It’s September 21, 2005, when I make the journey from Belgium to the Netherlands to start something that many had doubts about. I quit my job as a professional pastry chef and chocolatier and left friends and family behind. But why? What had convinced me to sign up for a Discipleship Training School (DTS) at Youth with a Mission (YWAM) Heidebeek in the Netherlands, almost 20 years ago?
Of course, thoughts such as ‘calling’ and ‘hearing the voice of God’ come to mind. And although I certainly believe in this, I am also convinced that there are other aspects that play a role in making a choice to leave everything familiar behind and to be able to take a leap of faith.
It was a few months before that I received a leaflet that said: “not heads full of knowledge, but hearts full of faith and reaching out to others.” This leaflet described what the DTS was about, and it was exactly that sentence that made me decide to sign up. At the time, we lived in a time and generation where knowledge was very important. And of course it is, but a DTS is about so much more than filling heads with knowledge. I was very attracted to the fact that a DTS was not about gaining more knowledge, but about hearts full of faith. And that’s still what it’s all about, although we have seen over the years that every generation is mobilized in a different way and that the use of a different language is necessary.
Such a shift in language use in mobilizing people for our schools and communities is happening incredibly fast. About ten years ago, there was a strong emphasis in the Western world on the idea of stepping into an adventure and going into the unknown. However, in this day, age and generation, flyers with an adventurous look might scare off more than attract a large audience. And yet, the current need and expectation is not far removed from words like “faith” and “adventure”. A concept and thought that brings these two words together is ‘radicality’. Young people these days are often looking for radical communities. And once they have found such a community, we can take them with us to embark on that adventurous journey of faith together.
And that thought of going on the road together is extremely important in this day and age and actually that brings us to one of the core values in the DTS, namely this live/learn community. The DTS is always meant to bring people together and walk together to get to know God better and spread the gospel. If we want to promote our YWAM locations, it is very important to stay true to ourselves and focus on what our strengths are. We also don’t have to be afraid to put our strengths on the map. How great is it for someone to do a DTS at a YWAM location that is in the middle of the woods. Or how amazing it is to be relevant during the DTS in a big metropolis. For someone else, the location may be less important, but the focus or specialism that a particular location has.
In my background as a pastry chef, I quickly learned that specialism is the key to acquiring more customers. Few bakeries are known for that delicious apple pie, because basically anyone can make it. Even when we are busy mobilizing for the DTS and world missions, specialism is something that can attract. I don’t believe that different YWAM locations are competitors of each other, but that doesn’t mean we should hide our specialism. The limited leeway that has been created within the DTS curriculum could be greatly optimized, without having to make compromises that could jeopardize the DTS curriculum. Of course, it is the concern of the International DTS Centre (IDTSC) and the University of the Nations (U of N) that the quality of every DTS worldwide is guaranteed. However, that does not mean that there is no room for specialism or different focuses. These focuses can simply come from the geographical location of the local YWAM community, or they can stem from passions and motivations of the local staff and community. Specialism will attract people who might otherwise never come to do a DTS, let alone pursue further studies at the U of N or become staff at one of our worldwide YWAM locations.
When recruiting for our schools and locations, there is a lot of room to go along with the needs and wishes of our time and society, as long as this always remains in line with the 18 foundational values of Youth With A Mission and with the objectives and curriculum that have been drawn up for the DTS and other U of N schools.
Over the years, I have often heard people say that it is not about the numbers, but mainly about the quality and investing in the individual. And while I certainly believe in the importance of high-quality DTSes, I also believe that this can certainly go hand in hand with growth and more students on our campuses. However, it is important to realize that the church has not been idle in recent years. How very special it is that so much more is possible than just the DTS. Where about 20 years ago all fingers pointed in the direction of Youth With A Mission, if someone was interested in, for example, missions or doing a gap year, there are now numerous opportunities that other organizations and the local church offer. Above all, let us celebrate and applaud that, even though it may certainly mean that fewer people come through our doors.
And yet, I absolutely believe in growth. And that growth, in the end, really starts in the inner room. We can have our websites in order and make our social media fully up to date. We can take our place at festivals and churches to do promotion. We certainly shouldn’t sit back. But in the end, that growth begins at the feet of Jesus. It is Jesus Himself who invites us to become part of His story. And ultimately, the story of the DTS is about inviting others to become part of that same great story of Him!
Key quotes:
- We don’t have to be afraid to put our strengths on the map.
- The limited leeway that has been created within the DTS curriculum could be greatly optimized, without having to make compromises that could jeopardize the DTS curriculum.
- Specialism will attract people who might otherwise never come to do a DTS.
Jonathan Vergauwen
Jonathan Vergauwen is a Belgian who is located at YWAM Heidebeek in the Netherlands. He is passionate about discipleship and bringing people closer to the heart of the Father. In the context of YWAM, he is one of the DTS coordinators in Western Europe and part of the International DTS Centre (IDTSC). He is married to Ingeborg and they have three children.
