Public COVID Update 01/07/2021
Happy New Year and welcome to 2021!
While 2020 was a year of unprecedented challenge and unpredictability, as a campus we have not yet failed to see the goodness, protection, and blessing of God over our lives and ministries. We are excited and expectant as we begin this new year.
- Winter DTS: Starting January 7th (NO DELAYS!)
- Foundations of Counseling Ministries: Starting March 27th (NO DELAYS!)
- The Campus will operate safely and wisely by implementing a pre-determined safety protocol that has proven effective since the onset of COVID.
Some of the ways that this looks like for YWAM Salem practically is limiting the mixing of our staff households and students, wearing masks and carrying out some of our campus functions over Zoom and other digital avenues.
Unfortunately, our campus remains closed to overnight visitors. At this time, we are also not receiving guests to our campus events.
We are greatly looking forward to the day when it will be completely safe to open our doors wide and welcome you all in, and we thank you for your grace and understanding while we attempt to mitigate any risk to our staff, students and local community.
If you’re considering joining us for one of our training schools or courses during this time and have specific questions about our Covid-19 policies, please get in touch with our call team. We are happy to talk you through the measures we are taking to protect our students.
We thank you for your continued love and support as we navigate the fulfillment of our call to know God and make God known through activating youth to reach the world with the gospel. We could not do it without you!
Blessings,
Student Communications,
YWAM Salem.
Public COVID and Fire Update 9/18/2020
Greetings from YWAM Salem,
To be quite frank, there were more moments then I care to admit where 2020 left us wondering. What is going on? What is God doing and how do we partner with Him?
1 Chronicles 12:32 inspires us to partner with God and his understanding of the world to bring about the desires of the kingdom. In the midst of our current day struggle, we ask the question: are we focused on the world interpretation of current events or on what we believe God wants to do?
What do you believe for? We continue to anticipate a move of God that will see our campus full within the next couple years. Full of people not seeking their own comfort but, young and old, set on fire by the passion of their Savior to go into all the world.
About the wildfires: Thank you for your concern and sympathy for our state and community. YWAM Salem and the city of Salem are safe from the fires. The air quality as been very poor for the last two weeks however, this will continue to get better over the next days. Praise God we got some heavy rain recently! The fires are more under control and many of those effected are able to return home. Please continue to pray for our state and especially those who lost everything.
Our amazing staff team jumped in to help with the relief efforts day one. Our staff kids made cards and prayed over them. Our adults were out sorting donations, listening to people, and praying over them. Many were encouraged and some gave their lives to Jesus!
We expect God to sweep across our valley with a mighty wave of his presence. There is such a great hunger in our youth and evangelistic opportunities are everywhere!
COVID-19 update:
We continue to be very focused on the physical and mental health of our staff, students, and local community. We continue to adapt how our campus is functioning regularly in order to comply with state mandates and further mitigate the risks of active cases on campus.
While travel is limited international outreach opportunities slowly start to open up again. We are also able to reach a struggling city and our nations youth like never before.
We are prepared to safely host anyone who would like to receive missionary training!
You may have seen that we ran a fundraiser to cover the financial gap caused by COVID-19. We are blown away by the support of our community and we have been able to reach our goal!
Thank you so much for your support and love as we continue to activate youth to reach an unreached world. It continues to be an incredible privilege to be called and commissioned for such a time as this.
Blessings,
Samuel Matthias
Ywam Salem Campus Director
If you have further questions, please refer to the FAQ section below or contact us directly:
Public COVID Update 7/15/2020:
Greetings from YWAM Salem,
Due to the incredible grace of God, we are excited to report that over the last few months we have been able to reach over 5,000 people with the love of Christ.
Despite our present challenges we are able to reach a struggling city and our youth. It is an incredible privilege to be called and commissioned to reach people for Jesus at this time.
Currently we are working on:
- Bringing Minority Leaders and Law Enforcement together
- COVID- 19 recovery ministry for Business Leaders and Pastoral Staff
- A large scale Evangelistic Outreach with city wide partnerships to reach Salem for Christ
Due to the ever evolving COVID-19 situation we would like to bring a short update.
