Talk:Purpose of a DTS

@Steve & Kevin - The video is not working.. Do we have another copy of it on youtube? Arnoud van Dillewijn (talk) 12:13, 14 May 2014 (CEST)

Hi Steve, just added a link to the School of Evangelism article. Soon I hope that that will also tell some interesting stuff. Let's get more SOE's! :) Greetings, Arnoud.

Sounds like Steve's Roleplay comments are worthy of discussion! Lets do that. Just a quick note - when making edits please explain in the summary field below why you are making those changes. It helps to know how and why a document changes.--Kev-The-Hasty 18:25, 31 October 2007 (CET)

In my estimation in staffing, leading, and running DTSs for the past 9 years including serving on our International DTS centre team I would have to say that a DTS is not a role play and never was intended as such. I have spent many hours with Loren and Darlene Cunningham and have never once heard them refer to the DTS as a "Role Play". The DTS was created for the Discipleship of the believer, to reach out to the unreached, and to call people into full time long term missions or ministry.

If you read the U of N purpose statement that explains it all and does not indicate that we are playing around with anything.

Amos


 * Thanks Amos. And thanks for the work you have done in leading DTSs over the last 9 years and for serving with the International DTS Centre. Can we have a conversation about the concept of role play and the DTS rather than have it simply deleted from the knowledge base? Steve


 * I think there is an important conversation to be had here. I have seen the U of N purpose statement a few times before and it has left me cold. The reason for this is down to what the point of the article: what is the purpose of the DTS (i,e, what is the reason we have it) rather than the question "What purpose does the DTS serve?" which can be answered in a different way. English is a vague language at times.


 * However as YWAM we have chosen to limit ourselves in one important way: to become a staff member we need to all complete the DTS. In my view the DTS statement quoted over is not strong enough in making that the aim of the DTS! The purpose of the DTS is to get people ready for full time service in YWAM for the rest of their lives. The fact that it has spin off benefits to the church at large is not really the point.


 * So in that context taking an outreach as a "role play" by which we mean a chance to test and explore within the context of a safe environment. For me my Operation Year was very much like what it was like to be on staff. Also when I lead an Op Year on outreach to Portugal for a month I made my goal to see if I could work out if I could be a missionary overseas for my life. I learnt lots of language and was able to discern that this was very possible for me; of course here I am now leading the YWAM Base in Brussels. My "Role Play" experience on short term outreach was very much a factor in deciding my future service in YWAM.


 * So I feel that Steve's description of DTS as Role Play, although perhaps unorthodox is actually a very useful one. Kev-The-Hasty 16:02, 6 November 2007 (CET)
 * "Within three months of joining YWAM you will be on the mission field taking risks with God". Paul Hopkins says this in the latest YWAM England video. I think this is the best description of the purpose of a DTS I have heard. It is without limit too - no "you will go for three months and come back". The whole thrust of the video is that this is the way to become a missionary. It made me want to join YWAM all over again. It is a statement in the spirit of this discussion I feel.--Kev-The-Hasty 23:59, 22 November 2007 (CET)

An exciting addition to this discussion has been learning that YWAM Norway has had many DTS students move immediately to start 2 year long evangelism teams in towns around Norway. There have been 14 or 15 "City for Jesus" teams over the last few years. steve-the-not-so-hasty 18:58, 8 April 2008 (CEST)

Hi Amos, how are you? I've tried calling this evening but only your computer was on! I will try again over the next few days. I wanted to get to know you -- I know Maureen Menard and Patty Lee and Cassie amongst others and had worked closely with Holger and Jilly Schein and John Peachey here in England. Actually John is my neighbour on one side and Lynn Green on the other -- illustrious company!

If I don't get to chat I'd just like to say a couple of things:

We would love to see some more contributions about DTS amongst other things -- not the official documents since we all know where to find those -- things that people have learned through experience that they could pass on to others. We are trying to gather everything that people have learned in several areas. For me, the most vital area is 'starting new teams'. If we are going to play a part in reaching the world it is obvious that we are going to need thousands more teams of ywamers living amongst the lost, doing everything that ywamers do.

The other thing I'd like to talk briefly about is the concept of a DTS as a role play. Loren has publically used that phrase to describe a DTS when he was here in the UK and so it is hard for the DTS Center to disregard it. You have done a lot of work to clarify the place of the DTS but I wonder if you haven't underplayed the central purpose of the DTS -- to whit, to induct people into YWAM. Last week at our West European Leaders Consultation I met a national leader who said he was pretty happy with his DTS, 20% of his students stayed in YWAM and that was a lot better than many DTSs. And besides, it doesn't matter if people stay in YWAM, the DTS is just to disciple people. The few of us who were eating breakfast with him were shocked at that. He was content to run DTS after DTS and not care if anyone joined us in YWAM!!!!!

The DTS is OUR course to, amongst other things, give people an opportunity to get to know GOd and YWAM and see if God is saying to stay on, for a long time! The DTS really is like a role play, and to quote Loren, "Do you think that God might be calling you to join us in YWAM? THen come and do a DTS, it is like a role play, see if it is for you."

There is much talk of this 'word from the Lord' about 200 000 people joining YWAM -- wouldn't it be tough if we let 160 000 leave because we failed to keep them, because we failed to grasp the purpose of the DTS. steve-the-not-so-hasty 01:58, 11 April 2008 (CEST)