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YWAM Montana Lakeside

Together we commit to the communication of the gospel by training, sending, supporting and being missionaries.

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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

Winter 2023 Fall 2023

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

Winter 2023 Summer 2023 Fall 2023

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

Ending Bible Poverty

Winter 2023 Fall 2023

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!

Sports in Missions

Winter 2023 Summer 2023 Fall 2023

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

Creative Media

Fall 2023

The average person is exposed to over 5,000 advertisements per day. Our mission is to break through that clutter, utilize our creative gifts, mobilize missionaries and reach the unreached through strategic communication.

The Creative Media Elective will provide you with an introductory understanding of photography, videography and graphic design. If you have an interest in marketing and advertising but aren’t quite sure where to begin, this course will give you hands-on experience in multiple areas. We will also explore how Creative Media fits into missions and ways you can use your skills to further the Kingdom on outreach.

Meet Your School Staff.

  • Jeremy West

    Sydney, Australia
    Director, Discipleship Programs

    DTS in 1995 in Kona launched me into the nations, YWAM, and discipleship. Seeing people the way God sees them, years into the future, compels me to work alongside them in their journey. Discipleship, leadership development, and training-the-trainers is my passion. Married with three kids, we do life as missions, and missions as life. Loving it!

  • Kylie Barnett

    Baker City, Oregon
    Summer DTS Leader

    Hey there! My Name is Kylie! All throughout my life I've been compelled to share the love of Jesus anywhere and everywhere. I did my DTS here in Lakeside in the fall of 2018. While on outreach, I felt the Lord ask me to do a School Of Biblical Studies (SBS) also here in Montana (I love that school!). During these years, I've grown in passion to make space for people to know God and make Him known- allowing the great commandment to lead into the great commission! A few things I love are making music, writing, Ukraine, doing anything outdoors, and sharing the Gospel through the arts.

  • Whitney Lake

    Whangaparaoa, New Zealand
    EDTS School Leader

    Whitney is from New Zealand and came to YWAM MT in 2014 for DTS, returning a year later to serve with the DTS department. She has staffed both DTS's and DTS Equip, and has a heart for working with young people to see them become confident in who God has called them to be, and being bold in sharing the knowledge of God's grace and love that they have experienced.

  • 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.

  • Hannah Norton

    Nashville, Indiana
    DTS Staff

    Hello! My name is Hannah. I am a lover of literature, music, nature, coffee/tea, and meaningful conversation. I began my journey with YWAM by participating in the Winter DTS here in Montana 2018. Throughout my school, Jesus completely renewed my perspective of the Gospel and challenged me to live as though it really does change everything! I joined the staff in January of 2020. I love seeing people encounter Jesus as their King and discover the absolute goodness of His kingdom and the hope that it brings. I serve with DTS because I believe it provides an incredible space for individuals to grow in their knowledge of God and identity in Him while being equipped to step into their calling to fulfill the great commission.

  • Benjamin Breon

    Concord, California
    DTS Staff

    Hey! My name is Benjamin and I have been on our DTS Staff team here in Lakeside, Montana since 2019. I did my DTS here in Fall 2018. I fell in love with missions and the opportunities that God has given me to clearly communicate the gospel to a wide variety of cultures and belief systems. I am passionate about music, public speaking, evangelism, the outdoors, and Jesus! I just want to live a wild life, sincerely seeking Jesus every day alongside my friends and family. One day I hope to be preaching the gospel in some of the hardest to reach places of the world! Let's go!!

  • Ally Peterson

    Swartz Creek, MI
    DTS Staff

    Hello friends, I came to do my DTS here in the Fall of 2016. I chose this base because my sister Laura Robinson was here and running the SBS! After my DTS I decided to come back to do SBS my self where I ended up meeting the love of my life Trenton Peterson. After SBS I knew God was calling me to staff DTS. I fell in love with the program and after SBS I was ready to jump right in! Now my husband Trenton and I are here staffing DTS together and we could not be more thankful of this community of passionate believers to do life with here at YWAM.

  • Brandon Ashbaugh

    Santa Fe, New Mexico

    I felt led to join Discipleship Training School Staff because of the impact it had on me when I went through it. Seeing people come into their own relationship with Jesus is a paycheck always worth the time and logistics put into staffing.

  • Brannon Puckett

    Hot Springs, Arkansas
    DTS Staff

    I came to Montana in January of 2020 to do DTS and came back in the coming September to do SBS. My heart is to see people come to know God and boldly follow the call God Has given them.

  • Dawn Mekunwattana

    Bangkok, Thailand
    DTS Staff

    Hi, I'm Dawn from Bangkok, Thailand! I first came to Montana in the Spring of 2011 to do DTS, followed by SOW (School Of Worship). During DTS and SOW, God grew my hunger to serve Him, to love His people, and to love the nations. Before returning to Montana for SBS (2013) and Titus (2014), I worked with several university and coffee shop ministries in Thailand, discipling students, feeding people, and making music. I was on staff at my home church in Bangkok for several years, before returning to Montana in 2021 to work with the DTS department! I'm so excited to see how God is going to transform the lives of our students as they experience deeper love, grace, and identity in Him. I love good food, beautiful things, laughter, and telling people about my home country Thailand! I'm also passionate about seeing the gospel go out into the world and raising up internationals as missionaries!

  • Ethan Goins

    Richmond, Virginia
    DTS Staff

    God has given me a heart for the next generation, knowing they are the ones who will carry on the gospel. I want to be able to influence them by helping the know God more so they can go and make Him known. Some fun things I enjoy: soccer, golf, hiking, swimming, and anything outside, especially sports. However, I am very competitive in most of these so watch out.

  • Grace Breon

    Lancaster, PA
    DTS Staff

    Hello! My name is Grace and I did my DTS in the Fall of 2019. I quickly fell in love with missions and Montana and came back to join staff the following year! I have a passion for sports, sunshine, and young people realizing the power of Jesus that they carry. I have been to Taiwan, Ukraine, and the Dominican Republic on YWAM Outreaches and I can not wait to go on more!

  • Karen Armstrong

    Woodburn, Oregon
    DTS Staff

    I love being a part of YWAM MT! In addition to "my girls" in YWAM - I have two kids of my own ~ Amanda & Zach both currently live in Oregon. I completed my Crossroads DTS here in Montana in 2017, and Equip in 2018. My role at YWAM Montana is staffing in the DTS Department, which means staffing past schools such as the CDTS 2018, FDTS 2018 and the FDTS 2019. I love having a front row seat to see God transform lives! Things that I like? Chocolate, road trips, spending time with my kids and my girls, drinking tea, dry erase boards and post it notes. Not necessarily in that order :-)

  • Tyler Brazier

    Greenbush, MN
    DTS Staff

    Hi! I'm Tyler and I've been with YWAM Montana since 2018 when I did my DTS here. I've been a software engineer for most of my adult life and a Lego engineer for most of my kid life. I like card games, walking outside, and everything else outside. Ask me to go on a walk sometime! I'd love to talk about God and get to know you.

Ready to make the jump.

At YWAM Montana-Lakeside, we are all about doing whatever it takes to know God and to make Him known, together! We’d love to help you make that next step in your global missions education. Apply now!

Start Your Journey
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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!

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What our students say.

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Alexis Couning
Student - 2018
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Markos Mant
Student - 2015
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Javier Canales
Student - 2016
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