DTS Guidelines

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In order for your DTS students to receive U of N credit for the DTS, each learning week of the DTS must be properly registered on a U of N Form A and be accompanied by the appropriate course registration fee.

The Form A was revised 2005 to make the registration process easier for you and more helpful to us. You can obtain a Form A registration packet, including course registration fee information, by writing to your designated U of N Regional Records Office.

The purpose and basic curriculum of the DTS has been defined by the international leadership of YWAM and U of N. To insure that the DTS stays on course with the vision, it is essential that DTS leaders keep the purpose statements in focus, that specific goals and objectives of each school support the fulfillment of the overall purpose statements and that the content be complete.
The DTS must contain a minimum of 11 teaching content weeks, with a minimum of 12 teaching content hours per week for one language ( a minimum of 16 hours for a bi-lingual school) in addition to the other learning activities described in the document on "Full Learning Weeks". The DTS must contain a minimum of 8 Field Assignment weeks. However, all leaders are encouraged to run a 24 week DTS course which will enable students to receive the maximum 24 credits allowed for a U of N DTS. This is based on the credit evaluation of one credit per "full learning week".
The DTS is a full-time Christian training school. It is designed such that individuals are required to pull away from their jobs and school etc. for a specific time period and give their undivided attention to being trained in the DTS.
Each week of the complete DTS course must be a "Full Learning Week" as described in the document entitled "Full Learning Weeks". Three hours of intercession are required per week throughout all of the DTS course weeks.
Regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings between staff and students are to be carried out for feedback, assessment & evaluation. Our goal is one such individual meeting a week. See "One on Ones in the DTS" document.
The DTS/CDTS is to contain a minimum of 8 Field Assignment/Outreach weeks throughout the total course and is to be carried forth in accordance with the guidelines defined in the U of N Reference Guide documents entitled “YWAM/U of N Field Assignment-Outreach Policy and Procedure”. "DTS Outreach Fruitful Practice", "Minimum Criteria for DTS Staff". The primary emphasis of the DTS/CDTS outreach is to be evangelism, not only intercession or physical work and is to include a minimum of 30 hours per week of ministry activity serving people outside of the team. Ministry strategies are to come out of prayer. The majority of ministry activity is to involve connecting with people with the aim of facilitating them becoming followers of Jesus. (evangelism) The outreach in to include a minimum of 15 hours per week of other structured learning activities such as communication, team building, ministry debriefing, feedback, sharing of needs, prayer for individuals, ministry prep including at least 3 hours of intercession, and 3 times of worship as a team (God focused time) that is spread throughout each week of the outreach. We should endeavor also to expose our students to the three aspects of the ministry calling of YWAM which includes Mercy Ministries. There should be a positive, cross-cultural evangelistic experience, so that each one sees fruit. We want the students to see missions in action, and to like missions. As well, the outreach weeks should be a conscious “putting into practice” of the teaching content throughout the DTS/CDTS. Outreach leaders should be constantly helping the students see how to apply the teaching to their lives and ministry. (i.e. How does the Father Heart of God apply in this outreach situation? What about the application of spiritual warfare, giving up rights, relationships, the Word etc.)
YWAM’s Foundational Values are to be taught, modeled and integrated into your DTS. See the document entitled "The Foundational Values of Youth With a Mission".
The setting for your DTS is to be a live/learn environment as described in the U of N Catalogue (in the general information section). The live/learn philosophy is a community learning concept which accelerates and deepens the educational process.
Qualified trained leaders and staff in character, calling, gifting, and ability are necessary to run a DTS effectively. Therefore, there is to be on-going DTS staff/leadership training at the local base level. DTS staff/leaders cannot create, nor lead, a quality DTS that meets international requirements without on-going equipping for the task. Therefore the training of the DTS school staff/leaders must be valued in such a way that DTS staff/leaders have the time in their schedule to be trainined prior to and during the DTS. DTS staff/leaders should not be expected to fulfill time-consuming non-DTS roles on the base for several weeks before, nor during the DTS. (i.e. roles that compete with their equipping and ability to fulfill their responsibilities with the DTS.) note: 'qualified' assumes the local base leadership has set minimum standards for qualification. See the documents entitled "U of N School Leaders Preamble"; "U of N School Leaders Characteristics"; "U of N School Leaders Accountability"; "U of N School Leaders Responsibilities";Who Can Lead A U of N School?," Minimum Criteria for DTS Staff ".
Qualified teachers, those who represent and exemplify YWAM values in teaching and interaction with students, are also vital to the dynamic learning process of a DTS. At least some of the teachers should be international, from different denominational backgrounds and should include women.
Orientation to YWAM, its values, callings, and ministry opportunities should be a part of every DTS/CDTS. Leaders/staff have the privilege and the responsibility to actively engage in linking students to missions through a variety of means based on the students’ unique individual interests, gifts, abilities and callings. We want to make it easy for people to get into YWAM.
Orientation to U of N and its future courses should be carried out with students, enabling them to see the bigger picture of missions training available to them through the University. All students registered with the U of N are to receive a U of N Catalogue from their designated U of N International Registrar’s Office. DTS/CDTS leaders/staff should make sure that all other students should have equal access to U of N course information.
Assessment and evaluation is required in each DTS/CDTS:
a. Student assessment and evaluation: criteria for student assessment and evaluation is to be clearly communicated by the DTS/CDTS leadership to the students at, and/or prior to, the beginning of the DTS/CDTS. At the end of the school, each student is to be assessed and evaluated based on the previously stated criteria. The student is then given either an ‘S’ grade for satisfactorily completing the DTS/CDTS or a ‘U’ grade for unsatisfactorily completing the DTS/CDTS.
b. School assessment and evaluation: assessment and evaluation of every DTS/CDTS, both the lecture and outreach phases, as well as the staff/leaders, is to be carried out at the end of each DTS/CDTS by both the students and DTS/CDTS staff/leaders. The local base leadership is ultimately responsible for the quality of their DTS/CDTS programme and the DTS/CDTS staff/leaders at their location, including the fulfillment of all of the basic YWAM/U of N international requirements stated in this document entitled "Guidelines for YWAM/U of N Discipleship Training Schools". An evaluation of every DTS/CDTS school and staff/leader by both the students and staff/leaders of that school will give the necessary feedback to the base leadership regarding the affect of their own decision making influencing any aspect of the DTS/CDTS so that adjustments can be made to ensure effective transformational training is taking place in the DTS/CDTS at every location.