History of YWAM Chicago

Youth With a Mission has quite a history in Chicago.  Over a number of years many international and stateside bases have invested short-term outreaches and laborers into the city.  YWAM Tyler had been sending teams to Chicago since 1984, leaving behind a good investment of relationships and networking.  Because of the short-term involvement YWAM had in the city, churches began asking, "When are you guys coming to stay...why don't you have a base here?"  In 1986, the Tyler base began to ask themselves the same question and became very interested in starting a new base in Chicago.

Meanwhile, YWAM Amsterdam began seeking God concerning His plans for them regarding a base in Chicago.  After the Amsterdam base committed their interest to God, they sensed He was telling them wait before getting involved.  YWAM Tyler was sensing the same.  Decidedly, both bases would wait until God was ready to reveal His specific plans and perfect timing.  Over the next five years teams continued coming to Chicago from both of these bases.

In the summer of 1990, when YWAM Tyler was about to begin the Torch Run across the U.S., God brought to surface some of His plans regarding Chicago.  After the Torch Run, one of Tyler's mobile teams was planning to disperse themselves into other areas of responsibility.  Brad Stanley and Sherry Nelson were staff of this mobile team - Communications ETC - under the leadership of Kitty Garska.  While praying about their future plans, God spoke to Brad and Sherry separately about their personal involvement in beginning a work in Chicago.  Approaching their leadership about the matter, they were encouraged to pursue it and were advised to join DTS staff to recruit a team of pioneers to take with them into the city.  Brad and Sherry joined Stew Bauman's staff in September 1990.

God had also begun to reveal some of His plans to the Amsterdam base and they too began to cultivate their own team of pioneers.  At this point, neither base had been in communication with one another about their mutaul interest in setting up a work in Chicago.  Yet God was saying to both bases, "Now is the time.  I am raising up people to go."  Even without prior communications, both bases were experiencing the same thing!  Eventually, when communications began, YWAM Tyler and YWAM Amsterdam felt that they were to join forces together to pioneer a base in Chicago.

In May 1991, Brad and Sherry (Nelson) Stanley, along with some of YWAM Tyler's base leaders, visited Chicago.  During the summer of 1991, Brad and Sherry led a team of SOE students that would pave the way through intercession and networking with the Body of Christ in the city.

Under the direction of Brad and Sherry Stanley, the Chicago team (Bill Bechtel, Malinda Shmucker, Chris & Sarah Archer, Kim & Christine Case - all from YWAM Tyler - Kim & Stacey Littlefield and Kathy Thyberg - from YWAM Amsterdam) arrived in the city in February 1992.  Now, 14 years later, YWAM Chicago is still thriving in the city with a heart to reach the nations!