Since 1978, YWAM Salem has welcomed students from all walks of life to our campus near Salem, Oregon. We offer a range of programs, including our flagship experience and popular Christian gap year program, the Discipleship Training School (DTS). Through this and all our programs, we are empowering young believers to embrace God's plan for their lives.
Whether you aspire to be a church leader, barista, photographer, or professional in the corporate world, Christian gap year programs from YWAM Salem are the first step toward a faith-filled future. We accept students doing a gap year or graduating high school students who simply want to experience spiritual growth and harness their potential to become powerful global missions leaders.
No matter what path you're on, our DTS is designed to help you encounter God in every moment, shaping you into a committed follower of Jesus Christ for life. Are you ready to answer God's call? Your life as a powerful missions leader awaits. Apply for a YWAM DTS today!
Want to learn more about what to expect when you leave home for hands-on immersion into the Christian faith? Who better to share about our exceptional missions training experience than a former DTS student who felt called by the Holy Spirit to join us? Keep reading to discover more about our gap year program from a recent YWAM-er.
This is the question on my mind as I looked out the plane window on the way to my DTS outreach phase - 10 weeks I would spend in a different country helping to bring God's story to those who have never heard of his truth.
I have a love/hate relationship with adventure. I love seeing new sights and meeting new people, but there is a piece of me that will always miss the comforts of "home." I realize God is using this tension to reveal deeper truths to me, to realize what the home I really should be longing for is.
I think a sense of home is essential for sanity and rest. I’ve been longing for this because my early twenties have included a lot of transitions (the latest being this YWAM DTS gap year program).
But what can I truly say home is? My definition of home is often watered down by my attachment to comfortable things or relationships. What happens when you become uprooted from those relationships or comforts? What is our identity outside of those things? DTS has enabled me to think about these things and confront them in real time as I completed both phases of the program; first in Oregon at the YWAM campus and then on my mission trip.
If I could've turned that plane around, maybe I would have. I am only human and my small vision can be blinded by fear. Going on outreach was so outside of my comfort zone. But if I truly wanted to commit to growth, obedience, and loving my neighbors, I had to consider the unavoidable reality of facing discomfort.
When I signed up for DTS, I knew God would challenge me to “come and see” His character and His world. I long to live a better story, and what’s a good story without challenge and triumph?
But I had two voices in my head and they are at odds with one another. One said, “Stay home, don’t do mission trips. Build your own kingdom.” The other voice told me, “You can do it. I want to show you a greater purpose. I was with you in the USA and I will be with you on outreach.” Which voice would win?
As I turned to scripture, the truth began to speak louder. Acts 17:28 says, "In Him we live and move and have our being.” I had read this verse before in church, but for the first time, I think I was experiencing this truth.
Far from my comfy couch in California, I’d rest at night in the perspective that God is my home. As I experienced a true Christian community in my DTS, I saw how God has a plan and how Home is in God's word and wherever He is in the world.
There is a teacher, a helper, and an advocate who wants us to walk about the cabin of our world and stretch our trusting legs. There is a father who wants what is best for his kids - and I am one of those kids. It doesn’t stop there! There is a world out there that doesn’t know this truth.
YWAM Salem's outreach activities - from community service to attending church services, daily worship, and the immersive cross-cultural experience - help the rest of the world discover this truth as I have.
My fear turned to excitement as I pondered stepping off the plane in a few short hours and spending three months in a place that needed to hear the truth of the gospel.
And just like that, I had another story to tell: one of God's faithfulness in my weakness. He can be trusted. And because he was there, even on that plane, I can say with confidence: despite the discomfort, I’m really home.
The Discipleship Training School at YWAM Salem offers a unique program divided into two distinct phases: the campus phase and the outreach phase. Throughout these sessions, DTS students, who are typically young adults 18 years old or older or recent high school graduates, are guided to embody the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Experience the unmatched potential of growing with God in a Christ-centered community. God created you for a purpose, and DTS helps students take control of that purpose and harness their faith as an exceptional missions tool in their everyday lives.
During the campus phase, participants immerse themselves in a community of believers, fostering connections and deepening their faith. Nestled in the picturesque setting of Salem, Oregon, students reside in dormitory-style accommodations.
Here, you'll engage in a range of activities, including daily work duties, worship sessions, small group discussions, and moments of self-reflection. The highlight of our campus phase is our diverse elective courses, which empower students to harness their unique passions as instruments for discipleship.
Our elective offerings include:
Planning to attend college after your Christian gap year program or DTS adventure? YWAM Salem's DTS offers college credits through the University of the Nations.
In the outreach phase, participants embark on a transformative journey, carrying their newfound missional mindset into the nations.
Venturing from our campus to international destinations, students encounter communities untouched by the Gospel. This phase presents an unparalleled opportunity for students to embody the heart of God as they engage in daily worship and service activities, ministering to the spiritual needs of those they encounter.
For additional information about DTS, questions regarding costs, or curiosity about the leisure activities available on our campus, we encourage you to check out the DTS road map. This comprehensive resource provides detailed insights into YWAM Salem's discipleship training school, guiding prospective students through their journey of faith and service.
DTS was the avenue for me to get out of my comfort zone, experience God’s truth, and share it with others. If I can do it, you can too! Apply to do discipleship training school with YWAM Salem today.