In this season we continue to be very focused on the physical and mental health of our staff, students, and local community. YWAM Salem follows all federal and state of Oregon mandates put in place in regards to COVID-19. We continue to adapt how our campus is functioning regularly in order to further mitigate the risks of active cases on campus.
Could we share a financial update with you?
We want to specifically thank our donors for their incredible support. Without you it would not be possible to activate this generation to disciple the nations.
Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic our Spring and Summer Courses went from training about 60 missionaries to 11. This and additional COVID-19 related loss of income put a significant financial strain on us. We have been adjusting budgets and limiting spending but have a $80,000 gap to cover our expenses.
We already raised $35,000 and secured a matching donor of $25,000 to give us a clear path to reach our goal! Would you please consider a gift towards this critical need of YWAM Salem?
To make a donation to the COVID-19 response fund today
https://giving.ywamsalem.org/giving
(designate giving to COVID-19 Response)
We want to thank you for your grace. We trust that God will give each one of us the wisdom to navigate these uncharted territories (James 1:5).
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” - James 3:17-18
Thank you so much for your support and love as we continue to activate youth to reach an unreached world.
If you have further questions, please refer to the FAQ section below or contact us directly:
- Students or family of students: Amos Hathway at (503) 779-3761 or Denise Schlegel at (951) 807-7586 or email us at training@ywamsalem.org.
- General Inquiry: Cassie Ries at (951) 567-1438 or directorsassistant@ywamsalem.org
Blessings,
Samuel Matthias
Ywam Salem Campus Director
YWAM Salem COVID-19 Update 4/17/2020
Hello from YWAM Salem,
We are all living through challenging times and it is difficult to predict how long this challenge will last and how it will impact us personally and professionally over the next weeks and months. Despite this uncertainty, God is still in charge! We find comfort that even during this time He is our constant hope, and that you take comfort in that too.
YWAM Salem continues to see a flood of young people wanting to pour their life into serving God. We believe that we are at the beginning of a true outpouring of the Spirit of God. In this season of COVID-19, that heart has not changed. As our prayer and support go out to all that have been affected by this disease we still exist to equip, train, and send missionaries. We invite you to join us to continue to press into what God is doing in our world.
We feel led to spend a special time of consecration and alignment for our community during this next week. We want to take time prepare for a significant breakthrough for our ministry.
In this season we continue to be very focused on ensuring the health and safety of all staff, students, and our local community. YWAM Salem follows all federal and state of Oregon mandates put in place in regards to COVID-19.
We are excited to share some updates:
- While we still do not have a timeline for when Shelter in Place will lift, we project that our Training Programs will start with our Summer Quarter on July 1st, 2020. We will adjust if needed based on the mandates of our nation and state.
- In order to ensure we do everything we can to make this happen, we continue to hold our line with all necessary steps in how our campus functions. This means continuing to follow the Shelter in Place mandate of Oregon. Limiting interactions to those in our household and working remotely if at all possible. The few areas on our campus that require physical staff attendance, work in shifts, practice social distancing and have routine cleaning to minimize the risk of exposure. All of YWAM Salem’s corporate gatherings (worship, intercession, staff meeting) are video-conference based.
- We are limiting those outside of our community coming onto campus. Our on campus playground has been closed for the foreseeable future and unfortunately, we will no longer be able to have any guests staying on our campus .
On Tuesday 4/14/2020 Governor Brown gave a statement. Amongst other things she highlighted three areas:
- Slowed growth of the Virus with fewer cases of COVID-19
- Adequate Personal Protective Equipment to protect healthcare workers and first responders
- A robust public health framework including increased testing, contact tracing and effective isolation
Anticipating a gradual and systematic return to normal life (e.g. certain types of businesses opening over a slow period of time, slowly increasing size of group gatherings, etc.), our COVID-19 Task Team is preparing ways for us to potentially open our campus to be ready when Shelter in Place is lifted.
Thank you so much for your support and love as we continue to activate youth to reach an unreached world.
If you have further questions, please refer to the FAQ section below or contact us directly:
- Students or family of students: Amos Hathway at (503) 779-3761 or Denise Schlegel at (951) 807-7586 or email us at training@ywamsalem.org.
- General Inquiry: Cassie Ries at (951) 567-1438 or directorsassistant@ywamsalem.org
Let us continue to pray on behalf of our campus, state, nation, and world. Let us seek God’s guidance on how to proceed in his will.
