Discipleship Training School

An Entry-Way Into Global Missions and YWAM

Course Description.

Are you longing for a deeper relationship with God? Are you willing to travel to the farthest reaches of the earth to communicate God’s love? At YWAM Montana-Lakeside, we are all about doing whatever it takes to know God and to make Him known, together.

The Discipleship Training School (DTS) is a two-part, five-month, discipleship course which serves as an introduction to global missions.

We also believe that God has placed skills and passions in your life for a purpose. During your lecture phase, you will spend 4-5 hours a week expanding your skill set in the elective of your choice. Learn how to use your passion for the purpose of making God known in the world.

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Lecture.

The first 3 months of your DTS, commonly called the “lecture phase”, will be spent at YWAM Montana learning from speakers we trust on foundational discipleship topics such as Nature and Character of God, Hearing God’s Voice, Relationships, and Missions. The goal of the lecture phase is to allow God to change your life based on what you’re learning and not have it just be head-knowledge. You will also spend time weekly engaging in worship, prayer, and developing a skill or passion (called electives) of your choice to see how it can be used in missions. You will be surrounded by people around the same age who are all running after the same thing – to know God and to make Him known. It’s a great community to learn and grow in!

Outreach.

The second phase of your DTS will be spent on a 2 month outreach. Our 6 target nations are our primary locations, but your options for locations will be revealed during lecture phase. This phase allows you to put into practice everything you just learned and to share the good news of Jesus Christ cross-culturally. Outreach will provide you with a glimpse of cross-cultural missions as your team serves alongside local believers, existing ministries, and long-term missionaries. You will work and serve in a lot of different ways, but at the end of the day, the goal is to make God known. So, when you choose to do a DTS, you are joining the world-wide movement to make Jesus known in all nations of the world.

Electives.

We believe that God has placed skills and passions in your life for a purpose. During your lecture phase, you will spend 4-5 hours a week expanding your skill set in the elective of your choice. Learn how to use your passion for the purpose of making God known in the world.

Check out the Electives section at the bottom of this page for more information about which ones are offered.

*Not every elective is offered during each DTS, so please email or call us if you’d like to find out which electives are offered during your preferred DTS!

DTS Electives.

Dance

Fall 2020

Dance is an international language that speaks to so many people. It has the power to bring people together and express what we are feeling. Dance is also a powerful tool to share the gospel without words.

If you choose this elective, it will help you to understand what dance in missions can look like. You will take technique classes in Jazz, Ballet, Modern and Hip Hop as well as learn about the heart behind dance in worship. At the same time you’re learning how to express yourself through movement, we will also give you tools to facilitate dance programs on your overseas outreach.

Music

Fall 2020

Music has a powerful effect on people. Whether you’re a casual listener or a professional musician, everyone can relate to the way the music can affect us emotionally, physically & spiritually.

The Music Elective is for students that are gifted with musical skills & abilities, and want to learn how to use them in ministry. Whether you feel called to the Church, overseas missions, or the music industry………if music is your expression then this is the elective for you!

Prerequisite: The Music Elective is for those who are currently Musicians and/or Vocalists(singers). A short Skill Survey will be taken at the start of the elective.

Here are some examples of topics you will cover during your Music Elective:

Spiritual Disciplines as an artist
Basic music theory
How to work with a band
How to lead a rehearsal
Songwriting & production
Corporate worship leading
Gear management
Basic audio skills
Personal instrument development
Diversity in music ministry

Bible

Fall 2020

The Bible Elective is for anyone wanting to deepen their relationship with God and their understanding of His Word. Whether you already have a love for the Bible and want to know more, or if you are seeking to understand it for the very first time, we couldn’t be more excited to have you with us!

From the beginning to the end, the Bible is the incredible story of God’s redemption. We are not separated from this, rather this is our story. When we understand the rich history of our story, we get to know who we are and how we play a role in it, but more importantly, we get to know who God is. Through this, we see God’s character, we hear His voice, and we are given a solid foundation for our faith and our relationship with Him.

