Hello everyone!
If you are reading this, I'm assuming that you have supported me in some way over the years and care about investing in my life! Why else would you be reading this blog?!? lol... I am incredibly thankful for your support in my life and ministry over the years as I’ve tried to follow God’s call on my life. Thank you! In addition to thanking you, I want you to be encouraged by the impact of your support. God used each and every one of you to help me follow The Lord into vocational ministry and I am truly grateful!
I began my journey into full-time vocational ministry back in 2010 right after graduating high school (a trimester early!). On April 10th I joined the missions organization Youth With a Mission (YWAM.org) by becoming a student in their 6 month Discipleship Training School (DTS). DTS is their foundational training school for a life of missions and requirement to become a full-time long term staff member with YWAM. As a young 18 year old I was as passionate as ever to know God and make God known (the mission statement of YWAM).
Many of you supported me to do my DTS (which included a 3 month outreach to Thailand and Cambodia). Right after DTS I joined YWAM staff. As a new staff member I spent 4 solid months raising support full time. God provided me (through many you!) with an average of $1,500/month for my first 2 years on staff. During my first stretch on staff with YWAM, I worked with them from April 2010 until December 2013. After my DTS and outreach to Thailand and Cambodia, I went to Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Taiwan, the Philippines and ended up in Washington, D.C. Wow! This is me leading worship in Haiti, right outside the Presidential Palace in their Capital (they were so hungry to experience the love of God!):
Because of your support, I was able to preach The Gospel, pray for the sick, teach The Bible and teach others to teach it, lead worship and prayer in churches and on the streets, and love those that needed love. Because of your support I was able to know God and make God known through my ministry with YWAM. Over the years I’ve seen a multitude of people come to know Jesus for the first time, get healed emotionally and physically and see their lives totally transformed. Thank you again for your support!
Towards the end of my first stretch with YWAM, I was in Washington DC from June - December 2013. At that time the YWAM base was running a little prayer room in a church where we prayed (mostly for America) 24/7. We would each take turns to pray for 2 hours. Then, in the fall of that year we hosted an event called David’s Tent DC (more on David’s Tent below; also check out davidstentdc.org). At that point it was still an annual event (as it had been 2012-2014). I also went back on staff with YWAM DC and David’s Tent in the summer of 2016 and summer of 2017 after it had become a year-long event.
I’ve also been connected with the International House of Prayer of Kansas City (IHOPKC.org) in these last few years. IHOPKC primarily hosts a prayer room with live praise and worship 24/7 and trains others to lead sustainable prayer and worship. I spent two years at their worship school and regularly led corporate prayer for David’s Tent DC. While I was in their music and worship school, I gained a solid grasp of music theory, how to sing, lead worship and how to lead prayer meetings that are sustainable 24/7/365. This season of training has prepared me to move into this next season of leading worship and raising up other worship leaders to do the same.
Another significant thing that happened was that I helped organize an event on Appalachian State University in North Carolina called The Tent (I like to keep names simple!). We had 5 days of public praise and worship in a tent right in the middle of that campus. We had a few hundred students (and others) stop into the tent to worship and pray. Many unbelievers came just to watch. It was an amazing experience as we shared Jesus with a secular state university. It helped give me a vision for what God wants to do at college campuses all across America and The Earth and how God wants me to be a part of it. This is me leading worship at The Tent.
For the next chapter in my life...
I have decided to go back on staff with YWAM DC and David’s Tent again! My parents (and everyone else in my life) are fully supportive, and I am elated! Ever since I stepped down from staff in the summer of 2017 I’ve wanted to go back and now is the time! I’m currently living in Kansas City, Missouri and will leave here on Sunday May 31st and drive to get to DC June 1st (technically I’ll live right outside DC in Fort Washington, Maryland).
