The following is a testimony from one of our YWAM Salem staff members reflecting on his Discipleship Training School experience!
I remember the moment I stepped out of the airport for the first time in Thailand. I remember the intense change in temperature, the rush of humidity, the noise of cars and horns honking, and the different languages being spoken I did not understand. Whenever I go back to Asia and step out of the airport, I think back to that exact moment.
It has been five years since I did my Discipleship Training School (DTS). I am constantly recognizing how much my DTS changed me. Everyone’s DTS experience is different. People have different speakers, different staff, different outreach locations, and different people. If you’re thinking about DTS and want to know more, let me share a little about what I’ve learned.
Being a missionary is not a specific job for a specific group of people.
We are all called to live a missional life wherever we are. We are called to share the Gospel and reflect Christ in our daily lives. Only 0.034% of Americans are sent out as missionaries. Not even one percent of the US population is considered missionaries. Also, The United States has only 34,000 people who are considered missionaries within the US. Jesus never intended it to be only people who were missionaries to share the gospel. Anyone who is a follower of Jesus is called to share the Gospel and make disciples. As you go to the grocery store, the movie theater, coffee shop, wherever; you can make disciples as you go!
People connect with God in different ways… and that’s okay!
One of the beauties of YWAM is that we are international and interdenominational. That means we have people from many church backgrounds, many different traditions, and ways to relate to God.
I was eighteen when I did my DTS, and being honest, I was very prideful. I come from a church background where we are told to read the Bible to connect to God and pray a little bit. That was my understanding for how a person could connect with God. I had fellow students who connected with God in vastly different ways. Sometimes they would go outside and worship for an hour, or go on prayer walks, pray scriptures, or connect with God in nature. During my DTS, I realized God has created each person uniquely which means there couldn’t be just one way to worship.
I had to lay down a lot of my pride and learn about different spiritual disciplines. I found that I connect with God in different ways too! It was not about abandoning one for the other, but earnestly seeking God with humility and honesty.
Your Community is vital for being a disciple of Jesus.
Some of the people from my DTS are still some of my closest friends to this day. They have been the people who have been with me to pray, challenge, encourage, and love when I have been at some of my lowest points. Studies show that you are the most similar to the five people you spend the most time with. Your five closest friends are the people that will have the most profound impact on your life.
Here are some questions to think about:
- Are most of the people in your life pursuing Jesus in the way you want to?
- Are they pushing and championing you to draw nearer to Jesus?
- Is one of those five people actually Jesus, Himself?
Those were some of the questions presented to me during my DTS that radically changed the way I think about community and friendship. It helped me evaluate the kind of friend I am and the kind of friend I want to be. Jesus never intended for our faith to be walked out alone, He designed it to be done in community!
A DTS can be a life-changing experience. It creates the space for God to challenge and transform your life!