In 2010, the Lord gave Bruce and Patty a vision of pioneering a new YWAM ministry in Wylie Texas, just north of the Dallas Metroplex. As they stepped out in faith, into this unique, growing city, they began to see the dream God had placed on their hearts unfold. God had sowed in them a desire to see people trained and sent across the world to share Christ’s love with the lost and broken nations.

In the following year of 2011, The Baumans moved their family to Wylie and began praying for a team to join them in this new dream. One by one, the Lord brought a pioneering team of 9 together. In the fall of 2012, YWAM Wylie launched their very first Discipleship Training School. The inaugural DTS had a focus of reaching children at risk. For the outreach portion, the team of 16 students and staff travelled to India to reach some of the most vulnerable children in our world: orphans, street kids, children of prostitutes, HIV orphans, and children of lepers.

The heart of YWAM Wylie is to know God and to make Him known, beginning in Wylie and fanning out to the ends of the earth, taking to heart the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 where Jesus says to his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Our local outreach continues to grow as we reach out to families and at risk youth of our city. Our hope is to link arms with the body of Christ in Wylie to see all come to know the incredible, transforming love of God. We also continue to develop our overseas work with at risk children, through outreach teams and the Hopes Gate jewelry making projects in India and Uganda.

Wylie is a place where urban life meets small town living. Located just over twenty miles northeast of Dallas, the “City Between the Lakes” has a quaint feel, while still providing easy access to big city life. The city of Wylie was founded in 1887, shaped by two railroads running through town. In the late 1970s Wylie started to receive some of the Dallas-Fort Worth growth, and over the last decade, it was the third fastest growing city in Texas. It now has a population of more than 40,000 people. There are many churches in Wylie, and there seems to be an excitement and interest toward missions. There is a growing unity amongst the local churches, and we as YWAM are planning to be a part of these meetings. Our goal is to reach out locally in order to reach out globally.