Ministry Update:
These past three months have been a whirlwind but I’ve settled into ministry here in Coeur D’Alene and it has been so beyond what I’d imagined in the best of ways! My day-to-day schedule changes very much depending on the day: my mornings are typically consumed with Thai language study, corporate prayer and worship, meetings, and staff training. I’m also teaching an elective course for our interns which is lots of fun! My afternoons are usually spent tackling my communications ministry responsibilities: developing our Instagram, Facebook, website, and contributing to our mobilization ministry (No Compromise Ministries). Much of the past few months has been spent prayerfully considering what God desires for the communications ministry now and in the future. I am nearing the end of the initial pioneering phase as I completed the Communications Manual last week which articulates our values, vision, and plans for the ministry so that we have a solid foundation to move forward with and come back to when making decisions.
Communications Ministry Vision Statement
By excellently and reliably presenting relevant information about YWAM North Idaho’s ministries, values, and staff, we aim to display the Lord’s supreme worthiness of all nations, and thus mobilize Christ-followers to unreached people groups in Thailand.
In this vision statement, we’ve outlined the calling and commitment that the communications team here at YWAM North Idaho will always strive to accomplish. This vision statement is largely influenced by our base vision, and highlights the most specific way in which the Communications Ministry will work towards accomplishing the larger goal: sharing information about what we do, who we are, and why we do it.
Communications Guide-Post Questions
All of the material that we create within the Communications Ministry is to be run through these four questions to assure that we do not stray from the values and calling of this ministry.
Is this excellent, true, reliable, and relevant?
Does this communicate information about our ministry, values, and/or staff?
Does this mobilize Christ-followers to unreached people groups in Thailand/elsewhere?
Does this display the Lord's supreme worthiness and minister to the heart of God, or does this minister to the heart of man by catering to the masses?
In other words, is this something that God wants, or is this something man wants? Does this make God look great, or does this make us look great?
Blog Posts/Instagram
I’ve been spending time writing blog posts for our website (which I’ll begin working on full-time hopefully in the next few weeks). These blogs communicate YWAM North Idaho’s vision, mission and values so that potential students, staff, and other partners will be able to learn more about who we are, what we do, and why we do it! I’ve also written blog posts providing all the information necessary for our training schools: the Discipleship Training School, Discipleship Training Course, Internship, and Thailand Ready Missions Course. If you’re interested in reading more about those schools I’ll be more than happy to share with you the blogs I’ve written thus far! For the future, the blog will still be my responsibility to facilitate and edit, but all staff will rotate writing short blogs about who we are, what we do, and why we do it in the hopes of accurately presenting the community of YWAM North Idaho and promoting relationship-oriented communication!
I’ve also spent time developing a schedule for our Instagram in order to ensure that we are providing the appropriate information about our ministry to the community. Now that the schedule has been created, I will be able to continue following it with ease and assurance that all of our responsibilities and priorities are met!
DTS Student Internship
The end of September marked the start of a new school that we are running for the first time at YWAM North Idaho: the DTS Student Internship. This school is best described as “a primer” for DTS or as a “pre-DTS.” Most basically, the internship is designed to prepare future DTS students (who have committed to do the DTS at YWAM North Idaho) for their DTS so that it will be the best it possibly can be! DTS is an intense, consecrated time unto the Lord for intentional discipleship, growth in relationship with God, and training for missions, and so the DTS Student Internship essentially is a preview of all these things, or a sampling of the DTS so to say. The student intern will be exposed to introductory-level teachings and readings for all of these topics: discipleship, evangelism, apologetics, bible teaching, world missions, and Thai language (all of which are covered in-depth during our DTS).
Perhaps the most significant thing about our DTS Student Internship is the live-learn environment of discipleship that the student is highly involved in. By living within the YWAM North Idaho community, the student will be surrounded by passionate Christ-followers who themselves are striving towards sanctification in Christ and are incredibly excited about intentionally discipling the student intern in the same way. We truly are a family here at YWAM North Idaho, and since we are currently a pioneering base, the small and intimate community that we have here provides an incredible opportunity to go deep with the Lord and grow immensely through the holistic discipleship offered to students through the internship and DTS. Student interns also get to see first-hand the values of our base, develop relationships with the staff, and familiarize themselves with Coeur d’Alene, Idaho all before DTS begins.
