megacities this

India Every year a YWAM Ålesund team joins together with Norwegian missionaries in India to go on an 8-day prayer and intercession trek. They spend time praying for the local unreached people group. The team also went to a number of local schools to teach English and share about their culture. Together with a local church, they also went to slums to socialize, help out, and preach.

year. The idea behind Megacities is to send as many outreach teams to one city as possible, every second year. This time Manilla in the Philippines was chosen. The city is mapped out into a grid, and the outreach teams are dispersed into different locations, and connected with local churches in their area. Our team worked closely with local churches to benefit their communities. Some activities the team did were creative workshops for children and prison ministry.

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/// AID ARTISTS IN DEVELOPMENT Our AiD school this year has had 3 students. Levi, from the UK, has recorded his debut album of alternative/folk/punk music, while also writing his second album. Casia, from California, has been working on her fine art throughout the year, and recently had an exhibition at Lyspunktet Café. She has also been quite involved in YWAM community events, and has recorded two songs. Victoria, from Hawaii, has worked on her songwriting, and has recorded an EP from those songs. She also has worked on some illustrations. At the end of the year, the three of them performed a concert together at Dragen, a new culture centre in Ålesund.

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Casia Joy Art Open Vernissage Monday the 3rd of April {03.04.17} 18:30-20:00 Lyspunktet Café

/// Soul Children We also have two staff members – Simon and Rachel - who have been helping to run Soul Children – a local youth choir. This is their 3rd year helping to run it and they are still enjoying it a lot! The aim of the choir is that the young people would learn to find their Identity in Christ. Around 35 teenagers come to practice each week. We are part of 'Sea Side Soul' - a big choir event where around 400 children and 200 adults will attend. Apart from this, Soulchildren will have had seven concerts.

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/// Current Staff We currently have 29 full time staff serving in these several different teams focusing on communications, training and schools, local outreach and other ministries. We are also blessed to have Jan and Ragnhild Huse discipling the Baseleaders on a weekly basis. Ragnhild is currently running the Lyspunktet Café. After a one-year sabbatical, Jan is teaching at YWAM Ålesund as well as working as an Architect. Erik Boge is serving as our trusted and valued Accountant and Mirjam is part of the community and serving in different ways as well as looking after the kids. Byron Eggehorn is Head of the Studio and Martha Eggehorn helps out with pastoral care. Franziska is running the personnel department and connecting with our missionaries in France and Hungary.

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INDIAN STAFF This year we have been privileged to host Twinkle and Imsula from the Creative YWAM base in Lonavola, India. This is their third time visiting Ålesund. They brought their children, and three staff members from their base as well. This team has been very involved with Filadelfia Kirka, helping with their plays and events, and has also had a huge impact on our base. They’ve been a part of the DTS staff team, the creative tracks, cooking for the base, and have brought a new level of energy, creativity, and joy to our community. Twinkle and Imsula have hosted several “India Nights” throughout the year, where they have shared their heart for India, and the vision for their base. During their time here they have felt God speak to them about pioneering a new base near Bollywood in Mumbai! Watch this space!

Highlight one staff leaving this year, we are sad to say goodbye to long-time staff member Jonny Westwood. Jonny did his DTS here in 2011, and went on to start the Artists in Development school. During his DTS, he was a part of the Music Track, and went on to record his debut album here (as well as many projects for other people). Jonny is an open and community-oriented person who cares a lot, and he has instilled these values into our YWAM culture. He will be moving back home to Australia to be with his family, and begin his career as a producer and studio engineer.

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/// New Developments during 2016/17 We started a new YWAM team this year, called the ‘Community Outreach Team’. This team has been focused on reconnecting different Christ-focused groups, like churches and organizations, as well as organizing local events and workshops. This year we ran 4 local events in Ålesund; aiming to help young people learn art skills. We also had the founder of the PAIS Movement do an evening Masterclass for any local Christians who were able to come. We’re excited to be more active in the community, and provide artistic, creative, and spiritual opportunities to Ålesund.

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/// Plans for 2017/18 ONE – SCHOOL FOR ARTISTS This is a secondary school for artist that will run in three locations. Artists will be able to embark on a nine month journey of cultivating and developing their art as well as their part to partake in God’s plan for them as an artist. Barcelona, the place for inspiration, will host the first three months, which will focus primarily on lectures – helping the student to gain perspective on God as Creator. This is followed by Ålesund, hosting creation, where the artists will create in the recording studio for music or our fine art, dance or photography studio. Baltimore, the last 3 months, will focus on integrating art into culture by giving artists opportunity to exhibit and learn at events, installations, internships and galleries. The school will begin in January 2018.

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SCHOOL OF WORSHIP

HOUSE OF PRAYER

Next year we are starting up a brand new School of Worship, led by

We are planning to launch a House of Prayer that is open to the

our Ministry Team. Worship is something that’s always been impor-

local churches and invites the presence of God into Ålesund.

tant to us, and we are excited to invest more in future worshippers and worship leaders. This school is planned to start in mid 2018.

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RECORDING STUDIO

BIG MOVE

We are excited to be moving the studio up a level and dou-

For years, YWAM Ålesund has wanted to move into Ålesund

bling its capacity. We are fundraising towards a bigger and

Sentrum. We are very excited to finally announce our plans

better studio! This is in order to serve Christian artists and

to move into the YMCA building within the next few months!

choirs that want to record better. Stay tuned for more news.

We will be relocating the Creative DTS, our offices, and student/staff housing to this new location. We are excited for the opportunities that being in town will open up for us. Ålesund Sentrum is a creative and social hub for the area, and we are excited to give back to the community, and grow God’s kingdom here.

Thank you for being along for the journey!

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YWAM Ålesund Åsemulvegen 5 6018 Ålesund ywamaalesund.org

/ YWAMAALESUND @YWAMAALESUND

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