DTS with YWAM
Posted by rantsampersandmore on June 3, 2008
A DTS or Discipleship Training School is the entry level course to YWAM (Youth With a Mission). Should you be considering a DTS for yourself or your child, please please do your homework, both the good and BAD.
YWAM operates in many locations worldwide and each centre (Base) runs autonomously from another.
There is no doubt that some YWAM bases have great leadership and great programs that are impacting cultures and communities for good (and for God).
However, there are some places that YWAM is a mess and the leadership are extremely ‘authoritarian’ and are given to ’spiritual abuse’. * I have first hand experience of this in Australia.
Please research for yourself, before making a decision to join YWAM. There are many testimonies of people who are the ‘walking wounded’ after their exposure to YWAM.
Below are some worthwhile links that will aid your search.
http://chasingtruth.wordpress.com/2007/12/13/is-ywam-a-cult/#comments
jonfeatherstone said
Hi,
I just stumbled across your blog and couldn’t resist commenting. Back in my christian days I went to France and did a DTS and certainly left with the scars to prove it! Several observations I would make to anyone considering YWAM:
1) All the leaders are unpaid volunteers, so the maxim “pay peanuts, get monkeys” applies.
2) If you are going because you want to “improve your relationship with God” then don’t. This is not the right method to achieve this end.
3) It is unfortunate that the DTS is termed a “school”, as many leaders infer from this that they are “teachers”. If you do go, do not give your “leaders” too much authority over you. View them more as colleagues than leaders, as many of them are just as immature and unsure as you are.
Caveat Emptor!
Personally, I would not recommend YWAM for anyone at all, as for the majority of people I know it has been a bad experience overall. If you are serious about living out your christian faith, my advice is you will be better of getting involved in your local church.
My 2 cents.
Jon
rantsampersandmore said
Thank you for your contribution.
You may be interested in the following link to Y ‘Whammed’.
Link – http://ywhammed.wordpress.com/