We have two student interns living on base right now: Dany and Jazmine who are both already committed to DTS! These two have grown so much in the past month and it’s so exciting to have the chance to pour into these two, especially since we were not anticipating any students until the DTS next fall!
Back to School
Another significant update is that I will be starting online school with Liberty University at the end of October! I am so excited about this! When God called me to pause schooling without ever promising me that I’d go back, I was a little bit heartbroken if I’m being completely honest. I absolutely love going to school and while being in full-time ministry has brought me so much joy, my desire to go to school has never left. At the beginning of September, I was praying and asking God to reveal anything that I needed to be doing that I wasn’t yet and He brought school to my attention again. After looking into various online programs and praying, I enrolled in Liberty University’s Online degree program for Biblical and Educational Studies: Biblical and Theological Studies. I’ll be able to devote 3-6 hours towards online school weekly while finishing the degree program in the next 2-3 years and still maintaining all of my responsibilities in ministry (my days will just be a little longer!) With this degree I’ll gain ACFI certification which will allow me to teach in Christian schools around the world and in the U.S., a great opportunity that may lead to open doors for ministry overseas in the future.
YWAM North Idaho Ministry
1. Establishing Individual Ministries (Now)
In this next year, our primary focus will be to develop each of our ministries at YWAM North Idaho with excellence so that when our training schools are in session, these ministries will support, rather than distract from the discipleship and mobilization process that these schools are aimed at achieving.
These ministries include: No Compromise Ministries, Communications (social media, website and blog), Training, Community Life/Hospitality, Cleaning & Maintenance, Intercession & Worship, LIFT (Legal, Immigration, Financial, Taxes), Accounting, Community Night, and more.
As I complete the pioneering process for Communications, I’ll begin devoting more time to discipling our interns, assisting No Compromise Ministries and the Training branch of YWAM North Idaho (tasked with developing our schools).
2. Weekly Community Nights (Now)
A time for fellowship, worship, and bible study with our local community.
3. Weekly Evangelism and Compassion Ministries (Now)
Serving our community’s physical and spiritual needs by partnering with local churches and non-profit outreaches.
4. Thai Language (Now)
Every staff member has daily Thai language class (includes oral and written communication).
5. Staff Training (Now):
- Once a month all staff meet together for a leadership training exercise
- In the next year we will have finished this reading list as staff:
Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
How Then Shall We Choose, Douglas S. Huffman
The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness, Tim Keller
Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel Wholly by Grace, Communicated Truthfully and Lovingly, Will Metzger
Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer
How We Got the Bible, Timothy Paul Jones
Church History in Plain Language, Bruce l. Shelley
The Insanity of Obedience, Nik Ripken
The Top 10 Mistakes Leaders Make, Hans Finzel
The Complete Book of Discipleship, Bill Hull
1. DTS Student Internship (Now)
This is a new on-base living opportunity for students to prepare for DTS.
I am teaching an elective for the Internship as well as teaching and processing the Apologetics book (The Story of Reality by Greg Koukl) with the interns.
2. Discipleship Training Course (Early 2021)
An abbreviated Discipleship Training School designed for those with full-time jobs.
This course will include weekly lecture, discipleship, small group, and discussion times in the evenings, allowing for students to still maintain full-time jobs.
3. Thailand Ready Mission Course (likely 2022)
A 9-month training school designed to prepare and equip those who will go long-term (at least two years) in Thailand.
Includes culture, religion, and language studies, as well as bible and missionary training.
4. School of Biblical Understanding (likely 2022)
A 6-month school training students in the Inductive Bible Study Method, Church history, and Theology.
