the bookers in missions

Ryan and Adriel Booker are full-time missionaries with Youth With A Mission, based in Townsville, Australia. Their primary focus as a couple is on youth – discipling and equipping young people for the mission field. Both Ryan and Adriel have a heart to see young people grow in their identity and be released into their own calling and ministry as they learn to pursue God and the lost.

Ryan serves primarily with teenagers and directs a number of youth programs in Townsville, some of which are now being multiplied in other places in Australia and will soon be launched in other nations. He also leads discipleship training schools, teaches young people on a variety of topics, as well as speaks on how to reach young people. Ryan is a youth pastor at heart with a call to minister within missions, and has a huge heart for teenagers and their parents. He was born and raised in Sydney, Australia and has been serving fulltime with YWAM since 2001. Before joining YWAM, Ryan worked for nine years as a tradesman. He also served in the youth group of his local church.

Adriel serves in a few different areas: staff leadership development, mobilization, networking and strategy, teaching, and discipleship. She has worked and taught in a number of different nations and cities around the world and has an interest in the broad picture of missions, and a heart to mobilize the church to take action in reaching the poor, the oppressed, the hurting, and those that don’t yet know Jesus. Adriel has a passion to see young people released into leadership and missions and a desire to see the body of Christ mobilized to meet the needs of the world through justice, kindness, generosity, and mercy. She was born in California, raised in Oregon, and has served fulltime in YWAM since 2000. Before joining YWAM , Adriel worked for four years in communications and public/media relations for the local government. She also served in the youth group and young adults group at her local church.

Together Ryan and Adriel plan to continue serving in Youth With A Mission fulltime into the future, both within Australia and throughout the nations of the earth.

CLICK HERE for the story of how we met, fell in love, and headed toward “I Do”.

Here’s a little bit about us in more detail:

RYAN

Birthday: 1 March 1974

Hometown: Born and raised in Engadine (Sydney), New South Wales, Australia.

Work background: Professional sign writer for nine years; youth pastor for Engadine Church of Christ for one year.

YWAM: Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Townsville, Australia in 1999. Joined staff in Townsville 2001. Leadership Development Course in Malaga, Spain in 2009.

Some of his roles in YWAM: YWAM Reef to Outback in Townsville, Australia – oversight of property renovation and development; Youth Ministries DTS leader for several years, helped pioneer and lead Youth Street; Community Engagement leader; YWAM Reef to Outback eldership; led outreach teams; leader of our Staff Internship.

Strengths:  Pastoring and discipleship; youth ministry; leading teams; public speaking and facilitating; coaching leaders.

Hobbies: Anything to do with sport (footy, basketball, soccer, snowboarding, cricket, golf, kayaking); movies; cooking dinner for my wife; working with teenagers; camping; family; designing and building things; anything to do with mac computers or other electronic gadgets; watching our favourite programs with my wife.

ADRIEL 

Birthday: 26 October 1977

Hometown: Born in Madera, California and raised in Bend, Oregon, USA.

Work background: Preschool worker for four years; communications and public/media relations at the county commissioner’s office (local government) for four years.

YWAM: DTS in Penang, Malaysia in 2000. Joined staff in Brisbane, Australia in 2001; Basic Leadership School (Brisbane). Joined staff in Perth, Australia in 2005; School of Biblical Studies (Perth). Joined staff in Townsville, Australia in May 2008. Leadership Development Course in Malaga, Spain in 2009.

Some of her roles in YWAM: Helped pioneer Beach to Bush DTS; DTS leader for several years; led Basic Leadership School (staff leadership development); Megacities urban ministry in Cairo, Egypt (field team leader); led the Global Youth Outreach; Church Liaison for Stable on the Strand (Christmas festival); led several outreach teams in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific; speaker/teacher on many DTS’s in Australia and Asia; led leadership seminars for YWAM staff in Australia and Asia.

Strengths: Teaching; discipleship; pioneering; strategizing and problem-solving; creativity; developing and equipping leaders.

Hobbies: Photography; writing; reading; design and decorating; going to the beach; exploring cities, camping; family; movies; entertaining and cooking for friends; music; politics and world events; yoga/pilates/tai chi classes at the gym; watching our favorite shows: LOST, The Office, So You Think You Can Dance, or Flight of the Conchords.

OUR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY: 25 March 2008

ADRIEL