Life at YWAM Newcastle

You were made for this

A Life Lived Together

We believe that learning takes place best in the context of relationships and place a high value on living together in community. Due to this we’ve created a live-learn context for our training courses, with both students and staff living, sharing meals and working together on campus.

Play

You were made for this

Our COMMUNITY

In late 1991 God led Rod and Anne Thorpe to Newcastle, NSW, to pioneer a new YWAM Australia campus. They, in turn, asked David and Carolyn Stephenson to pray about a future in Newcastle and God made it very clear this was His plan.

YWAM Newcastle was officially opened in July 1992. They began training with the Mission bridge course [a part-time DTS], moving on to their first DTS in 1994. Dave and Carrie took over leadership of the base in 1996 as Rod and Anne prepared to be sent out to the Middle East.

We believe that all Christians are called to “go into all the world and make disciples”. This looks different for each of us; whether you feel called to a third-world nation or your workplace, YWAM Newcastle Australia is a gateway into the world of missions.

Through our training, we hope to empower others to live with the heart and mindset of an agent of positive change, in whichever arena of influence they find themselves.

____________________________________________

“We have seen God move in countless ways since 1992, in the youth of our city and right across our world. His faithfulness to us has been unwavering and we rejoice over every transformed life.

We are committed to helping even more people in the years to come, through training and equipping, through youth development, and through the delivery of medical services and training to Papua New Guinea.”

– David Stephenson

Some benefits of living together in our community may include always having someone nearby to watch a movie, to pray with, spontaneously heading to the beach or having someone to read the Bible with.

Growing together in this context creates an incredible variety of friendships; ones that often last a lifetime.

Bulkirra House: Gateway To The Nations*

Our main residence for both staff and students, Bulkirra House is the centre of our live-learn lifestyle. It is where relationship developed in the classroom can be deepened around the dining table, over a cup of coffee or whilst doing chores.

Boasting of a large industrial kitchen, as well as smaller, personal facilities for students and staff use, Bulkirra is well equipped to house a large number of people. Additionally, enjoy relaxing in our two outdoor courtyards, television space, dorm rooms, study or breakfast lounge. We have guest facilities available and your family is also welcome to visit during your stay.

Our landlords and good friends, Mayfield Baptist Church, purchased this property as part of a prophetic word they’ve for more missional-minded people being discipled and sent from this hill, into the communities of Australia and into the world, would increase substantially.

*The word, ‘bulkirra’ is taken from the local indigenous people, the Awabakal tribe, and means ‘hill’ or ‘mountain’ and was chosen to reflect this prophecy.

https://vimeo.com/320876233

The Warehouse is our main office and training space. A converted mechanic’s workshop, our office is alive with the sounds of collaboration and coffee making, international guest speakers and classroom discussion, discipleship and phone conversations with you, the potential student.

This is all packed into an industrial style, open-plan space reflecting the feel and history of the city of Newcastle, Australia.

https://vimeo.com/320713281

Campus Ministries

COMMUNICATION

We love connecting with you before you even arrive! Our communication team is dedicated to listening to God and calling people into missions from all over the world. Relationship is so important to us, and we want all our students to know they’ll have friends waiting for them when they arrive at our campus.

MEDIA

Working hand-in-hand with our communications team, our media staff are committed to creating content and sharing stories of what God is doing through YWAM Newcastle as well as serving students by sharing practical tips, tricks and directions for making your time with us as smooth as possible.

HOSPITALITY

We believe in practicing hospitality and have a team committed to creating homely spaces for all our guests, staff and students. From making up beds to planning and decorating for events, this team is one of the lifebloods of our community.

FOOD SERVICES

Who doesn’t love eating with friends?! We believe that some of the most influential moments for developing relationships occur around the dinner table. Preparing meals for 100+ people is no small feat and our kitchen team is dedicated to serving us daily.

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

As our campus has grown, so have our properties. From lawn care through to home renovations, we do it all. Over the years our staff have developed many practical skills, whether it’s plastering, woodwork, painting or plumbing, this team not only serves us faithfully, but gains knowledge they can carry with them into the rest of life.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT

As our staff team grows, so does our priority on building up well-rounded individuals. We see on-going discipleship, regular personal development opportunities and pastoral care as essentials to a healthy, holistic lifestyle.

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

From accounting to insurance and meeting all that is required to allow us to operate effectively, our team strives to uphold the values of honesty, integrity and transparency. We are constantly developing our knowledge and skills to represent the Kingdom of God within the frameworks of the Australian Government offices and on the international stage as a university campus and not-for-profit charity.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Much of what we do is in the public eye and as such we want to communicate with integrity the training and community work we are involved in. This encompasses writing press releases, liaising with media personnel and connecting with government officials at both a local and international level.