YWAM's Discipleship Training School

“DTS was created to be a vessel for God to pour Himself into the lives of the young people,” Jason Andrews, DTS director for YWAM-Belize.

What is the design of Discipleship Training Schools (DTS)? The heart of DTS is to prepare those who are responding to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) – messengers of God’s Word. DTS is designed to encourage personal character development, pursuit of a relationship with God, and identification of the individual’s gifting and callings from the Lord.

This time is set aside for global awareness and interaction within blends of cultures. Goals of the DTS include formation of Christian character and the development of a solid walk – rooted in the Word. Training follows an intense schedule divided into two sections; the first being an 11 or 12 week classroom phase and the second leading into a two-three month outreach.

Completion of DTS is required for a career with YWAM and qualifies individuals for further training programs but taking the course does not lock one into the YWAM ministry. Potential DTS students may simply have found themselves at a life point of wanting to discover God’s purpose for their lives.

DTS Purpose

Purpose and Outcomes of DTS (Source www.ywamdtscentre.com)

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.”