Welcome to the Montana, Lakeside Campus of the University of the Nations! We are honored and consider it a blessing that you would come to join our family for this next season of your life. We believe you will be forever changed by all that God does in your life!
You probably have many questions about our campus, and we want to give you a taste of what to expect. This packet is designed to give you the information you need to prepare for your time here. By reading through this, you will have an overlook of our campus, and you will receive separate information from your school leader regarding the specifics of the program you are enrolled in.
Youth With a Mission is a global movement of Christians from many cultures, dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the nations. We unite in a common purpose to know God and make him known. Here at YWAM Montana, Lakeside, we have our own personal mission statement:
“Together we commit to the communication of the gospel by training, sending, supporting and being missionaries.”
LAKESIDE
Although small, we find the community of Lakeside to be a wonderful home for us. The community has been very supportive of our campus and we work hard to maintain a good rapport with our neighbors. With a population of about 3,000 we have had the chance to get to know many of the local residents and business owners well. Many businesses, the elementary school, and the lake are within walking distance of the base. However, for major shopping most people go to Kalispell. Lakeside Businesses we often frequent:
Blacktail Grocery Store
Glacier Bank
2 Gas Stations
U.S. Post Office
Westshore Medical Clinic
Ace Hardware
Tamarack Restaurant
Hairdresser
Glacier Perks (Coffee Shop)
Volunteer Park
Also within walking distance of the base is Volunteer Park, which is on the shore of Flathead Lake. There are 3 docks, a pebble beach, a grassy area with picnic tables, and restrooms. Many of us love relaxing, swimming, kayaking, and hanging out at the park.
KALISPELL
Kalispell and its adjoining communities make a city of about 50,000 people, and is about a 20 minute drive from Lakeside. The town has a hospital, an airport, two high schools, several banks, many fast food chains, a movie theatre, a small mall, Costco, Super Walmart, Target and more. We have found that you can purchase just about anything you need!
Although there are a couple of churches in Lakeside, most people from the base attend some of the various churches in Kalispell. There are too many to list here, but you will have the opportunity to visit some of these churches during your school.
Are you wondering what our campus looks like? Here you can learn more about our facilities on base, and some of the services our campus offers!
READINESS CENTER
The Readiness Center serves a wide variety of purposes. It hosts our weekly worship times, Thursday Night Meetings, events, and other community related events. It is also where we serve all our meals.
DORM ROOM
Our campus is home to two student dormitories. A standard dorm room for SBS students includes 2 single beds, 2 desks, 2 dressers, and 2 closets. For students enrolled in DTS or other secondary schools, a standard room includes 3-4 single beds, 2 closets, and 3 dressers.
GYMNASIUM
Each quarter our small gym hosts intramural sports leagues and pickup games.
WEIGHT ROOM
Our weight room is outfitted with weight lifting equipment, treadmills, a bike, and more. It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
STUDENT CENTER
Our Student Center is a great place to hang out with friends around the fireplace, play pool or ping-pong, or watch the football game. We also have vending machines.
COFFEE BAR
From awesome lattes to tasty muffins, our Coffee Bar offers a wide variety of food, and a great place for fellowship. It is centrally located on campus, and is open 5 days a week!
LIBRARY
Our library holds many books available for check-out, as well as reference-only items. It is a great quiet place to study and work.
PRAYER ROOM
Our prayer room is open 24 hours a day, 7 day a week for those looking for a quiet place to spend time with God.
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
When listening to music in the dorm, please be sensitive of others with volume and the type of music you are listening to. If you would like to listen to music loudly, please use headphones. When playing music in public areas, please make sure to not play anything inappropriate.
If you have instruments or music equipment of your own, you are welcome to bring it. Please note that though there are many instruments on our campus, most are personally owned and therefore we cannot guarantee that instruments will be available for your own use.
TV & MOVIES
If you are planning on watching TV or a movie on your own device or a public TV, we ask that you be mindful of the subject matter and language in the programs you are watching.
MONTANA FIRE CODE
Due to our strict Insurance Policy, absolutely NO candles are allowed in the dorm. Space heaters and air conditioners are also prohibited in the dorms.
FIREARMS
Students are not permitted to have firearms on the base.
CIGARETTES/E-CIGARETTES/DRUGS
Smoking is not allowed at any time during your program. Though it may be legal in your state, smoking or having marijuana is prohibited during your time here in Montana (this includes your outreach and debriefing week). Illegal drugs are also prohibited.
ALCOHOL
Alcohol consumption is not permitted on our campus.
PETS
Students are not allowed to have any pets in the dorm.
CARS
If you are driving here and wish to have your own car while you are here, we allow you to do so. We have parking available, and a designated place for you to park your car on campus while you are away on outreach.
RECREATION
Montana is a beautiful area. Hiking is very popular here during the summer months, and during the winter there are excellent downhill and cross-countrying skiing areas close by. When you are hiking/going on a walk, please go in a group and let people know where you are going (we do have some unfriendly wildlife in the area). If you like to walk alone, do not go too far, and make sure to tell someone where you are going.
KITCHEN GUIDELINES
Meals will be provided in the Readiness Center 3 times a day. We serve one meal, and always have a salad bar at lunch and dinner. If you have a special dietary need, please contact admissions@ywammontana.org to fill out a form. We want to meet any special dietary needs as best as possible, so please be sure to complete and send in the form before arriving for your school. Our Readiness Center is open during the day, where tea and coffee will always be available.
