Discipleship Training School
Deepen your relationship with God and share His love with the nations in a YWAM DTS.
What is a YWAM DTS?
So, you are interested in discipleship training, but what does it really mean to be a disciple? A YWAM DTS is not a magical place where you will automatically become a perfect Christian. Yet, something transformational occurs when we spend five months to seek God and practice obedience to Him in community. During this time, He can develop intimate friendship with you.
The YWAM DTS was prayerfully designed to be a place where you can know God, make Him known, and own your own faith. You can make your faith real through lecture and practical application of what you learn in our community. Discipleship is a lifestyle.
Choose your DTS
We have a new DTS starting every 3 months.
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 1:5-8
The Purpose of DTS is to…
- GATHER and CHALLENGE people. This can be done through worship, and learning to listen to God and to obey Him. They can serve through evangelism, intercession, acts of compassion and other expressions of God’s heart for the world. This can even include pioneering new ministries.
- INSPIRE and CULTIVATE growth in one’s relationship with God and to form a Christ-like character based on the Bible. This includes: the work of the Holy Spirit; the understanding of God’s character and the message of the cross.
- SHARPEN one’s ability to work with, learn from, and relate to people of dif- ferent cultures, personalities, and perspectives.
- Further EQUIP each one to serve God’s purposes. This should strengthen a commitment to reach the lost, especially the un-reached, to care for the poor, and to influence all areas of society. This could be either within or outside of YWAM’s family of ministries.
- IMPART the vision and foundational values of Youth With A Mission Inter- national, as well as that of the host operating location. It will also provide information regarding a variety of opportunities for service.
Phase 1: Lectures
Begin with three months of inspiring teaching.
What is Lecture phase all about?
The YWAM DTS lecture phase is a unique, 11-week opportunity to deepen your relationship with the Lord Jesus while being prepared to go into the nations.
From life-changing teaching to intimate worship times, the DTS offers an environment that facilitates the growth and development of your gifts. Daily lectures from world-class speakers provide the content, principles, and opportunities for the word of God to speak to you. Dedicated school staff are eager to come alongside you to encourage, instruct, and lead by example.
come and…
Encounter God
Know His character, hear His voice, and grow in faith as you step out in bold obedience.
Grow Together
Practice authentic community by learning, dreaming God’s dreams, praying, serving others, and brushing your teeth together.
Equip and Empower Nations
So you’ve spent months in lecture learning God’s heart for the nations. You are bursting with joy and eagerness to share. Now go, dear friend, go forth and disciple those nations with skill and compassion.
Learning beyond the classroom
We believe in formal and informal learning. Stretch your understanding in the classroom. Live what you learn in the YWAM Lausanne community and beyond.
Doing Your DTS in Switzerland
Experience diversity in a land that self proclaims its rich heritage of “unity but not uniformity.” Switzerland is a land of four national languages, mountains, central plateaus, and world-renowned cities and historical figures. This is a land to drink in and explore during your YWAM DTS.
Swiss Night
Fondue, chocolate, and cow bells, oh my! Swiss Night is one of the base’s favorite events filled with games, history, and delicious food. Every quarter, we have a great event for students and staff to get to know each other and learn about Swiss culture.
Living In Lausanne
Connect with the city of Lausanne or explore the countryside with Switzerland’s outstanding public transport system. Our campus is located a convenient 20 minutes from the center of town and 35 minutes from Lake Geneva. In this bustling center of culture and commerce, you’ll never run out of new ideas and activities to do.
Mountain Trips
Winter, spring, summer, or fall, let your jaw drop as you ponder God’s magnificence on the mountaintops. In the winter, you can dust off your snowboard, skis, or snowshoes and trek the natural beauty that lies within a 45-minute drive off of campus. When the weather gets hotter, put on your sunglasses to hike, climb, or mountain bike with breathtaking views.
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Phase 2: Outreach
Now take that teaching to the nations.
Outreach is the two-month portion of the YWAM DTS when you and your outreach team get to serve in a another country. Each outreach is unique depending on where you go. Your ministry will adapt to meet the needs of the local situations with a heavy emphasis on evangelism.
Past outreach teams have engaged in construction projects, teaching English, and serving children’s programs. Your team leaders will do all they can to plan for activities and ministry but be ready for unexpected invitations. You may have times when a pastor calls on your team to lead the church service five minutes before it starts.
Outreach will always keep you on your toes. You have a commission from God to go, and you will find that flexibility and a sense of humor are handy prerequisites. No matter where in the world you end up, you’ll never be the same when you’re done.
Why an Outreach?
In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus commands that we go and make disciples. We believe discipleship is not complete until you begin to make disciples. On outreach, you get to “change the classroom” and grow in your discipleship through service.
The heart, knowledge, and skills you have gained over lecture phase can be shared with communities desperately in need of God’s love and empowerment. You will catch glimpses of God’s diversity as you see reflections of Him in different cultures.
Be a part of the team
Teams that have bonded well know how to support each other and are ready to love the people they serve.
Teamwork and unity are keys for an effective outreach. Outreach teams will be formed and built during the lecture phase. Together you will prepare for your trip through on-going prayer for the people of the nations in which you will minister. You will learn creative ways to connect with people, learn how to share your testimonies, and endure everyone’s personal favorite… getting immunizations.
What to Expect
Building relationships, Evangelism opportunities, Sharing your testimony, Service Projects, Flexibility, Team Building, Praying with people, Listening to life stories, Unforgettable experiences, Life-changing growth.
Testimonies from past students
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"DTS in Lausanne was life changing. God worked in my life and showed me so much about who he is and about who I am."
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"Outreach was an amazing opportunity to live out everything I had been taught. I was able to tangibly see the kingdom of God coming in that nation. I loved it!"
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"During Lecture phase, I came to know God intimately. I saw in truth his character, nature, and how loving he is towards me."
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"For me, outreach really helped solidify these things God had revealed to me about himself as well as myself. I learned how to daily and constantly live on them."
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"DTS lectures were awesome. It helped me to go deeper with Him and to truly know who He is. I experienced that He is a good good Father who wants to have relationship with me."
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"I was so privileged and challenged during my time on outreach. I was so happy to share the gospel with them and also to help them physically."
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"The DTS lecture phase helped me reaffirm my faith and solidify my identity in Christ. It was a refreshing learning experience."
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"During outreach I had the opportunity to share and live out what I've learned from the lectures. I met so many different people and learned about their culture. It was a blessed and unforgettable time."
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A world of possibilities after DTS
A YWAM DTS is just the beginning. YWAM Lausanne is committed to train and equip people to be actively engaged in discipleship, evangelism, and mercy ministry in every sphere of society. Take your training further through focused schools and serving opportunities.
To know God and to make Him known.