dts
YWAM’s Discipleship Training School
Discipleship Training Schools (DTS) aim to prepare messengers of the gospel, helping students to know God in depth. The goal is to form Christian character and establish Biblical relationships while developing a daily walk with God. This intensive Christian training course begins with an 11 or 12 week classroom phase followed by a typically 12 week outreach.
The DTS is designed to encourage students to develop in personal character, to cultivate a living relationship with God, and to identify their unique individual gifts and callings in God. Cross-cultural exposure and global awareness are special emphases throughout these courses, preparing the students to reach current and future generations and answer the call to “Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations” Matthew 28:19.
A course similar to the DTS is the Crossroads Discipleship Training School (CDTS). The CDTS specifically focuses on the needs and concerns of our older students (30+), such as second-career people and families withchildren.
Not everyone completing a DTS or CDTS necessarily joins YWAM. Many participate in a DTS to take time out to concentrate on God and consider whether He might be calling them to Christian ministry. For those who choose to go on into a career with YWAM, successful completion of the DTS qualifies them to apply for hundreds of staff opportunities. Graduating from the DTS also qualifies 
students to go on to YWAM’s other training programs, such as those offered by YWAM’s University of the Nations (UofN).
Purpose and Outcomes of DTS
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. To SHARPEN one’s ability to relate to, learn from and work with people, including those of different cultures, personalities and perspectives.
4. 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.
5. 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.
An Example DTS Curriculum
I. God’s Nature and Character
* Encountering God
II. God’s Intention for Individuals, Peoples and Creation
* Seeing all of Life from God’s Perspective
III. God’s Redemption: Sin and The Cross
* Recognizing Jesus as Lord
IV. God’s Family: His Children & His Church
* Becoming More Like Jesus
V. God’s World: His Call and His Commission
* Doing the Works of Jesus
VI. YWAM: A Response to God
* Knowing God; Making Him Known
Quotes From Past DTS Students
“A DTS is a time of letting go of the familiar and common and embracing a time of focusing on God and His plans for our lives.”
“It’s a time of change. A time of being stretched and trained up.”
“A time of learning daily the way to live as righteously as Jesus would. We form habits that will stay with us our entire lives.”
“DTS is about knowing God and making Him known. It’s a time where the limits of love and putting others before ourselves is tested.”
“It’s all about Jesus, knowing His voice and recognizing His hand at work in everything around us. For three months we learned it and for two months we embarked on starting to love it for the rest of our lives.”
“A Discipleship Training School is the doorway wide open to the rest of our lives.”
“DTS changed my life.”