What is DTS?

Now that many of you have been freshly introduced to YWAM (see previous post) we would like to formally meet DTS (Discipleship Training School).

Discipleship Training School (DTS) is YWAM's foundation. This unique course sets young people (and older people as well) on a course for radical living for the rest of their lives. Really, the great commission is implanted and interweaved within the hearts and minds of DTS students during the 5-6 month course. The format of the DTS is 12 weeks of lecture followed up by 8-12 weeks of outreach. During the lecture phase of the course, students study topics such as; who God is, hearing God's voice, Evangelism, Worship, Prayer, Culture, how to integrate into society as a Christian, etc. The average DTS size is 30-40 students, though there have been much larger (305, as in the case of Brady's) and much smaller (10-20, as in the case of the DTS in Pescara that we will work with).

The Outreach phase of DTS is where it gets exciting! This is the opportunity for the students to go into the world and put what they've learned to use. In many cases, the outreach location is not determined until several weeks into the lecture phase. This allows the students to pray and seek God's heart for this decision. Its pretty incredible to see God show up in huge ways, leading the students to truly divine appointments! Outreach can include street ministry, building projects, church projects, assistance with sporting events, worship events, prayer walks, crusades, bible studies. The list could go on for many more pages! For some, it is also huge step outside of established comfort zones. (this part is also exciting)

The DTS, being the foundation of Youth With a Mission, really seeks to prepare and equip young people to be disciples and to disciple others.

We ask you to pray for the students who will be attending the DTS in Pescara, Italy in April this year. We are looking forward to meeting them and developing friendships that could last for many years. Please begin to pray for open hearts of these students. There is a firehose of information flowing at them during the DTS. Pray that they would be as sponges, soaking up the information and letting it impermeate deep into their hearts! Pray for God to begin to direct them and show them pictures of what Outreach will look like. Pray for strength and for courage, as many of the students will be in a new country, immersed in a new culture and hearing a new language. Also, in the next two months, before this school, please be praying for financial provision for the students and staff (us included)!