| There are literally dozens, if not hundreds, of | | | | - Rebuilding homes in Dili, East Timor |
| different ways that you could become a Christian | | | | - Living in a Village in Mele, Vanuatu |
| Missionary. Rather than looking today at how you | | | | - Praying for the sick in a hospital in Port Vila, |
| can be a missionary in your home town or work | | | | Vanuatu |
| I'll look at how you can become a cross-cultural | | | | - Door Knocking in Nadi, Fiji |
| Christian missionary through Youth With A Mission. | | | | - Sharing my Testimony in a High School in |
| I am also going to avoid for the moment the | | | | Darwin, Australia |
| discussion about short-term missionaries and the | | | | The YWAM DTS is the gateway to more |
| value that actually comes from that. There are | | | | involvement in Youth With A Mission, including the |
| some good discussions and debates from both | | | | second level schools and joining staff. |
| sides of that topic, so I will include short term and | | | | Business as Missions |
| longer term opportunities through YWAM. | | | | I've decided to include Business as Missions as an |
| Youth With A Mission has many ways that people | | | | opportunity here because: |
| can become involved in Cross Cultural missions. | | | | |
| Every year over 200,000 mostly young people go | | | | 1. One of my best mates is doing a course in it |
| through YWAM missions programs around the | | | | right now |
| world. Here are a few options that are available: | | | | 2. It is a fantastic opportunity for cross cultural |
| - Mission Adventures | | | | missions |
| - Discipleship Training School | | | | Business as Missions (BAM) is a unique opportunity |
| - Business as Missions | | | | to learn how to use a gift and calling to business |
| - School of Frontier Missions | | | | and use it to open doors not available to |
| - Joining YWAM Staff | | | | "traditional" styles of Christian Missionary Work. |
| Mission Adventures | | | | Running and setting up a business can allow |
| Mission Adventures is a popular very short term | | | | access to areas usually out of reach to normal |
| missionary opportunity with YWAM. It is usually a | | | | forms of missions. Business as Missions initiatives |
| 1 - 4 week opportunity that is usually geared | | | | could look like: |
| towards a youth group or school group. | | | | - Coffee shop in a Muslim Country |
| There are two phases to a typical mission | | | | - Textile factory in a Communist Country |
| adventures program, the training phase and the | | | | - Import / Export Business in a Hindu Nation |
| outreach phase. | | | | There are unlimited possibilities of where Business |
| Training | | | | in Missions could lead someone if that is where |
| The training phase of Mission Adventures includes | | | | God has called them. |
| worship, teaching and training on who God is and | | | | Youth With A Mission offers a Business as |
| how to share about Him. | | | | Missions course that covers areas of business as |
| Outreach | | | | well as Christian character to help people |
| The outreach phase consists of a cross cultural | | | | interested in it. I've read some of the material |
| missions experience organised by the YWAM | | | | used and it's pretty interesting stuff. |
| staff for the group. This phase gives opportunity | | | | School of Frontier Missions |
| for the individual and group to put into practice | | | | Youth With A Mission offers dozens of "second |
| what they learned during their training phase. | | | | level" courses at their various locations around the |
| Many different opportunities are available during | | | | world. To participate in any of these schools in |
| the outreach. This may include: | | | | YWAM the first port of call is the Discipleship |
| - Evangelism | | | | Training School. After that most of the other |
| - Prison Ministry | | | | courses are available to be pursued. |
| - Construction Projects | | | | The goal of the School of Frontier Missions is to |
| - Children's Ministry | | | | equip Christians to live and work amongst those |
| Discipleship Training School | | | | forgotten people groups who have had little or no |
| The Discipleship Training School (YWAM DTS) is | | | | exposure to the message of God's grace in Christ |
| probably the cornerstone school for YWAM | | | | Jesus. This is pretty much THE course to take in |
| training around the world. Over a third of YWAM | | | | YWAM if you are wanting to engage in long term |
| locations around the world focus on delivering | | | | cross cultural missionary work. The course covers: |
| quality Christian training programs, and most of | | | | - History and Biblical Basis for Missions |
| them would be offering the YWAM DTS. | | | | - Understanding World View and Culture |
| 20 - 24 weeks is the usual duration for a YWAM | | | | - Church Planting Principles and Methods |
| DTS. The first 12-weeks of so of the school is | | | | - Cross-Cultural Preparation |
| spent in lectures. The primary topics covered | | | | - Support Raising |
| during the lecture phase of the Discipleship | | | | - Language |
| Training School are: | | | | - Prayer |
| | | | After the lecture phase there is then the Field |
| 1. The Nature and Character of God | | | | Placement. This is more than a short term |
| 2. God's Plan for individuals, nations and the world | | | | outreach as the goal is for long term missions |
| 3. Sin and Redemption through the Cross | | | | work to be planted in the cross cultural setting. |
| 4. The Church | | | | Joining YWAM Staff |
| 5. The Great Commission | | | | Joining staff with Youth With A Mission can be an |
| A live & learn type environment is employed | | | | amazingly rewarding experience in missions. It is |
| at most YWAM locations for the DTS. This | | | | different for every person who does it and can |
| means that not only are the participants learning in | | | | be a 3-month experience, or a lifetime experience. |
| a classroom, but by living with their staff and | | | | If you can think of a career, then you can |
| students they are having to live out what they | | | | probably do it in YWAM. The pre-requisite for |
| are learning. It can be challenging, especially living | | | | joining staff with Youth With A Mission is to |
| with people from other cultures and | | | | complete a Discipleship Training School. After that |
| denominational backgrounds, but it is an exciting | | | | some locations have introductory courses that |
| time. | | | | you need to do before becoming full time staff |
| After the lecture phase the last half of the school | | | | (Basic Leadership School (BLS), Phase 2, School of |
| is spent on a cross cultural outreach. Like Mission | | | | Evangelism (SOE), etc), but the YWAM DTS is |
| Adventures there are a lot of different | | | | the launching point. |
| opportunities available during the outreach, and | | | | YWAM does not pay a wage and everyone in |
| because it lasts much longer, there is a much | | | | YWAM is responsible for raising their own support |
| greater chance to engage in more of them. | | | | for the work that they do. This goes for |
| My own YWAM DTS outreach experiences, as | | | | everyone from a brand new staff member to |
| staff and students, have included: | | | | the International President. |