About Us
YWAM Emerge is a branch of a larger, global organization called, Youth with a Mission. YWAM is an international missions organization dedicated to the mobilization of young people in spreading the gospel to every corner of the earth.
Here at YWAM Emerge in Colorado Springs, we have a passion to inspire business development across the globe, more specifically consulting and building aquaponic systems as a business model to help non-profits towards self-sustainment or entrepreneurs start a business.
I share with you a deep love for Josh and the circle of people in the Emerge network and I look forward to the years ahead. ~ John Dawson - Former President of YWAM
Our Mission
Our mission is to help organizations launch local food systems that reduce poverty with dignity. Isaiah 58:10 says "if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be as noonday". Since our beginnings, relieving poverty and bringing hope through the gospel while preserving the dignity of the individual has been what compels us.
We believe fully in long-term solutions that prosper local economies. And, a practical expression of Isaiah 58:10 to feed the hungry is best served with practical and ongoing solutions that provide jobs and bring dignity.
YWAM global
Youth With A Mission is a global movement of Christians from many cultures, age groups, and Christian traditions, dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world. Also known as YWAM (pronounced “WHY-wham”), we unite in a common purpose to know God and to make Him known.
Back when we began in 1960, our main focus was to get youth involved in missions. Today, we still focus on youth, and we also involve people aged 9 to 90. We currently have tens of thousands of staff (called “YWAMers”) and we work in thousands of teams and locations.
To learn more, visit the YWAM global family of ministries site at www.ywam.org.
Our Story
YWAM Emerge started in 2004 with a dream to send people into the world to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We traveled around the U.S. calling young people and all ages to experience God in a new way by following the call of God on their lives through a commitment to full-time missions.
In 2009 we knew our purpose was changing to reaching the nations in a more tangible way. With a request from the founder of YWAM to serve the poor by developing systems to improve how food is grown, we built our first aquaponics system on a property we acquired in Colorado Springs.
While our first property was a great start, we were able to purchase a 41-acre property in 2018 to accomplish the big vision to train and mobilize people equipped with business knowledge to reach the nations. This property in Black Forest, Colorado has multiple buildings and housing units which we are updating and equipping as we grow. A 22,000 square foot greenhouse has plenty of room for training and research and development to help fulfill God's plan for our ministry.
We've built a commercial aquaponics system to demonstrate the technology can work on a large scale and also have developed a reproducible system called OASYS which we are replicating worldwide. We also provide ongoing training for students wanting to learn how this can benefit the world.