Our history
The Way has an interesting history with a few twists and turns internationally. One of the American team members, visited Northern Ireland for a youth outreach trip. After returning to the states, she found there were 2 other ladies, also from her hometown in Indiana, who had recently visited the same area of NI. Was that a coincidence? Their hearts had connected with the N. Irish people. They began to meet and pray, discussing the possibility of taking the 3-day weekend to NI, as had been done in Jamaica. Through their personal relationships with people in NI, these 3 ladies, along with 3 others, traveled back to NI, in 2013, to begin setting the groundwork. They met with 42 different N. Irish over a week of lunch, teas and suppers. The purpose and benefit of the 3-day weekend was shared. Their prayer request: if 6 N. Irish agreed to come to Indiana, to experience the Great Banquet, they would continue pursuing where they felt God was leading. Exactly 6 of 42 NI said yes. Wow God!!
As the outreach for the three-day event has grown, the organizers realized the movement also needed the flexibility to adapt to different cultures in regard to certain procedural and cultural aspects of the three-day process. To accomplish this need, it was determined that in order to have this flexibility, without the possibility of violating any copyright laws, a new three day movement would need to be created. Through much prayer and faith, a new movement was written.
This movement, as with the many other versions that have evolved over time, follows a distinct pattern yet it has the flexibility to adapt to different cultures. This new movement has been called “The Way”. The Way is centered on John 14:6 when Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The Way Castlewellan continues in Northern Ireland. The Way Goshen began in Indiana in April 2016. Jamaica previously operated as The Great Banquet and switched to The Way in August 2016. The Way Nature Coast Florida began in Florida in October 2018. The Way Teens Indiana began in June 2023. The Way Arizona will host its first discipleship weekend in May 2024. The Way Upstate New York has begun planning for a future weekend. The Way has truly been blessed by God, offering the opportunity to deliver the message of Salvation and Discipleship to new communities.