The bells of the Lausanne Cathedral rang out over the city on the evening of September 7, 2009, calling YWAMers, friends and family to come to the culminating event of Youth With A Mission Switzerland’s 40^th anniversary celebrations. As people streamed through the huge, carved wooden doors into the cathedral hall, with its magnificent arches and stained glass windows directing the eyes heavenward, they consisted of an unusual assortment of generations and ethnicities. Salvation Army officers, nuns, and skateboarders with dreadlocks all happily convened together, packing the cathedral to capacity, with standing-room only. Together, they lifted their voices in praise to the Living God, who has directed the history of YWAM.

Linda Panci reminded us of the worship movement that spread from Switzerland to Germany and throughout Europe, beginning in the early 70s. As her pure, clear soprano voice sang out the beginning notes of familiar songs, the entire cathedral erupted into chorus. Rolf Schneider and a string ensemble from YWAM’s worship ministry in Yverdon played and sang with a beauty that I’m sure made God’s heart sing too. "Heartbridge" from YWAM/UofN Kona performed some spiritual warfare dances and musical numbers the likes of which the halls of the old cathedral may have never heard before. It was a time to celebrate not only the past, but the future. Of course, Loren Cunningham, the keynote speaker for the evening directed all of the focus toward the Lord and toward the future, as he spoke into the heart of God’s destiny for the nation of Switzerland.

The 40^th anniversary events were coordinated by Olivier Fleury, the current leader of YWAM Swiss Romande (French-speaking Switzerland). I’m told that 12 YWAM ministries/locations in Swiss Romande held “Open Houses” on Saturday, September 6 including Lausanne; Chatel, a home of YWAM/UofN College of Counseling and Health Care schools and ministries; and Burtigny, which focuses on Africa and College of Communication courses.  

Personally, I have been so grateful to get to be a part of the YWAM Switzerland 40^th anniversary celebrations. YWAM first came to Switzerland in late 1969, when God led YWAM’s founders, Loren and Darlene Cunningham, to start our first training course here called “School of Evangelism.” I joined YWAM in Denmark in 1972, the same year we convened 1,000 young people for the Munich Olympics Outreach. At Christmastime of that year, all of the YWAMers from across Europe (we only had five locations in those days!) came “home” to Lausanne for Christmas, so I spent my first Christmas away from home at the YWAM Chalet in Lausanne. It was wonderful! Many of the foundational experiences of my walk with God were forged at that time, and at the first ever Leadership Training Seminar (forerunner of the Leadership Training Schools) held at YWAM Lausanne in April of 1974.

From 1994 to 2000, Loren and Darlene were called from Hawaii, their current ministry location, back to Lausanne to lead the base through a very challenging season. The Chalet had been closed down for repairs, but the government then stepped in and required major, costly renovations. The leaders of YWAM Europe asked the Cunninghams to come help and with them, they brought an international team, including me. It was a challenging but wonderful time. Physically, the five-story Chalet was gutted with no walls, floors or roof. The foundations were rebuilt, a dual sewage system was installed, and fire doors and other requirements were met as the floors and walls went back up. But far more than a physical building, God was building the people and ministries to lead YWAM Lausanne into the future.  

Markus Steffen was one of the leaders who came to the Cunninghams’ side, and during the first week of prayer in August of 1994, God birthed a new vision through him called GENESIS video-teleconferencing, which has now multiplied to 67 locations on all continents, bringing people together from around the world for simultaneous, real-time teaching, worship, intercession and celebrations. Today, other vibrant new ministries, schools and young leaders are also flourishing once again at YWAM Lausanne under the very capable leadership of Markus and Anita, to the glory of God.

As part of the 40^th Anniversary Open House at YWAM Lausanne, people congregated at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. in a huge white tent on September 6^th to hear stories from Loren and Darlene Cunningham about the faithfulness of God throughout the years. They expressed gratitude for the wonderful men and women of God who poured their lives and their knowledge of the Lord, His word and His ways into the foundations of this mission in its earliest days, when there wasn’t much to believe in: Corrie Ten Boom, Brother Andrew, Gordon Olson, Joy Dawson, Harry Conn, Dr. Francis Schaeffer and MANY others. At 5:00 p.m., scores of local pastors came and expressed their thanks to God through YWAM, naming several areas that had touched and changed their churches, including a new expanded gateway to world missions. 

The location of the Open House meeting tent itself was a great testimony of God’s faithfulness, as it was erected on newly-acquired land adjacent to the original Lausanne property which the Cunninghams and others first began to believe the Lord to give to YWAM 40 years ago! Generations of YWAMers have walked and prayed around “the triangle” of land God had promised—and in the past few years, those prayers finally became a reality. The land became available for purchase, and God provided for YWAM Lausanne to buy it, including two beautiful homes to house staff and the ministry of hospitality.

The 7:00 p.m. meeting that night had to be held at Malley, a hockey stadium in downtown Lausanne, due to the size of the crowd, especially young people. For four hours, youthful celebration included an evangelistic altar call and also a missions call, with a wonderful response. Saturday, September 6, was truly a full day of celebration of who God has been in the past and who He is in the present.

But of all the celebrations that took place throughout the weekend of September 6 and 7, one of the most significant for me personally came on Sunday morning.  Forty YWAM leaders were invited to speak in 40 churches of Lausanne and French-speaking Switzerland, as the body of Christ celebrated this 40^th mile-marker together with us. I accompanied Darlene Cunningham to an Apostolic Church. It was filled with warm and wonderful people, obviously full of the love of God. The worship time—all in French—was dynamic and moving. I was deeply humbled as a YWAMer to be so honored, as the pastors expressed their gratefulness to God for the foundations YWAM has laid in their nation over the past 40 years in worship, intercession, teaching, and creating a doorway for people to go into missions. I don’t think that I really understood until that moment what an amazing privilege God has given us to help release the Church in a nation into its destiny.

Darlene spoke that morning on the “Grace Ticket” that God gives us, in the moment that we need it, to step out and do the will of God, even when faced with daunting tasks. It’s great to celebrate God’s faithfulness in the past but, more importantly, we were reminded that Jesus is ALL we need to fulfill His call in the days that lie ahead.