This Month’s God Story:
Relationships and Community-Building
by Marie Freemyers on Oct. 5th
For the past three months, all of the staff living on base have been seeking to build relationships within the Coeur d’Alene community. We started attending a Young Adult ministry at a local Church named The Heart and it is hard to express God’s faithfulness in giving us friendships and a growing network in the area, especially with this church. We’ve met so many young people who are on fire for the Lord, have joined our Community Nights, and do random all-night prayer nights with us! We met Dany, one of our interns, at The Heart, and so many other awesome people who God is stirring towards missions through our relationships! These friends spur on our passion for Christ and it has been amazing to witness the mutual edification that has come from this new group of friends.
Additionally, God has led a Thai-American to our base named Pranee. One of our staff members was sitting in a coffee shop discussing how difficult the Thai language is in the summer and someone overheard her conversation and connected us with Pranee! She has been our Thai teacher for over a month and a half and is now moving in with us to enroll in the DTS Student Internship and DTS. She also already knows that God has called her to partner with our base long-term in order to teach us the Thai Isaan language as well as different dialects for the different regions! Pranee was raised in a Buddhist household in the United States: she speaks Thai in her home as well as Laos, and the Lord saved her when she was thirteen. Her perspective on Thai culture and Buddhism has been and will continue to be of immeasurable value as we train to go to these people and share the Good News in a culturally sensitive, biblical way. A few months ago, she was told that she would be a missionary to missionaries, and now the Lord has been faithful to that promise! We are so thankful for her love for Thailand and Jesus Christ and her excitement and willingness to follow the Lord’s calling. Pranee’s timing has been incredible; we have been praying continuously for God to send Thais to our base and He has answered our prayers!
Prayer Guide:
Below I’ve listed a few ways you can be partnering in prayer with YWAM North Idaho’s ministry and the nation of Thailand. I hope this is a helpful resource for you!
by Marie Freemyers on Oct. 5th
YWAM North Idaho Base:
Base leaders: Brandon and Angela Oliver and their two children: Noah (13) and Ellie (3)
Staff: Mikayla, Makayla, Jael, Connor, Will, Nicole and I
Interns: Dany, Jazmine, Pranee
Monthly Supporters for YWAM North Idaho (Rent for classroom space)
Pioneering Ministries: please pray that the Lord’s will is done in each ministry. I’ve listed some below that need specific prayer.
No Compromise Ministries - a ministry aiming to awaken, educate, and empower Christ-followers to zealously engage in the Great Commission through mobile presentations
Training - a ministry which pioneers training schools designed to educate, disciple, and equip students for ministry in the unreached nation of Thailand.
Communications: a ministry that strives to excellently and reliably present information about YWAM North Idaho’s ministry, values, and staff for the purpose of mobilizing Christ-followers to engage in the Great Commission.
Intercession & Worship: a ministry designed to cultivate a lifestyle of prayer and worship in our base, in order to love others and the Lord with all our hearts.
LIFT (Legal, Immigration, Financial, Taxes) & Accounting
Community Night: a time of worship, fellowship and bible study with the community. Please continue to pray for blessings in networking and relationship building during this time. Please also pray that these nights both bless and grow all that attend.
Thailand:
Pray for the 78 Unreached people groups in Thailand. To explore the specific needs of these people groups visit https://joshuaproject.net/countries/TH
Thailand has opened for 90-day visas: we are hoping to send a few of our staff on a scouting trip next summer so please pray for a 60-day visa to become possible!
The economy continues to deteriorate due to Covid-19. Please pray for those that have lost jobs and are struggling to provide for themselves. Please pray that through this struggle, individuals come to a deep revelation of their need for an eternal Savior, and that they find Jesus Christ.
Pray for the Christian ministries there: for financial provision, strength, boldness, and success
For those who have heard the Good News but need discipleship and a Christian community, please pray that the Lord provides a way for them to come into contact with support.
Thank you so very much for reading this update, and most especially for your continued friendship and partnership in ministry. I’ll be sending a card your way which will give you the chance to write down any prayer requests that you might have, but in the meantime, please call, email, or text me anything you would like prayer for.
His servant and yours,
Marie Freemyers YWAM North Idaho Staff (540) 845-5919 marie@ywamnorthidaho.org 1913 North 4th Street, STE. C Coeur d’Alene, I.D. 83814
“I thank my God in all remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all, making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in this gospel from the first day until now.”
Philippians 1:3-5 (ESV)