At YWAM Montana, we have several programs that run longer than one quarter. If your school’s lecture phase is longer than 3 months, you will need to plan ahead as to what you will do over the term breaks. These breaks are over Christmas and Spring Break.
If you wish to stay on campus during those times, you will need to approve that with your school leader. Time spent on campus during those times is not included in the tuition fee. You will need to make arrangements to cover those costs if you stay on campus. Our kitchen is closed during Christmas and Spring Break, which means you must find a way to provide your own meals. No cooking is allowed in the dorms at any time, and the Cafeteria is not available for personal cooking.
It is possible to go home for Thanksgiving in November, but this must be approved by your school leader before making any travel plans. You must be back by Sunday, ready for class Monday morning. You must also find a replacement for your work duty if it falls during that time. All students who stay on campus will be invited to Thanksgiving dinner at a missionary member’s house.
If you are traveling off campus during the holidays and need transportation to and from the airport/train station, you must organize this with your school staff as soon as possible and be prepared to pay for the transportation costs yourself. We want you to have a relaxing time over these breaks so please plan ahead so that finances will not be a burden.
The following are temperatures you can expect during each season, so pack accordingly:
Fall and Spring are cool: 50 to 70°F (10 to 20°C)
Winter is very cold: 0 to 50°F (-20 to 10°C)
Summer is hot: 70 to 95°F (20 to 40°C)
If you are attending a school in the winter, YWAM Montana Lakeside is at the bottom of a ski mountain, so you may bring skis/snowboard gear if that interests you.
Our campus is home to many people from different cultures around the globe. Out of respect for everyone, we want to make sure we dress appropriately cross-culturally while here in Montana. Please be mindful when packing and refrain from bringing low cut tops, shirts revealing your midsection, tight fitting clothing and short skirts.
Dress in Montana is casual and the modern churches have an informal dress codes. There is a “Boutique” on campus, which is a room for donating free clothes and other items. Our campus also has a Weight Room and Gym, so we encourage you to bring work-out clothing.
PAYING YOUR TUITION
All fees are payable in U.S. currency only. The deposit and tuition may only be paid in cash, check, or you can do a wire transfer through your bank. We are not able to accept any form of credit card or online payment. If you would like more information on how to do wire transfers, please email admissions@ywammontana.org for more information. If you do not have enough money to cover your tuition, you must contact your school leader at least two weeks before the first day of your program to discuss a plan of payment.
(Payable to YWAM) TO:
Admissions Office
501 Blacktail Road
Lakeside, MT 59922
USA
Occasionally in our training programs, a student will decide for various reasons not to stay until the end of the school. In rare cases, a student will be asked by the school leadership to leave the school and return home. Our intentions for writing this policy are two-fold: one, to give students a clear understanding of the many financial areas that tuition covers; and two, so that there is a pre-designated refund amount.
In order to keep our YWAM training schools running, there are various expenditures that must be made, several of which are incurred prior to the students’ arrival. Student tuition fees cover school supplies, lodging, meals, transportation costs, guest speaker travel and honorariums, utility bills and other related expenses. The amount listed below would be the sum refunded if the student terminated involvement within the designated time periods. Students are personally responsible for all travel expenses in the event that he/she leaves the Lecture Phase or Outreach early, whether for personal or disciplinary reasons.
Up to the end of 1st week . . . . . . . . . . . 64%
Up to the end of 2nd week . . . . . . . . . . . 54%
Up to the end of 3rd week . . . . . . . . . . . 45%
Up to the end of 4th week . . . . . . . . . . . 38%
Up to the end of 5th week . . . . . . . . . . . 32%
Up to the end of 6th week . . . . . . . . . . . 26%
Up to the end of 7th week . . . . . . . . . . . 19%
Up to the end of 8th week . . . . . . . . . . . 13%
Up to the end of 9th week . . . . . . . . . . . 6%
Up to the end of 10th week . . . . . . . . . . 0%
GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
The following information will help you and YWAM to follow IRS guidelines and restrictions:
According to IRS regulations, YWAM is unauthorized to issue tax-deductible receipts for students. We are not allowed as a 501(c)(3) Religious Non Profit to give tax write-offs for the tuition of our schools/programs. We are not accredited so we are not qualified for the Federal financial aid program under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, and we are not certified by the Department of Education. Therefore we are not allowed to send 1098-T forms.
ANY FINANCIAL QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions regarding your finances, please contact Accounting or your school leader:
Accounting: 1 (406) 844-2223
MAIL
During your stay here in Montana, your mailing address will be:
Your Name (school you are in)
501 Blacktail Road
Lakeside, MT 59922
All shipping companies deliver to this address (i.e. U.S. Postal Service, UPS, FedEx)
INTERNET
There is free wireless internet connection available all over the campus, so if you bring your laptop or tablet you will be able to connect if you have wireless capability.
CONTACTING THE OFFICE
If someone is unable to reach you in the dorm and would like to call the office, or if there are questions that need to be answered by campus missionary members, the office phone number can be used (8:30am-5pm Monday-Friday)
PHONE: 1(406) 844-2221
EMAIL: frontdesk@ywammontana.org
*In emergencies, the staff will contact the school leader immediately