Blessings,
Samuel Matthias
YWAM Salem Campus Director
YWAM Salem COVID-19 Update 3/17/20
Hello from YWAM Salem,
As a campus we have seen unprecedented growth over the last five years. We had a great start to the year, and God has met us in so many ways. Our hearts are hungry for more of God, especially in our student body because we have seen Jesus speaking purpose over people and changing their lives in remarkable ways, and want to see more. We are grateful for all that God has done, and all that he is yet to do in and through us as a community.
In this season we are very focused on ensuring the health and safety of all students and our local community. Given the ongoing spread of COVID-19, we have had to make some hard decisions as YWAM Salem leadership:
We have sent our current students home to minister while being with their families. Our school leaders have created several pathways for students to complete their schools within the year.
As of now, we will be postponing both the Foundations of Counseling Ministries and Korean Discipleship Training School. All currently enrolled students have been informed and we will continue to monitor the situation, and with hope, determine new start dates in the near future.
We have also made decisive internal changes in how our campus functions. We have increased our cleaning of surfaces, food dispensaries, and bathrooms. We also adapt our kitchen schedule to serve only those students and volunteers who are unable to leave YWAM Salem.
Keeping with the Oregon mandate of limiting group gatherings to no more than 25 people and the additional recommendation that Oregonians avoid gatherings of 10 people or more we implement strong social distancing measures. This includes staff working remotely as much as possible.
We will limit those outside of our community coming onto campus. Unfortunately we will no longer be able to have any guests staying on our campus unless determined risk free by our COVID-19 Task Team.
Thank you so much for your support and love as we continue in this trying time. We continue to work with all government mandates and requirements with respect to the virus.
We have a great hope for our generation and a sense of anticipation of what God is going to do this year. It is in testing that our personal relationship with God grows deep. He will assemble world changers uniquely equipped to meet the challenges of our societies today. We encourage everyone to not question the promises of God in darkness that He has revealed in the light and continue in this journey of being his loved disciple.
If you have further questions, please refer to the FAQ section below or contact us directly:
- Students or family of students: Amos Hathway at (503) 779-3761 or Denise Schlegel at (951) 807-7586 or email us at training@ywamsalem.org.
- General Inquiry: Cassie Ries at (951) 567-1438 or directorsassistant@ywamsalem.org
Please continue to be interceding on behalf of the situation, our campus, and our nations. May we join to seek the Father’s wisdom and peace as we navigate this together.
Blessings,
Samuel Matthias
YWAM Salem Campus Director
YWAM Salem COVID-19 Update 3/13/2020
YWAM Salems continues to follow state and national recommendations regarding the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). As of now, our county, Marion County has reported 3 cases. We have no known reported cases on our campus or in Salem. However, in the light of the rapidly changing nature of the virus and our commitment to preserve the safety of both our campus and our Salem community, we will continuously evaluate the situation.
We have established a COVID-19 task team to address our campus needs, mitigate risk, and establish protocol for YWAM Salem’s response to the spread of the COVID-19 disease. The team has been working hard to protect our staff, students, and volunteers from the virus as much as possible. Working with Marion County Public Health, we have updated our Response Plan and set up protocols to best protect our YWAM Salem community.
What actions are we taking?
- Constant contact with appropriate parties and keeping up to date information as much as possible. Appropriate parties include: Marion County Public Health, and following the guidance from the Center of Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization.
- Ongoing protocols created for those coming to our campus from at risk nations.
- Rerouting outreach teams to less-risk locations
- We reserve a prepared and dedicated space on-site and off-site that can act as a quarantine site in contingency that a case occurs inside of our community.
- Entry survey for people coming on campus including screening of symptoms and previous travel itinerary.
- Encouraging all of our staff to follow health care guidelines.
- We created a FAQ page to answer some more questions. These guidelines are put into place to protect the community per recommendations by Marion County Public Health.
Please continue to be interceding on behalf of the situation, our campus, and our nation. May we join to seek the Father’s wisdom and peace as we navigate this together.
Blessings,
Samuel Matthias
YWAM Salem Campus Director
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At YWAM Salem, we want to help you discover your passions and gifts and provide channels for you to use those to serve God in the world. 