The reason I stepped down from staffing YWAM and David’s Tent in August 2017 was that I had some serious health issues. It has been an incredibly difficult chapter of my life. I have struggled with numerous negative emotions and difficult circumstances. I started seeing a counselor in August 2018. However, through all of the pain and sorrow, God never gave up on me! My amazing parents (David and Cindy Uttley) never gave up on me! The call of God never let me go! Even though I have spent the last few years trying to pursue a different education and vocation, ever since August 2017 I have felt God gently and persistently calling me back to YWAM DC and their ministry of David’s Tent. And now it’s happening!
During my time with YWAM and IHOPKC, I was empowered to grow my roots deep in my relationship with God. Because of these years of training, and the grace of God, I have had the perspective and strength to cling to Him and not give up in the midst of great difficulty. I am so thankful for the foundation laid during my time with YWAM and IHOPKC.
What is David’s Tent? I’m so glad you asked! In a sentence, David’s Tent DC hosts a public musical praise and worship service in a tent on The National Mall in Washington, D.C. and is 24/7/365. It was an annual event in the fall from 2012-14. Then on September 11th, 2015 it started and hasn’t stopped until April 1st due to Covid-19. That’s 1,664 days where Jesus has been praised every tick of the clock in our Capitol! Though there is currently a brief pause during the lockdown, I believe that the song will resume shortly and Jesus will continue to be exalted through singing in our National Capitol!
The tent is currently about 7 blocks west of the Supreme Court and Capitol Building and 9 blocks east of the White House. It’s right in the middle of the 3 branches of our federal government! As tourists and residents of the DC area walk amidst all of the museums, monuments and memorials, they will see the white tent and be invited to join in the song of praise! One of the previous locations was actually right in front of the Washington Monument, as you can see below.
Another key aspect of David’s Tent is that it is a “congress of worship.” They have made a schedule assigning each state to one week out of the year to send a delegation from their state. Since there are 52 weeks in a year and 50 states it really works out. This is part of what David’s Tent so unique. As state after state comes to DC, it’s a year-round love offering to God!
This ministry of praise and worship is very important to the Lord and for our nation. God inhabits the praises of His people and His power is released on Earth when we join in the unending worship of Heaven. Now more than ever we need that in our Capitol. God has great plans for America and as we enthrone Him on our praises in our Capitol we will be strengthened to be a tremendous blessing to all the nations of The Earth.
One of my favorite things about a praise and worship service moving from inside of a church to onto the street is that through music, they are sharing The Gospel! They are musical missionaries (aka musicianaries). Every biblically inspired worship song is drenched in the truth of The Bible, the character and nature of God and the love of Jesus. So, through music, Washington DC has been hearing the truth of The Bible every tick of the clock! What’s amazing to see is people’s response when they visit the tent and hear love songs to Jesus.
When some people think of “street preaching” they may have a negative image in their mind. But, when The Church shares The Gospel through music, people are way more receptive to hearing it. Even the hardest of hearts are drawn to the warmth of love being shared through song. In addition to hosting a 24/7 vertical “upreach” to God through praise, David’s Tent is simultaneously sharing a horizontal “outreach” to everyone that comes by.
While I was there, my role has always been to administrate the tent, run sound, share The Gospel, pray and intercede, and of course lead worship (as you can see below, sorry it was taken at night). Since the tent operates 24/7, there is always something to be done, whether that be to restock the staff food supply, answer questions about Jesus, pray with people, run sound, lead worship and more!! I also have the skills and experience to teach others music theory, piano, guitar, drums and singing. Most of the time when I was there my schedule was to spend 6 hours at the tent, 6 days a week. That includes leading worship personally for 2 hours most days. This will change slightly because of Covid-19, but I’m confident they will resume the song soon.
Looking back on the last 10 years, I can very clearly see the Hand of God at work. I’ve been moved to tears many times in the past few weeks as I’ve processed my life with Jesus. God is just so good! I’m so thankful to see that the seeds sown in my first years with YWAM are bearing fruit. I’m so thankful that God has never given up on me. I’m so thankful for each and every one of you and all of your support in my life. I’m looking forward to all that God has and being able to take this journey together in the future!
With much thankfulness,
-Nate “Nater” Uttley
