Finding Two Norths
2011 was the year that YWAM changed everything. 2017 was the year I learned why. I had a nagging voice in my mind telling me …
Together we commit to the communication of the gospel by training, sending, supporting and being missionaries.
In 1985 when YWAM Montana – Lakeside was started, there was a clear sense that this new YWAM campus would embody expressions of training, Biblical scholarship, the arts and outdoor adventure ministry. What started as Adventure Track (2009), Outdoor Adventure & Recreation (2010) and Endurance DTS (2011) has now evolved into a much larger expression of outdoor and sports ministries at YWAM Montana – Lakeside. Not only do we continue to run a focus DTS (Endurance DTS), but we also offer an 6-month school (OMP) which focuses on the development of higher level backpacking, rock climbing and mountaineering skills.
In between our introductory level schools where a beginner to intermediate skill set is imparted, and our highest level of training where students graduate with the tools to go and launch their own outdoor ministries, there is a little of something for everyone. We hope that you will continue reading to find out more and to see if you’re called to come and #bepartofit!
Actively participating in the outdoor industry arena as ambassadors for the gospel. Providing training and resources to help missionaries thrive in remote geographical locations.
Endurance Adventures trains and equips outdoor adventurers to engage their local and global outdoor communities with purpose. This comes through active participation in local outdoor events and facilitating opportunities designed to empower people towards making a positive impact in the outdoors.
An 6 month course, geared toward those who have experience in the outdoor environment and now want to develop their technical skills in backpacking, mountaineering, and rock climbing.
This 22 week focus DTS includes lecture, local and international outreach, and builds credible and translatable outdoor skills for both the mission field and for use in the outdoor industry.
ESOA is an outreach training program that uses a variety of outdoor activities as a tool to share the gospel. Students in ESOA are not only equipped spiritually, but also gain skills training in outdoor activities as well.
Titus outreach to the most remote locations in our target nations. Outdoor training provided by the Endurance Ministry staff.
ESME exists to create awareness and impart strategies for effective missions and ministry specifically to unreached people groups and impoverished communities through the use of experiential education and backcountry training.
Sponsorship, support and assistance for YWAMers journeying and/or thru-hiking the great long trails of the world! (AT, CDT, PCT, Colorado Trail, North Country Trail, Camino de Santiago).
Part of our calling is to cast vision, see if it resonates with others and then invite them to be part of moving it forward. We have some idea of where Endurance Ministries are heading, but we want to hear from you too! Do you want to come and #bepartofit with us? Here’s what’s been on our mind. What’s on yours?
From road running races, adventure races and ski racing to personal endurance race pursuits, “EART” supports athletes in their race endeavors. Through having a race presence at events, we seek to be ambassadors for adventure, support and encourage participants and offer our tech skills where needed.
In partnership with industry recognized training organizations, Endurance Adventures is a proud host site for Wilderness Medical Training.
The need for highly trained outdoor leaders is higher than it ever has been. Today, more and more organizations are starting to see the positive growth that the outdoors can bring to their staff, clients, and students. They just need someone to lead them safely and confidently. Could this be you?
An 6 month course, geared toward those who have experience in the outdoor environment and now want to develop their technical skills in backpacking, mountaineering, and rock climbing.
A local program that connects with youth groups to challenge and empower students towards growth in their relationship with Jesus through the use of rock climbing and backpacking.
Nathan is originally from Pittsburgh, PA, grew up in Michigan and moved to Colorado as fast as he could after college! He and his family have lived in Lakeside, MT for the past 11 years. Nathan and his wife Betsy pioneered the Endurance DTS in 2011. Nathan’s heart is to be a change-agent in the outdoor industry and to use outdoor skills in all corners of the earth for effective ministry and service. Connect with all things outdoors at YWAM MT – Lakeside on Instagram by following @enduranceoutdoors
Betsy grew up in Grand Rapids, MI, attending Calvin College and graduated with a degree in Religion/Theology. Post-college Betsy worked for Calvin College and Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, IL post-college. She grew up camping and traveling all over the world with her family which has instilled a die-hard sense of adventure!
In 2008, Nathan and Betsy did their DTS at YWAM Montana - Lakeside and never left.
Nathan and Betsy co-lead the Endurance DTS in the summers, share the position of Campus Administrators throughout the rest of the year and serve on the base council. They have two children that accompany the EDTS team on most activities.
Tyler was born and raised in the wooded flats of Minnesota but since doing a DTS in 2004 has seeked places filled with mountains. In 2006 he completed his School of Outdoor Adventure and Recreation in Bishop CA and also finished his Biblical Core Course in Kona that same year. After staffing DTS's in New Zealand for 2 years with his wife AnnaRose they made their home here in Lakeside in 2011. While he helped staff EDTS for 4 years, there was a realization that there is a need for highly trained Christian outdoor leaders so he and his wife AnnaRose created and ran the first Outdoor Ministry Program in 2015. He is passionate about all kinds of climbing, mountaineering, exploring, his family, pursuing his Alpine Guide Certification through the American Mountain Guide Association, and introducing people to Jesus through the outdoors.
