Urban Village DTS

Every Christian is called to mission; it’s just a matter of finding where our skills, passions, personalities, and the needs of the world collide. For some of us, it also means reimagining what ‘missions’ even means.

In a world infatuated with self and inundated with messaging that stokes our ego, feeds our bias, pits us against one another, and reinforces our sense of hopelessness to change, we believe there lies a beautiful invitation from Jesus:

Will we give our lives to be renewed in our understanding of him, of ourselves, and of our neighbour? Will we learn to love and be loved?

Our discipleship training schools are crafted around this invitation. Together we enter into an intentional pursuit of learning the life and ways of Jesus and the hope of his redemption story for humankind.

This is not a short-term missions school to add to your resume of good works. It’s the discovery of “everyday missions” as a lifestyle that will translate into whatever context God leads you and, more importantly, it’s a catalyst for deeper life in Christ.

Along with our desire to see you flourish in your personal life and faith, the Urban Village DTS is focused on God’s heart for the welfare of cities as well as his desire for localized community within the “village” (local neighbourhood) he’s called you to.

Have you ever wished you could find a safe place to wrestle down your questions about faith and life and God? Have you ever wondered if God really is who he says he is? Or if Christianity is relevant for young people today? Have you created space in your life to make your faith your own? Have you desired to grow in your spirituality while also discovering more of the person God created you to be? Have you dreamed of what life might look like if you could share it with others who are passionate about pursuing God and living as good neighbours? Have you ever wondered what you should do with your one ‘wild and precious’ life? Or have you wanted to pursue missional living, but didn’t know where to begin?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any one of these questions, a DTS in Sydney might be the exact environment your soul is longing for.

We’re newly planted in the inner city in one of Sydney’s most colourful and eclectic arts and entertainment hubs, with Sydney’s famous surf beaches an easy bus ride away. Christian discipleship can happen anywhere, so why not choose one of the most iconic cities on earth? We LOVE it here and hope you will too!

As a pioneering team, joining us now for DTS means you’re joining the birth of a new movement of YWAM in the city. We’re looking for adventurers and creatives, risk-takers and pioneers to join us!

A YWAM Discipleship Training School is a six month Christian training course designed to help you know God, understand who you are in light of him, and find your place in the world as a part of his great redemption story. We are a ministry of Youth With A Mission, a world-wide interdenominational movement of Christians committed to knowing God and making his love known to the ends of the earth.

When you become a DTS student at YWAM Sydney Newtown, you become more than just a student in the classic sense; you become a learner of the city, a learner of everyday theology, and a learner of your place in the world. Because our emphasis is on discipleship within the context of “real life” you will be given the freedom to explore your relationship with God and how you fit into the world in a safe, creative, and inspiring environment full of opportunity and intentional living together with others who love Jesus and want to see his heart represented well to those around us.

The Urban Village DTS starts in the heart of Sydney, Australia where we’ll begin cultivating spiritual practices such as worship, prayer, bible learning, journaling, ‘breaking bread’ together (we love a good shared meal with mates!), small group discipleship, one-on-one mentoring, classroom learning (for approximately 60-70 days of the six month course), and hands-on ministry* in an inner city context. It’s a time of growth and discovery with community living at its core. We believe life around the table or on the sidewalk or in the office or at the local park is as important as time spent in the classroom. All of it together makes up your rich and varied learning environment.

Experienced speakers and mentors will provoke, challenge, and equip you, peers will encourage you, and neighbours will inspire you. You’ll have ample opportunity to live out what you learn as we practice living in community, serve our city through practical ministry assignments, and explore our personal passions within God’s commandment to love our neighbour.

*Ministry is really just a Christian term to describe service and volunteerism, with God’s love as its motivation.

The other major component of DTS is our field assignments (also known as “outreach”). While on field assignment you’ll be taken even further out of your comfort zone as we work* alongside long-term, established workers in the field—both here in Sydney and at a location overseas. You’ll serve in areas as varied as youth work, basic health care, children’s programs, English teaching, community development projects, church work, sports, music, and more. (Types of ministry will vary based on location, specific local needs, and the unique abilities of your particular team. *Please note that our ‘work’ is all volunteer-based community service.)

The field assignment portions of the Urban Village DTS ensure you have outreach experience both in an urban context and a village context—one local, one overseas. All locations will be confirmed during the first month of the DTS once we’ve had a chance to evaluate the dynamics, capacity, and skills of the group. We believe God loves the people of cities and villages alike, so we try to incorporate both within our field assignment.

In addition to the core DTS teaching modules such as the Nature and Character of God, Identity in Christ, Recognizing God’s Voice, Relationships & Community, the Lordship of Christ, Engaging with the Bible, Missions, and so forth, we incorporate additional topics we believe are important to missional living in a modern context. Generally these are not full teaching weeks, but are introduced through special sessions and activities and assignments throughout the classroom learning phase. Some of these may include topics such as:

• Spiritual Practices & Disciplines
• Theology of Place (loving your neighbourhood)
• Gender Roles in Church & Home
• Overview of World Religions
• Financial Stewardship & Generosity
• Telling the Story: Communications & the Story of God
• Creation Care
• Youth Culture
• The Intersection of Faith & Disability
• Indigenous Issues

We believe fun and discipleship are not mutually exclusive so included in your DTS are a few super awesome extras such as beach hangs, and a city wide scavenger hunt taking you to all the major sites around Sydney (such as the Opera House). The September 2020 DTS will also include a camping trip to attend an Australia-wide YWAM gathering and worship conference on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

We also offer an optional Sydney Adventure Package which includes:

• Group surf lesson at Bondi Beach, Manly Beach, or one of the other fabulous local surf beaches (all experience levels will be accomodated, including beginners!)
• Excursion to the Blue Mountains
• Celebratory Bridge Climb across the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge during debrief week

*Please note: These excursions are subject to change if circumstances beyond our control arise.

Next student intake:

September 12, 2020 to February 20, 2021

Course fees:

Course fees for our 2020 intake will be determined by January 31, 2020.

Included:

• course fees
• books and resources
• accomodation
• food (weekends and holiday included)
• class excursions
• all local and overseas outreach expenses excluding flights

Not included:

• flights to and from home country and Sydney (if needed)
• Australian visa costs (for non Aus/NZ citizens)
• health insurance (for non Aus/NZ citizens)
• flights for overseas outreach (please budget $800-1600 AUD)
• personal expenses (toiletries, spending money, snacks, etc.)
• optional Sydney Adventure Package

Please see our FAQ page for a detailed financial breakdown of costs.

“The world needs more Christians who don’t tolerate the
complacency of their own lives.”

—FRANCIS CHAN