Endurance Discipleship Training School

An introduction to global missions

Course Description.

It is our privilege to invite disciples of Christ and outdoor enthusiasts to be a part of Endurance DTS (EDTS) in this unique avenue of outdoor ministry. EDTS is a five-month discipleship program committed to doing whatever it takes to know God and make Him known in the outdoor industry and to the ends of the earth.

During the EDTS adventure, students will learn about God’s character and nature, participate in lectures and discipleship small groups, build credible and translatable outdoor skills for both the mission field and for use in the outdoors, and reach out to the outdoor industry on a global scale.

The first three months will be spent living and learning in Montana, both in the classroom and in the backcountry. Our final two months will be spent on outreach where we travel into remote places to share the gospel in other nations and simultaneously reach out to outdoor adventurers and those on a journey.

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. In EDTS, we do all of these things with the outdoor industry in mind!

Outreach.

Endurance DTS has a two-month outreach phase with a two-fold focus. Our aim is to reach out directly to those in the outdoor industry in some capacity, by placing ourselves among trekkers, adventurers, campers, and other outdoor ministry enthusiasts, and/or to use our backcountry and outdoor skills to go to the harder and more remote places and reach those that otherwise might not hear the Gospel.

Vision.

The vision for the Endurance DTS outdoor ministry is to take students deeper into their own discipleship journey with Christ, and then give them the tools to reach out to others, particularly within the outdoor industry. We know that people on a trek or great adventure are often seeking deeper spiritual revelation as they journey, and God has given us a desire to reach out and meet these individuals along the way. Endurance DTS equips students to participate in the conversations happening in the outdoor industry, engage with fellow adventures and to testify to Christ’s saving grace and faithfulness with credibility and confidence.

Meet Your School Leaders.

Tyson Kehler
Dalmeny Saskatchewan, Canada

Climbs Rocks
Originally from Dalmeny Saskatchewan, this Canadian has been around since 2013. Tyson now leads the Endurance DTS with his wife Hannah. The Kehler's love combining discipleship with the outdoors, and reaching the unreached with the gospel.
Hannah Kehler
Sheboygan Falls, Washington
After going to college and working for a year in Social Work, Hannah decided to pursue missions. She completed her DTS in Fall of 2015. Since then she has been with the DTS department, leading outreaches to Nepal and Cambodia. Nepal captured her heart during her DTS and it was there that she became overwhelmed with goodness of the gospel, but also the reality of how many people have never heard it. She loves how her passion for unreached people and the outdoors can come together in EDTS by using the skills students learn to help them get to the more remote areas of the world.

Play Video

The adventure of a lifetime.

EDTS is a five-month discipleship program committed to doing whatever it takes to know God and make Him known in the outdoor industry and to the ends of the earth. EDTS students learn more about God’s character by participating in lectures and discipleship small groups. Students also build credible and translatable outdoor skills for both the mission field and for use in the outdoors industry on a global scale.

Partnerships & Friends of EDTS.

Endurance DTS is committed to helping outdoor enthusiasts and outdoor organizations reach their goals. We value teamwork and collaboration among outdoor industry professionals, businesses and outdoor ministries. We are grateful to belong to a network of professional outdoor organizations and are always looking to strengthen the relationships we have with the numerous friends of EDTS.

Endurance DTS is committed to environmental stewardship. We are a non-profit member of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. The practice of the seven Leave No Trace principles form the foundation for our EDTS outdoor curriculum both here in the mountains of NW Montana and throughout the world.

Seven Principles:
1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
4. Leave What You Find
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
6. Respect Wildlife
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

YWAM Montana – Lakeside’s EDTS is proud to be a host site for Aerie Backcountry Medicine. We have hosted multiple courses since our partnership began in 2012 and over 50 EDTS staff and students have participated in Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness Advanced First Aid and Wilderness First Responder recertification courses. Our EDTS school leader will be participating in Aerie’s 4-week Wilderness EMT program in May 2015. EDTS is also proud to use the Aerie Level I Trauma First Aid Kit on our treks and outreaches.

Since the beginning of EDTS in 2011, it has been a privilege to serve with In His Wakes and to help them accomplish their goals through their Day 2 Remember events. We’ve also been blessed by their encouragement in outdoor ministry and by the fun days on the water that they’ve facilitated for our EDTS students and staff!

Rocky Mountain Outfitter has been instrumental in the development EDTS outdoor skills and activities. Offering experience, expert advice, consultation and service, our friends at RMO are our go-to outfitters and gear providers. Even before EDTS started in 2011, RMO helped us get our Adventure Track off the ground in 2009 and 2010.

We’re privileged to partner with Nomad Global Communication Solutions. Nomad has been instrumental in helping us develop our backcountry communications capabilities and served EDTS by providing logistical and strategic transportation solutions.

What our students say.

Kale chips godard fashion axe, poke bespoke etsy sriracha. Hot chicken ethical activated charcoal ennui waistcoat messenger bag squid 8-bit williamsburg tacos. Listicle knausgaard humblebrag kombucha ethical, fam chillwave dreamcatcher cold-pressed activated charcoal wayfarers ramps seitan. Gluten-free enamel pin adaptogen banjo copper mug plaid kickstarter gochujang, twee narwhal mixtape taxidermy. Cliche kale chips sartorial poutine four loko franzen bicycle rights vexillologist photo booth twee cray sriracha.

Edison bulb williamsburg tofu migas, selfies shoreditch readymade waistcoat craft beer pabst chambray pok pok you probably haven’t heard of them. Fixie hella keffiyeh yuccie organic freegan cold-pressed try-hard semiotics shoreditch plaid bespoke fingerstache. Raw denim stumptown palo santo pop-up. XOXO ramps letterpress helvetica, selvage sartorial microdosing banjo everyday carry ethical.

Irony mlkshk synth trust fund occupy organic man braid blue bottle. Tousled 90’s bitters irony swag cardigan chambray kinfolk organic. Scenester XOXO hella truffaut hell of. Yuccie everyday carry tofu post-ironic taiyaki craft beer. Ugh pop-up jianbing +1, readymade twee mlkshk leggings migas lyft shoreditch polaroid asymmetrical schlitz jean shorts. Chartreuse viral iceland woke synth activated charcoal hammock normcore church-key occupy vape cronut meggings small batch gluten-free. Bicycle rights pitchfork skateboard, chillwave sriracha stumptown pok pok gochujang asymmetrical cornhole keytar godard.

Resources