In the Bible Elective we will explore different ways to study and engage with the Bible together. We’ll learn the story of the Bible and how to share this with others. We’ll take a look at how the Bible got to where it is today through things like canonization and translation, and see how the Bible is going out to the ends of the Earth! We will hear stories of how the Bible is making an impact in our world today and learn how we can be a part of it!

Endurance Outdoor Ministry

Fall 2020

Do you like the outdoors? Do you like hiking, backpacking, rock climbing and so much more? Well in the Endurance Outdoor Ministry Elective you will learn all about the outdoors and how to take these skills and use them to reach others in the outdoor industry and the ends of the earth with the gospel!

Our goal is that you would leave this school with multiple skills that would equip you to participate in conversations happening in the outdoor industry, to engage with fellow adventurers, and to testify to Christ’s saving grace and faithfulness with credibility and confidence.

Here are some examples of the activities we will be doing in this elective:

Multi-day camping trip with rock climbing;
Weekend Backpack Trip;
Wilderness Medical Training (including CPR certification);
A variety of other possible activities (biking, kayaking, ropes courses, etc).

Some outdoor skills you will learn:

Safety and risk management;
Bear awareness and safety;
Leave No Trace (LNT) principles;
Water sanitation practices;
1st Aid basics;
…and much more.

This elective is an additional $275 to your tuition fee as it incorporates more activities and trips outside of YWAM Montana. We are excited to see you here!

Sports in Missions

Fall 2020

Sports is an interest that crosses all cultural barriers. It doesn’t matter what country you’re in or what language you speak, sports can be a bridge to communication.

Our goal in the Sports in Missions elective is to help you grow in your overall fitness and in specific skills in a variety of sports, such as volleyball, basketball, soccer, and even nutrition. We also aim to expand your usable sports portfolio so that no matter where Jesus may send you, you will be able to draw from your skill set to connect with the popular sport in that area to get to know people and share Jesus’ love.

Here are some examples of topics you will cover during your Sports in Missions elective:

Weight training
Stretching
Nutrition
Sports as ministry
Setting up tournaments
Sportsmanlike conduct
Defusing explosive situations
Practicing sports skills
Learning new sports
Taping and practical first aid

Meet Your School Leaders.

Katie Warford
Martinez, California

DTS Staff
Hello! My name is Katie. I started with YWAM in Tauranga, New Zealand, where I did my DTS. After DTS, I decided to do SBS (School of Biblical Studies) in Montana. During SBS my passion to see people discipled in the word and sent out into the nations grew “through the roof,” so I decided to join DTS staff and I currently serve on our DTS Leadership team. I love seeing lives transformed as students fall deeper in love with Jesus and find their true identity in Him. Outreach is an incredible time to stretch and grow for students and staff alike as we step out of our comfort zone and learn to serve others, especially through sharing about Jesus. My focus over the last two years has been to help develop curriculum to bring the Gospel to refugees. I'm also passionate about the Bible, evangelism, art, people, glitter and fun! It is such a privilege to be a part of the great commission and to see others realize their part in it as well!
Alana Jarvis
Townsville, Queensland - Australia

DTS Staff
G’day! My name is Alana. I’m from Tropical Australia. I grew up around YWAM and worked with Kings Kids (baby YWAM) in Australia & Vanuatu. I did my DTS here in Montana in 2015. During my DTS God really showed me how much He desires for the All’s and Every’s to know Him personally. I have a heart for worship & intercession and I love seeing people fully engage with God's Word. I have a passion for seeing young people understand that God is speaking to them, today. I’m excited about music, cooking and lots of Sci-Fi (classic nerd). I love working in the DTS Department because it is such a joy to see lives transformed and set on fire for taking the Gospel of Jesus to the whole world.

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A day in the life.

Scott Contival from YWAM Taiwan, taught the Fall DTS about the value of sending missionaries into hard to reach countries. He spoke to our students about how God has called us to make disciples and that if you are not a “go-er” you should be a “sender”. If we can think of missions in this way, the gospel will surely go forth stronger and faster!

Resources

YWAM Montana Lakeside