Discipleship Training School (DTS)
WHAT IS THE DTS?
The Discipleship Training School (DTS) is the foundational course of YWAM. The basic motto of YWAM is “To know God and to make Him known”, thus the purpose of the DTS is "to know God". YWAM offers a variety of subsequent courses in which they teach methods and strategies "to make Him known".
In the DTS, we focus primarily on getting to know God in a personal way in order to understand His ways and His will for our lives. We believe that God wants us to know and understand Him. Jeremiah 9:24 says, “but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me,…declares the Lord.”
Through getting to know God better, the student is preparing himself/herself for the work to which the Lord has called them. Because of this we consider that the DTS is a school that prepares students for work in missions.
HOW IS THE DTS CARRIED OUT?
The DTS is an intensive course that lasts 24 weeks; twelve weeks of classes and twelve weeks of practice in the mission field. The twelve weeks of classes are taken at the Tarahumara Christian Center. Guest teachers as well as staff members with much experience in missions and who are knowledgeable in God's word teach the classes. (Currently our DTS is taught in Spanish only.)
Besides Bible teaching over different themes, the classroom phase includes daily times of worship, intercession, discussion and fellowship as well as times of outreach and work projects. Time is dedicated to personal discipleship focused on the formation of character based on the example of Jesus Christ.
During the twelve weeks of practice, the students are sent in groups of two or more to different places in the Sierra Tarahumara to put into practice that which they have learned in the classes and to experience life in the mission field.
For more detailed information about the DTS, as well as dates and cost, please contact us .
Our next DTS starts on January 11th, 2010.
We organize short-term trips for groups. We welcome groups from churches from inside and outside of Mexico. The dates, activities, trip purpose and length of stay of each group can be established by the church pastor or group leader. Some examples of short-term programs that can be organized are:
- Therefore GO! - This is a program of approximately 10 days; three days of classes and one week of practice in the mission field. The practice includes evangelistic and service work in local communities.
- Work Projects on the Base - The Tarahumara Christian Center is a ministry in development and the opportunities to serve in construction work are virtually limitless. All of the construction progress depends on volunteer workers and financial donations.
- Local Work Projects - There are many opportunities to help nearby missionaries and churches with various work projects such as small construction projects, maintenance, etc.
- Vacation Bible Schools - There are many opportunities for this type of ministry in several villages here in the Sierra Tarahumara.
- Evangelism - Door to door evangelism, a film with an evangelistic message and open-air dramas are some of the ways that your team can evangelize. These activities are always done in collaboration with a local church that has a permanent presence in the area where the evangelism is being done so as to ensure proper follow-up.
Note: Many groups do a combination of two or more of the options mentioned above.
If you have ideas for different forms of ministry, whether work projects or outreaches, that are not mentioned above, feel free to share them with us so that we can see about the possibility of doing them with your team.
The facilities of the Tarahumara Christian Center are available for groups that would like to have a seminar or spiritual retreat (e.g. for youth, adults, married couples or families). The dates, activities, theme and length of stay for each group can be set by the church pastor or group leader. We offer teachings covering various themes, however each group may also provide their own teachers.
Examples of teaching themes that we offer are:
Missions, marriage, dating, spiritual authority, the kingdom of God and evangelism.
