YWAM DTS

A YWAM DTS is a five-month, in-depth discipleship program that includes a 12-week teaching phase followed by an 8-week mission trip. It’s a “heart-change” course designed to give you a solid foundation of personal growth and relationship with Jesus – whether you’re interested in a career in missions or simply taking time to get to know God better.

While it’s hard to pin down a “normal” day during DTS, you’ll almost always begin your day by doing these two things:

Quiet Time

We start off each morning with time set aside to connect personally with the Lord through prayer and Bible study.

Class

Afterwards, you’ll join your teammates in the classroom where we’ll focus on a different topic each week. Here are some examples of what you’ll learn: 

• How to Hear God's Voice
• Healing from Past Hurt
• How to Study and Understand the Bible
• Knowing Who You Are in Christ
• How to Relate to Others
• How to Share the Gospel
• And tons more!

You’ll be amazed at how these two daily disciplines will transform how you think and how you interact with God on a daily basis!

Other Weekly Aspects of DTS

After that, each day starts to vary depending on the day of the week. But here are the types of activities you can expect:

Small Groups

These groups of men or women provide an opportunity to build deep friendships while processing what God is doing in their lives, praying for one another, and offering accountability and encouragement. The YWAM staff member who leads your small group will also meet one-on-one with you each week.

Ministry Preparation

You’ll gain the rock-solid confidence to share your faith anywhere, with specific training for the cross-cultural ministry of your DTS mission trip. This often includes creative tools like dramas and music.

Worship

These times are the heartbeat of DTS. We’ll gather regularly to direct our hearts and our songs to Jesus, and to pray as he leads us.

Local Ministry

Throughout your DTS you’ll be a part of a smaller ministry team that shows God’s love to Louisville through things like after-school programs, homeless ministry, service, evangelism, and more.

Work Detail

Like most families, our YWAM family works together to see that practical needs are met. As part of your DTS training you’ll be given responsibilities that range from general cleaning to meal prep or yard work.

See more information on the course overview page

Each week we’ll bring in speakers who have experience in ministry and in walking with the Lord. They’ll teach us on a foundational aspect of following Jesus. Our class times are interactive and challenging, focusing on real-life application. Our goal is for the truth to sink deep into our hearts, changing us from the inside out.

Topics include:

• Intimacy with Jesus
• How to Hear God’s Voice
• God-Honoring Relationships
• Becoming More Like Jesus
• Knowing and Trusting God’s Character
• How to Share the Gospel
• Effective Prayer
• How to Study and Understand the Bible
• Healing from Past Hurts
• Knowing Who You Are in Christ
• Spiritual Warfare

DTS is open for high school graduates and older. Yes, we’re called “Youth With A Mission,” but there’s no age cap; many of our staff are well beyond their college years, and we often have students of all types. So whether you’re a married couple, a family with children, retirees, or fresh out of high school, you are welcome!

• September DTS: $3390 tuition + $295 conference fee
• January DTS: $3390 tuition
• March DTS: $3390 tuition + $195 conference fee
• There’s an additional fee, ranging from $110-190, for the additional resources and training included in DTS electives (like the Music & Worship DTS or the Basketball Elective). Check out our electives page for more details!
• Please note that the tuition covers the first three months of DTS. The outreach portion is a separate expense. The conference fee covers the cost of a special, week-long conference that you’ll attend.
• Another note: We have had a 100% success rate in students raising their own money. So if you commit to the fundraising process, we’re confident God will provide! 
• How to pay for your DTS Tuition

DTS outreach costs vary depending on location. If you don’t have all of the funds for your outreach, don’t stress. Our staff don’t raise the money for you, but we will help you raise anything you still need once you get here. And at YWAM Louisville we’ve had a 100% success rate with people who are committed to doing whatever it takes to make it happen.

During DTS, we’ll walk you through a simple process to raise your outreach money. We start by looking at what the Bible says about funding missions and then we lead you through the steps to involve people you already know as sponsors for your outreach. We do this together as a whole team, and we call it the “All for One” approach to funding our outreach.

In the meantime, we’d encourage you to bring whatever funds you may already have toward the mission trip expense and to get in touch with us if you have further questions.

Remember, of the students who commit to the process, 100% of them raise their money every single year – even though to most of them it seems impossible! God always provides. He can and will give you what you need to do what he calls you to do.