YWAM-DTS
WHAT IS A DTS?
YWAM DTS or Youth With a Mission Discipleship Training School is a 5 Month Christian Missionary Training School. Youth With a Mission (YWAM) is one of the world largest missions organizations with over 18 000 full time staff in more than 170 countries in every continent (except Antarctica).
YWAM is a dynamic and fun group of young people who are passionate about knowing God and making him known to all the nations of the earth, and every tribe and tongue across the globe. The great commission is our commission!
YWAM trains students for a purpose and that purpose is to share the love of Jesus all over the world, particularly among those people where He is least known.
You may come to YWAM with a particular sense of calling to a place, a people, or an area of service, or you may discover that calling during your DTS. Either way, YWAM will help to equip you and get you to the place where you can use your gifts to bring change.
 | "I believe [it] is the most important ministry/program we have in the whole of YWAM, because it is the doorway into the mission and the University of the Nations. It is the foundation for everything, where people are met with faith, where they come to understand the history and values of YWAM; where they are presented with mission opportunities...and it's where their own vision may be fueled."
Darlene Cunningham - YWAM Co-founder |
Each YWAM DTS includes a 2 month outreach where what you have learned is put into practice. You'll be stretched and challenged in your relationship with God like never before and you're guaranteed to have many opportunities to see others come to know God as well.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE YWAM-DTS?
To gather and challenge people to worship, listen to and obey God, releasing them (in the context of the DTS) to serve through evangelism, intercession, acts of compassion and other expressions of God's heart for the world, possibly even pioneering new ministries.
To inspire and cultivate growth in one's relationship with God resulting in Christ like character, which is based on a solid Biblical foundation, the work of the Holy Spirit and the personal application of Biblical truth, especially concerning God's Character, the Cross and empowering Grace.
To sharpen one's ability to relate to, learn from and work with people, including those of different cultures, personalities and perspectives.
To further equip each one to serve God's purposes either in or outside of YWAM Family of Ministries, strengthening a commitment to reach the lost, especially the unreached, to care for the poor, and to influence all areas of society.
To impart the vision and foundational values of Youth With A Mission International as well as that of the host operating location and to provide information regarding a variety of opportunities for service.
The DTS aims to graduate students ...
• with a growing understanding of the breadth and depth of God’s character and ways
• who are becoming more like Jesus in the way they relate to God and people
who increasingly cooperate with the empowering presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit
• who listen to and obey God as the result of God’s enabling Grace
• who search the Scripture in such a way that transforms beliefs, values and behaviors
• with strengthened lifestyles of worship, intercession and spiritual warfare
• with a greater ability to work with others, especially those different to themselves
• who can share the Gospel with the lost and have a life long commitment to do so
with a commitment to continue to be involved in some way with God’s work among the nations, including unreached people, the poor and needy and in spheres of society
• who understand the calling and values of YWAM and are aware of a variety of opportunities available to them throughout YWAM
• with a clearer understanding of God’s purposes for their life and a sense of their life direction who either:
⁃ go on to serve God in either a context familiar or foreign to them
⁃ pursue further training (in or outside of YWAM) to equip them for further service.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT DTS OPTIONS?
We run 4 DTSs every year, and each has a different ministry focus. The DTS curriculum is the same in all DTSs, but there will be an added ministry focus on the different schools. Find out more on the schools website.
WHAT CAN I LEARN ON A YWAM DTS?
The curriculum varies slightly in the different locations but below is a cross section of teaching and hands on application that you could expect to receive.
• Hearing the Voice of God
• Faith
• Evangelism
• The Character of God
• Godly Relationships
• Prayer and Intercession
• Christian World view
• A history of Missions
• Father heart of God
• Studying the Bible
• Living in Community
• Learning about different cultures
WHERE WILL THE OUTREACH GO?
Outreach locations are usually finalized in the 3rd or 4th week of the lecture phase. Sometimes there are preset outreaches to important global events such as the Olympic Games or a Soccer World Cup.
Before the DTS lecture phase begins, the school staff pray and ask the Lord where to go on outreach. Once the students arrive, they also pray into outreach locations. Each school seeks God's plan in order to send teams to the right place at the right time!
Usually we'll have a local outreach team targeting Worcester and surrounding towns, an outreach to one of our neighboring countries, and/or an outreach to a farther away country.
We have sent teams to 29 nations already!
WHAT WILL THE OUTREACH COST?
The cost varies depending on the destination. What determines the cost of an outreach is transportation, lodging, food, visas, vaccinations, emergency funds, and the like. In general, a local outreach (Worcester and surroundings) will cost around R7000. An outreach to a neighboring country may cost around R12000, while an outreach overseas might cost around R20000.
These costs are affected by inflation, exchange rates, and other external factors.
