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DTS FAQ
You can apply online by clicking “Apply” in the top menu bar to find the application and reference forms. Or, ask us to email or fax you copies of the application. We will begin processing your application once we have received your registration fee, application, and all your references. How long until I know if I am accepted? This depends on how quickly we receive all the parts of the application back to us. We cannot accept a student without a complete application. You can encourage your references to fill them out and send them back as soon as possible as we can not accept you without all three reference forms returned to us. Once we have received your complete application it is our goal to have an answer to you within two-three weeks. In most cases this happens but occasionally it might take longer if the school leader is out of the country. How are applications selected? To be eligible for a course, students must first meet the initial entry requirements and successfully submit a completed application and accompanying reference forms. After we receive the application we carefully pray, asking God if this is the best time and place for each applicant. How is YWAM-Madison’s DTS different from other DTS’s? At YWAM Madison, we run three DTS’s, the Community Development DTS in the summer, the Rescue Ops DTS in the fall, and the Children at Risk DTS in both the fall and summer. All of our schools have a unique focus, which set them apart from other Discipleship Training Schools. Our Community Development Discipleship Training School runs in the summer and will focus on some of the most prominent needs of communities around the world — clean water, sustainable agriculture, sanitation, nutrition and justice. We will focus on the heart of God and his desire that all people be blessed. Every person has the right to basic necessities of food, water, clothing, shelter and health care. Yet many communities across the earth suffer today, waiting for someone who will show God’s love, who will be their voice, who will serve and teach them God’s way of life. Check out our Community Development DTS page to learn more about this school. The Children at Risk DTS runs each summer & fall. It will focus on the needs of children around the world and the issues that put them at risk. We will also focus on the heart of God who promises to be a “Father to the fatherless, who sets the lonely in families.” (Psalm 68:5,6) In addition to the regular DTS topics, each week we will have a focus night, where we learn about a specific issue that puts children at risk. We invite people who work with kids and at-risk communities to share with us about their work. Check out our Children at Risk DTS page to learn more about this school. The Rescue Ops DTS runs during the fall. This DTS will answer the cry from every man, woman, boy and girl who long to be free. The journey to find them is long and fraught with peril. We must be strong. We must be bold. We must “endure hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 2:3) This cry for freedom echoes around the world. It echoes behind dark curtains in Indian brothels. It echoes through African villages ravaged by drought. It echoes in the hill tribes of Myanmar where young boys are kidnapped and forced to become soldiers. So long as just one of us is bound, none of us is free. Check out our Rescue Ops DTS page to learn more about this school. DTS Phase One lasts for about three months. These three months are a time to remove yourself from the everyday buzz of life. Get to know who God is and who He made you to be. During this classroom phase, you’ll practice a vibrant relationship with God through personal devotion, worship, and prayer for the nations. Even though it’s called a “classroom” or “lecture” phase, you’ll do much more than stay in classes all day! Every week, you’ll go into the city of Madison for local outreach, which includes helping the homeless, friendship evangelism on campus, running an after-school program for underprivileged kids, and visiting with incarcerated teens. What is the daily schedule like? Community Responsibilities: We all share the responsibility of keeping our community running well. Community responsibilities include helping prepare or clean-up meals, cleaning bathrooms, mowing the lawn, weeding the garden, helping with building maintenance, or other projects. Devotional time: Disciplining ourselves to spend time with God each day is significant to growing in our relationships with Him. This time is specifically set apart each day for that purpose. Small group: Much like how it sounds, this is a time for you to break into smaller groups with other students and staff to develop deeper relationships and to digest the information from class. Worship: Led by staff and students, worship is a time to focus on God, to praise and thank Him for who He is. Worship is our response to God and is just as unique and creative as each of us. Intercession: Prayer for others–nations, people, events. During the first week of lecture, you’ll receive training on what intercession is and how to effectively intercede for others. Homework: Keep in mind that, as a prerequisite for further study within University of the Nations, the DTS is a university course. Homework may include the following: journal entries, book reports, geography quizzes, Bible study and memory work. We know that each person has different learning styles, so we incorporate several creative and fun projects. Freetime: We know that all work and no play makes it very hard to learn and stay motivated. So there are definitely free hours during the day for you to hang out, to get alone with God, to do whatever it is you do. Local Outreach: From children programs, to preparing food at a homeless shelter, to talking with teens at juvenille hall, you’ll find plenty of opportunities each week to put your new knowledge into practice. Many students say their favorite part of DTS was taking part in local ministry times. Weekends are available for you to sleep in, work on homework, relax, shoot hoops in the gym, do laundry, reflect on the last week’s teaching, or go with other students and staff on fun activities. Sunday mornings, all the students will attend church. Where do I live during phase one? Our DTS’s meet at our Training & Retreat Center 20 miles north of downtown Madison. There are large dorm rooms, divided into cozy spaces with bunk-beds, shelves, and dressers. Built on seven acres, the Training Center (a former Elementary School) also includes a gym, bonfire pit, garden, and porches to enjoy the sunset (without mosquitoes!). We’ve also got an indoor wood stove — perfect for hanging out inside during the colder months. The classroom is just down the hall from the dorms. See photos of the Training Center here. It may be a surprise for you to suddenly be out in the country, but our students come to love the Training & Retreat Center. It is very peaceful and our students develop a lively community because of all the activities they can do together. What is Field Ministry/Outreach? This is where you practice hands-on discipleship. For ten weeks, live what you learned in class through cross-cultural service, team building, and evangelism as you go out in teams to other nations. Each outreach is different. During the lecture phase, staff and students pray and seek God for the details and specific focus for each team. It’s exciting to work with God this way! Check out our blog for exciting stories from the field. Some of these stories could be yours someday! Where do the outreach teams go? Outreach locations will be decided in the beginning of each school. The staff will present the outreach locations and then you will be given about a week to go to God and pray about where He is calling you to. Last years outreach locations included India, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Uganda, and Mexico. Once you’ve been accepted to the school, we’ll be happy to help you come up with ideas for raising the money for DTS. Please feel free to call us to discuss it. Some of our students are supported by their churches, friends, or families. Others work for a period of time to earn the money, and others use their savings accounts or sell their car. The teachers are resident staff and visiting lecturers from different parts of the world. Your school leader can give you the teaching schedule. Can married couples or families attend? We’ve had several couples join us for DTS — some just a few months after their wedding. They thought DTS was an awesome way to begin their lives together, and we agree. We have also had small families join us. Depending on the number and age of your kids, we can work with you to determine the best options for you and your family. Please call us and we can talk about what it would be like for you and your family to be here. For the Fall DTS we give short break for Thanksgiving and about a week and half for Christmas. Specific dates will be given to you upon acceptance. You can begin the visa application process after you have been accepted for the school. We’ll let you know the type of visa you’ll need and will send you a visa recommendation letter from YWAM Madison to help you obtain your visa. The necessary visas for outreach will be taken care of by our office. During Phase One, these are the exciting aspects of Christian living that you’ll learn:
During Phase Two, you’ll learn in a different way — through life. Living in close contact with each other for a while brings out the best (yes, also the worst) of us and gives us many opportunities for personal growth. Expect to learn things like:
How can I pay my registration fee? Call us at (608) 255-0500 or email us at dts@YWAMmadison.org. We’ll be happy to answer any of your questions. |
