General principles of the DTS
The DTS is usually 5 to 6 months long. It is modular, which means that every week is devoted to one or two topics which are studied in depth. It is also based on community life. Youth With A Mission (YWAM) staff lead the school, but every week, visiting speakers are invited, often from various cultural horizons and denominations and with different ministries (YWAM or other). We believe in the importance of cultural diversity within the community that makes up a DTS, cultural "shocks" being very beneficial in this training approach!

The first part of the school, called the lecture phase, lasts 12 weeks and runs as follows :
-3 to 5 hours of lectures a day,
-some time, at the beginning of the day, set aside for the personal quiet time,
Times for sharing in small groups,
-Intercession times (3 hours minimum a week) and worship times throughout the week.
-Workshops to prepare for evangelism (preaching, song, mime, dance, puppets, etc.).
-Times of personal study: reading, a journal, research.
-Practical tasks: cleaning/housework, taking part in some practical activities on the YWAM base where the training is running, etc.
-Personal times (one-on-one) with a staff member or with the speaker of the week.

The visiting speaker is an excellent extra to complement the experience of the DTS staff. The availability and the commitment of the YWAM team members, the fact that they are in the same place, of a similar age and with similar experiences to the students, provides instant opportunities to put the teaching into practice.

The number of students in a DTS varies from 8 to 25 students. As a general rule, the staff, the speakers and the students live in community, sharing meals together and the work duties. The weekends are devoted to rest, Sunday worship in the churches in the region, and occasionally to evangelistic activities or leading youth group activities.

The outreach phase, lasting 10 to 12 weeks, takes place "on the field", generally in a French-speaking country. It consists of an apprenticeship with evangelism of various kinds, practical service alongside the local churches of the country (renovation of buildings, for example), activities of a humanitarian nature or development work ( street children , lepers in large cities, construction of latrines, distribution of grain, etc.). As in the theory phase, times for teaching, small groups for sharing, intercession and praise are organised throughout the stay on outreach.

Living at the heart of a cross-cultural missionary community and being immersed in a life of prayer and of daily worship, based on a life of practical activities and sharing in small groups, all added to biblical teaching, makes for an excellent training experience.