DTS Workshop

We recently traveled to Baguio to attend a DTS workshop for DTS staff. DTS is an abbreviation for Discipleship Training School. The DTS is the primary course for all who would join YWAM or seek a degree at YWAM's University of the Nations. We attended a version of the DTS last summer and fall as students.

The timing could not have been better for me to attend. Prior to joining YWAM my training career had given me experience in developing, coordinating, and presenting training courses. At church, I had been helping to plan and coordinate our Christian Education. Now that we are officially "YWAMers", it was perfect timing to learn how the DTS is managed and to network with other YWAM bases in the Philippines. A perfect opportunity for our first month in the country.

Not only did the workshop discuss requirements and experiences of DTS, it also was used to roll out vision for YWAM in the Philippines. It was exciting to see how YWAM leadership felt the calling to implement some new ideas and how they handed it off to people on the front lines to develop. Coming from a corporate setting, it was fascinating to see how decentralized YWAM strives to be. New ideas and direction for the 2009 DTS across the Philippines were presented but the DTS staff from the various bases were allowed to strategize. Much of the workshop was given to facilitating a team that would work out the details and implement the vision.

Our team at Mountain Province has not yet had a chance to process how exactly we will fit into all of these plans. Most of the team is travelling in support of the One Story Project, a partnership with Wycliffe.

Grace,
Tom