AnnaRose grew up in Minnesota, but now claims the mountains of Montana as her home. AnnaRose and Tyler have been married since 2008, and they have two kids, Cyrus and Jakiah. She and Tyler lead the OMP department, which they pioneered together in 2015. She has worked with YWAM since 2009, staffing DTS, SOW, and of course OMP. She has developed a bit of a passion for rock climbing and bouldering. She also homeschools their kids and is known to have an obsession for planners and pretty markers.
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!!
Peter Morel is a longtime lover of the mountains and all that comes with them. He grew up in the wilds of northern Minnesota and far northern Ontario, Canada, and spent his teen years exploring the mountains of Wyoming. Living on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada for 10 years gave Peter the opportunity to explore a beautiful backcountry region with relatively little traffic and gain further skills in traveling in the alpine and traversing rugged terrain. His favorite outdoor pursuits are multi-pitch rock and alpine climbing. His passion is to see people transformed through encounters with the risen Christ, being a part of leading others through life-changing experiences in the backcountry, and seeing the amazing things that can happen when those two things intersect. Peter and his wife, Melanie, are privileged to have two adorable little Canadian-American girls who also love spending time in the beauty of God's Creation. After completing the school as a student in 2017, Peter and his family came back full-time with YWAM Montana and he has staffed OMP each year since then.
Levi grew up in California but now enjoys the wide open spaces of Montana. Levi and his wife Amanda both work together as staff for OMP. Their passion is to use the outdoors as a tool to disciple people and help them grow in their understanding of God.
Originally from California, Amanda loves adventuring in nature. She currently serves at the Lakeside Montana base with her husband Levi. Together they staff the Outdoor Ministry Program as well as coordinating trips within the local community. Amanda is passionate about using the outdoors to disciple others. She loves watching people overcome physical adversity and growing in their understanding of God.
I did my dts in Costa Rica in winter of 2013. Then joined staff at YWAM Salem, OR to work on their ropes course and staff DTS. I met my wife, Joanna, there while working on the ropes course. We have a daughter named Isabel. We moved to Montana in Oct. of 2018 and joined the Endurance Ministries. I have been passionate about using the outdoors to share the good news of Jesus for most of my life.
Joanna originally hails from Western Washington, but also calls Texas her home. She currently lives here at YWAM Montana- Lakeside with her husband Chris and daughter Isabel. She did DTS in Salem, Oregon in 2011 and has since been “ruined for the ordinary”, pursuing missions and the gospel of Jesus ever since. She has an overwhelming passion for outdoors and feels most alive among the mountains, trees, and oceans. Although she is a full- time Mother, she also partners with EOMD through writing, engaging with the community through health and fitness, and working with the outdoor ministries when she can.
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.
Ben started his YWAM journey in 2015 as a student in the Endurance DTS. After EDTS and his first experience with global missions, he came back to YWAM MT | Lakeside and has primarily staffed with the Endurance Outdoor Ministries Department since 2016. He and his wife, Amy, have since been on outreaches to Taiwan, Cambodia, the Himalayas, and Mongolia. He has a heart for using his gifts and passions to build relationships, disciple, teach, train, empower, and go to the hardest to reach places to meet the needs of people both spiritually and practically.
Kierra grew up in Bend, Oregon. Surrounded by the Cascade Mountain Range she developed a love for adventures in the outdoors at a young age. She left home at age 16 to complete her DTS in Salem, Oregon. In 2018 she graduated from the Chronological Bible Core Course as well as NIKO (an outdoor leadership course). Recently, she completed the Outdoor Ministry Program in 2019. Kierra has a strong passion for evangelism and is eager to see transformation in people’s lives as they encounter Jesus in the outdoors.
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!
Endurance Discipleship Training School 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.
Be inspired and get excited about OMP! This 6-month program will challenge you physically, mentally and spiritually with the purpose of knowing God and making him known in the outdoors!
Kierra walks us through the climber’s contract, also known as the belay contract. Good communication is foundational to safe climbing!
2011 was the year that YWAM changed everything. 2017 was the year I learned why. I had a nagging voice in my mind telling me …
We’ve all been a part of some kind of team building exercise, low ropes course/initiative game or high ropes course. Some of us have been …
“You did what!?!?” – Anyone who participates in outdoor adventures has probably heard this phrase before. I know I’ve heard it from my parents, friends, and …
Endurance Ministries, Endurance Adventures and OMP are 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 YWAM Montana – Lakeside in the outdoor sphere.
Our outdoor programs at YWAM Montana – Lakeside are 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 outdoor curriculums, 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 is proud to be a host site for Aerie Backcountry Medicine. We have hosted 9 courses since 2012 and over 120 EDTS staff and students have participated in Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness Advanced First Aid and Wilderness First Responder recertification courses. Members of our Outdoor Ministry crew have gone through Aerie’s Wilderness EMT (WEMT) program and/or bridged their EMT and WFR training into a WEMT. EDTS, DTS and OM is also proud to use the Aerie Level I & II Trauma First Aid Kits 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 and continuity of EDTS and our outdoor programs at YWAM Montana – Lakeside. Offering experience, expert advice, consultation, amazing service and outfitting staff & students, our friends at RMO are our go-to outfitters and gear providers. Before EDTS started in 2011, RMO helped us get our Adventure Track off the ground in 2009 and 2010.
YWAM Montana-Lakeside operates under special use permits with the Flathead National Forest, Kootenai National Forest, and Glacier National Park and is an equal opportunity provider.