Operation Mobilisation
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| Operation Mobilisation (OM) | |
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| Founder(s) | George Verwer |
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| Type | Evangelical Missions Agency |
| Founded | 1957 |
| Area served | 110 Countries |
| Slogan | transforming lives and communities |
| Website | www.om.org, www.ships.de |
Operation Mobilisation is an Evangelical Christian organization founded by George Verwer to mobilise young people to live and share the Gospel of Jesus. OM, as it is known, started in Mexico and had spread to Europe and India by 1963.
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[edit] About OM
OM currently works in more than 110 countries around the world, seeking to "demonstrate and proclaim the love of God." In every situation OM teams attempt to adapt to the local culture and situation, endeavouring to find the best ways to share the Gospel using literature, the creative arts, friendship, Bible studies, video and cassette tapes, correspondence courses, relief and development work as well as other methods.
The people working for Operation Mobilisation tell people how their lives have been changed and how others can also come to "personal faith in God through Christ."
Wherever possible, Operation Mobilisation works in partnership with the local church, encouraging and supporting local communities. Where there is no church they seek to establish one.
[edit] History
Operation Mobilisation traces its roots to an American housewife. In the 1950s, Dorothea Clapp gave a Gospel of John to one of the local students, who later became a Christian at a Billy Graham meeting. The man was George Verwer, the founder and the first international director of Operation Mobilisation.
At college, George and two friends became concerned by the religious situation in Mexico. In 1957 they sold some of their belongings to raise money and spent their summer holiday to distribute Gospels and other Christian literature in Mexico. They returned the following two summers.
When they graduated in 1960, George and his friends travelled to Europe. They began work in Spain, propagating the Evangelical message and distributing literature. The task of bringing the Gospel to all of Europe, however, seemed overwhelming.
George and his small team believed that it was 'God's plan' to 'mobilise' the church to reach the nations. As they began to publicise their ambition, hundreds of Christians responded, and as a result Operation Mobilisation began.
By 1963, 2,000 Christians had joined summer outreach teams in Europe. At the same time, the first year teams moved into the Indian sub-continent and the Muslim world. Their ambition was to bring the gospel message to those who had never heard it.
In August 2003, George handed over the international leadership of the work of Operation Mobilization to Peter Maiden, who was the Associate International Director for 15 years.
[edit] Core Values as described by OM[1]
Core Values of OM are Knowing and glorifying God, Living in submission to God's Word, Being people of grace & integrity, Serving sacrificially, Loving & valuing people, Evangelising the world, Reflecting the diversity of the body of Christ, Global intercession and Esteeming the church.
[edit] The Ships
Currently, OM operates two ships cruising all around the world, the MV Doulos and the MV Logos II. The MV Logos was the first ship, but it sank in 1988, a few years after its commission. MV Logos Hope is currently being prepared for its commission. Being twice as big as the Doulos it will provide greater capacity for operations.
The OM ships visit port cities throughout the world, supplying literature, encouraging cross-cultural understanding, training young people for 'more effective life and service', providing relief and sharing a message of hope in God wherever there is opportunity.
Since 1970, OM's ships have visited over 480 different ports in 150 countries and territories around the globe. On average, 1 million visitors are welcomed on board every year.
In total, over 30 million visitors have come aboard to purchase from the selection of 4,000 titles available. Titles cover a wide range of subjects, such as science, sports, hobbies, cookery, the arts, philosophy, medicine and children's books, as well as faith and life. The books have been carefully chosen to be of interest to every member of the family, and with the educational, social and 'moral' needs of the local community in mind. Books are on offer at a fraction of their retail value, while in certain ports, books are also donated.
[edit] See also
- Teenstreet, an annual international week-long congress for Christian teenagers presented by OM.
