{{message[availableLanguage.code].question}}
On June 30, 2015 Loren Cunningham turned eighty years old. Loren lived his life listening to God about things both big and small. Some of what he heard had a personal application, but other words were meant to shape our YWAM movement. So, when Loren turned eighty, he reflected on how God had spoken to him over his lifetime. Four encounters stood out. He sensed that in these four encounters, God had given him the foundational framework for Youth With A Mission. We have come to call these “The Four Legacy Words.” Although they were all rooted in a specific moment in time, they all help us envision how we can continue to advance God’s kingdom multi-generationally. Each one of them describes some aspect of “the alls and everys” of the Great Commission, each from a distinct perspective. Together they complement one another and create a missional worldview, birthing and sustaining myriads of ministries which meet the multi-faceted needs of our world.
This is how Darlene Cunningham relates the story:
I found myself facing a dilemma in 2015. Loren was turning 80 at the end of June and I knew that YWAMers around the world would want to celebrate this milestone – but Loren would NOT! It’s not that he was in denial about getting older, but he would not want to be the center of attention. He would much prefer to let the occasion slip by with just a family party and an ice cream cone!
Fortunately our good friend David Hamilton knows Loren’s heart well, and he understood the dilemma. So he came up with a creative plan: in September of 2015, approximately 1,300 staff and leaders from 72 nations converged on Townsville, Australia for YWAM Together. As a birthday gift, at the end of the event, we honored Loren by reflecting on four key, directional words from the Lord that he brought to Youth With A Mission throughout our history. They came to be known as the “Four Legacy Words.”
Each Legacy Word was presented to Loren in story form, recalling how God gave the word, in front of the whole congregation, complete with fanfare and related gifts. The time ended with a mammoth birthday cake, carried in on the shoulders of six Pacific Island “warriors.” It was shaped like a Bible, representing the fourth legacy word, End Bible Poverty Now. The whole process was filled with joy and laughter, alongside awe-filled ponderings of the magnitude of the words God had given both to YWAM and to the body of Christ through Loren. Thus, he was able to fully enjoy and enter into his “party,” focusing on Jesus and His words to us!
Legacy Word #1 – The Vision of the Waves (1956)
Legacy Word #2 – Discipling Nations Through the Spheres of Influence (1975)