Discipleship Training School FAQs
Have Questions about DTS?
A YWAM DTS is an adventure like no other. That’s why our staff at YWAM San Diego/Baja put together this guide to ensure you have all the information you need to make the most of your discipleship training school experience.
Are you ready to jump into your lifetime of missions right now? Apply for a YWAM DTS today!
What are the requirements to be accepted to a DTS?
At YWAM San Diego/Baja, we want everyone to have an opportunity to get involved in world missions. We don’t require degrees, work experience, or a seminary background. Our students come from all walks of life and communities across the globe to experience God’s Story in a new light.
We only have two simple requirements for acceptance into a YWAM DTS: You must be at least 18 years old or 17 years old and a high school graduate.
If you’re the right age, then the adventure of a lifetime is yours for the taking at YWAM DTS San Diego/Baja! Fill out a simple online application, get in touch with an admissions coach, and dive headfirst into a new missions experience.
Where is YWAM San Diego/Baja’s DTS located?
We offer our discipleship training school at two separate campuses in Baja, Mexico, just south of the U.S. border. Both the San Antonio Del Mar and Ensenada campuses are within walking distance of the beach and local neighborhoods so you can immerse yourself in a new culture during free time.
Our San Antonio Del Mar campus is about 20 minutes from the border, tucked between Rosarito and Tijuana. The Ensenada campus is about an hour and a half south of the border by car. Both campuses boast a bilingual experience in both English and Spanish.
How long is a YWAM DTS?
YWAM DTS lasts a total of 5 months, which are broken up into 2 phases.
First, the 3-month long campus phase focuses on your training. You will spend time in worship, intercession, local evangelism, a DTS elective of your choice, and, of course, discipleship training. You’ll stay in dormitory-style housing among a community of staff and peers all seeking to develop their personal prayer lives and understanding of God’s purpose for their lives.
After your campus experience, you are ready for the Outreach Phase. For this second part of DTS, you’ll travel to an overseas community for 2 months of cross-cultural evangelistic outreach. Here you will put your missions training to the test with real-world ministry opportunities.
Finally, you’ll return to our campus in Baja for a week of debriefing/reflection, followed by a graduation ceremony to celebrate the beginning of your new life of missioning to the world.
What IS a typical day of DTS?
In the campus phase, you’ll follow a guided training schedule to ensure you have all the skills and knowledge you need to succeed in your upcoming outreach experience.
6:45-7:30 Personal Devotions with the Lord
7:30-8:00 Breakfast
8:30-9:30 Worship/Intersession
9:30-12:30 Classroom Lectures
12:30 Lunch
1:30-3:00 Afternoon Activity/Lectures
3:30-5:30 Campus Service or Local Ministry
5:30-6:30 Dinner
Students typically have free evenings for fellowship, daily reflection, reading, or experiencing the local culture.
What Will I Learn at a YWAM DTS?
The lessons learned in both the campus and outreach phases of YWAM San Diego/Baja’s discipleship training school will stay with you for a lifetime.
The campus phase will cover weekly missions topics including The Father Heart of God, Maintaining Godly Relationships, Frontier Missions, Spiritual Warfare, Destiny and Identity in Christ, and How to Study the Word of God. Overall, you’ll walk away with lessons and a deeper understanding of the following topics:
God’s Nature and Character: Understanding who God is and what He is like.
God’s Intention for Individuals, People, & Creation: Seeing Life from God’s Perspective.
God’s Redemption - Sin & The Cross: Recognizing Jesus as Lord.
God’s Family, His Children, and His Church: Becoming more like Jesus.
God’s World, His Call, and His Commission: Doing the works of Jesus.
YWAM - A Response to God: Knowing God, making Him known.
At YWAM DTS, you will also read through the entire New Testament and discover tools to study the bible through the inductive bible study method.
What Are YWAM San Diego/Baja’s DTS Electives?
A key part of the campus phase, the discipleship training school electives are your chance to fine-tune your unique God-given gifts and learn how to convert them into a tool for serving God.
Our DTS elective offerings include:
Can I Receive College Credit for Completing a DTS?
Yes!
Every discipleship training school is accredited by the University of the Nations – an international university. You’ll receive 12 credits for the campus phase and 8 credits for outreach, which are all transferable to a number of Christian colleges and universities across the world.
Where is the Outreach Phase?
At YWAM San Diego/Baja, we offer a variety of mission trip locations for the DTS outreach phase. The selected location depends on a number of factors and is always carefully selected through prayer.
When Will I Know My Outreach Location?
Typically, you will find out your specific outreach location by the 4th week of your YWAM DTS. For the rest of the campus phase, you’ll spend time learning about your destination and praying about the upcoming experience.
Then, the school leadership will meet and organize your DTS community into teams. These teams will meet every week from that point on to pray together and prepare for outreach.
Do I need a visa to travel to Mexico or the U.S.?
In order to travel to our campuses in Baja, Mexico, you will need a Visa. Students from a majority of countries, including the U.S. and Canada, will be able to get a tourist visa at the Mexican border with a valid passport.
Once you’ve been accepted into a DTS, our school registrar will be able to assist you with this process. A typical tourist visa costs about $30 USD. This price will be paid in cash when you arrive.
How Do I Pay for DTS?
The cost of YWAM DTS includes all of your meals, lodging, training materials, tuition, and local transportation for both phases. The campus phase costs $3,495, while the outreach phase costs $2,500-$4,500 depending on your destination.
The cost of the campus phase must be paid in full by the time you arrive. Your first outreach phase payment is due during the 6th week of DTS with subsequent payments until the 9th week.
Finances alone should never be the determining factor as we pursue God’s purpose for our life. When God calls us into His service, we believe that He will provide for all of our needs. We Call this living by faith.
Our students use proven fundraising strategies and faith to save before their DTS. They also write letters to friends and family who may want to partner with them in ministry by donating to the mission trip.
People love to give and to be a part of God’s kingdom extended. If we are asking others to give, we must also be prepared to give when God leads us.
How Much Spending Money Should I Bring?
While the cost of DTS covers everything you need for a happy, healthy, and educational YWAM DTS experience, you may want to budget a little extra pocket money for other expenses. From toiletries, laundry detergent, dining out, and souvenirs, we recommend about $100 per month.
You do not have to pack large sums of cash as we have several ATMs located near both campuses.