With God, All Things are Possible - Even a Faith-Based Gap Year

Whether you're seeking Christian gap year programs or want to take a more meaningful direction with your life, a YWAM Discipleship Training School is the first step toward a lasting future in global missions in which you'll positively impact the everyday lives of those around you.

At YWAM San Diego/Baja, we have a wide variety of gap year programs to fill your year off and turn it into an experience that fosters personal development and spiritual growth all in one cross-cultural experience!

Discipleship Training School (DTS) is our flagship program and acts as the gateway to the rest of our powerful mission training courses and mission trip experiences. However, it's a whirlwind of fun, learning, and uninhibited time with God packed into five incredible months - not technically a full gap year. That's why we have a range of secondary courses designed to extend your time growing with the Holy Spirit and expand on your learning in a close community of like-minded believers.

Karl is a former DTS student who recently completed one of our secondary courses, the Chronological School of Biblical Studies.

Check out his story and how his journey with YWAM San Diego/Baja is transforming his life below. And when you're ready, apply to do a DTS and experience the power of discipleship training for yourself.

Following Jesus Christ to Unexpected Spiritual Growth

Throughout the process of my Discipleship Training School with YWAM, God gave me hope for a life with purpose.  During that time the Lord had been clear in calling me to go deeper and build a foundation of faith in Him and, for me, that meant doing a Chronological School of Biblical Studies (CSBS).

After the first day of introduction to the Inductive Method, the technique we would be using to study the Scriptures, the fear of failing overcame me.

Would I ever be able to understand this? Was I smart enough? I was convinced that God had been mistaken in calling me to do this school because there would be no way that I could shoulder that amount of work for nine months straight.

The Unwavering Support of God and a True Christian Community

I was just about to purchase a flight home when Mark, my school leader, came to talk and pray with me. 

I had been running away from seemingly insurmountable challenges all my life, and this instinct to leave was no different. I tend to focus on what I can do, not what is possible with God. After some debate, I decided to stay and give it a shot.

Gaining a Deeper Understanding of God's Purpose for Our Lives

 “Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 18:26

I can truly say that I didn't finish this school on my own strength and capability. God was faithful to sustain me and fill me up over and over again.

During the school, He spoke to me “that I would find a calling in life that sustains the yearning in my heart for purpose if I stuck with the school.” Now I am about to step into the next season with a three-month program for graduates of CSBS who wish to become teachers and be sent to different cultures and destinations greatly in need of Bible teaching.

This is another new beginning in which I will start to teach God's word and educate others about what has given me life. 

CSBS showed me how much I need and want to depend on the Lord for all the trials ahead in life. He never broke his promise to take care of me and lead me faithfully, and He never will. I have only scratched the surface of the Living Word and I can’t wait to continue studying and applying it to my life daily and teaching others to do so as well. 

The Bible is not some ancient book full of outdated stories, it has the power to be applied in every situation we find ourselves in today.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4: 12 

A Faith-Based Gap Year with YWAM San Diego/Baja

At YWAM San Diego/Baja, we've created a unique gap-year curriculum for high school graduates seeking a transformative experience rooted in faith.

At our two campuses just south of the U.S./Mexico border, and only minutes from some of the country's most beautiful beaches, our Christian gap year programs offer an unmatched blend of adventure, service, and spiritual growth. Start with DTS for your first 5 months, and then come back to campus after outreach to explore a variety of secondary courses tailored to your interests and future mission goals.

Discover the beauty of serving others while immersing yourself in diverse cultures. Do a YWAM gap year today!

The Discipleship Training School Christian Gap Year Program

DTS is a 5-month program designed to equip you with practical skills and deepen your relationship with God.

An ideal opportunity for recent high school graduates seeking a faith-based gap year, the missions training experience is open to diverse age groups and backgrounds. It's for anyone ready to answer God's call and start their life in missions.

DTS is divided into two transformative phases: the campus phase and the outreach phase.

In the campus phase, immerse yourself in intensive teachings, dynamic worship, and personal reflection as you deepen your faith and understanding of God's word. You'll live in dormitory-style housing on one of our two beautiful international campuses and engage in practical training sessions that equip you with essential skills for ministry and outreach.

Then, embark on the international gap year of a lifetime during the outreach phase. A cross-cultural experience like no other, DTS students venture into diverse communities to spread the love of Jesus Christ through service and evangelism. Prepare to be challenged, inspired, and transformed as you step out of your comfort zone and into a life-changing adventure with YWAM San Diego/Baja's DTS.

What is the Chronological School of Biblical Studies?

YWAM's Chronological School of Biblical Studies is a nine-month journey into God's word. A profound exploration of the Bible and its place in our lives, this secondary course is designed for ministry leaders and young adults seeking to deepen their faith and expand their mission capabilities through a better understanding of Scripture.

Through the immersive study of all 66 books using the Inductive Method, participants uncover the heart of God and gain insights into His divine plan. Delve into the historical context of each passage to grasp its original meaning and significance.

During thought-provoking lectures and hands-on instruction, students develop essential skills in the observation, interpretation, and application of Biblical truths. This intensive program, conducted in both English and Spanish, equips individuals to share God's word effectively across cultures.

Join us at our scenic San Antonio Del Mar campus in Baja California, Mexico, and let the transformative power of God's word reshape your life and ministry.

Why Should I Do a Christian Gap Year Program?

A Christian gap year program with YWAM San Diego/Baja offers a multitude of benefits. Above all, it's about transforming yourself and setting a strong foundation for the rest of your life.

Undertaking a Christian gap year can provide a dedicated period for personal growth and spiritual development that you might not be able to foster otherwise. It's an opportunity to step away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life into a Christ-centered community to gain clarity and direction from God for your future.

In a more tangible sense, our programs are full of practical training and hands-on experience in various aspects of ministry and service. Whether through missions, discipleship training, mission trips, or studying the Bible, you'll acquire valuable skills and insights that will not only enrich your own life but also empower you to positively impact others.

Additionally, a gap year allows for cultural immersion and cross-cultural experiences. It's a chance to broaden your perspective and develop a global mindset all in one.

A Christian gap year program is an investment in your spiritual, personal, and professional growth. With YWAM courses, you'll be equipped with the tools you need to confidently start your life in missions.

Do a YWAM Gap Year Starting with DTS Today!

Unleash your potential and make a lasting impact with YWAM San Diego/Baja. Whether you want practical training for a life in international missions or simply want to do better with community service projects and everyday discipleship in your hometown or college community, DTS is for you!

Serve alongside seasoned ministers and fellow newbies alike and discover how to disciple in the world around you every day. Once you complete DTS, the possibilities for additional training are endless. So, what are you waiting for? Apply to DTS today!

The author Karl, completed the Chronological School of Biblical Studies here at YWAM San Diego/ Baja.

In the Waiting

Does a delayed response or fulfillment of a promise from the Lord signify a closed door? The well meaning and often used expression rings loudly “If God closes a door, he will open a window.” This can be true, but not all the time. God truly does know best, and sometimes His best for us looks different then the door we attempt to go through at first. Other times this is not the case. Often, God will wait until circumstances look impossible to do the impossible and prove His sovereignty. He works for His glory and our good. He doesn’t speak things in advance to mess with us or discourage us. He speaks in advance to build up our faith, to refine our trust and to prove to us that He really is who He says He is and His word does not come back void. He does not delay and He is not impatient, but rather He is so specific when he implements things, not just in the scriptures but also in the lives of all those who believe in him in faith.  Just because things look unlikely or unrealistic, does not mean that God is not going to move. Out of intimacy and knowing God, we can navigate when a door closed means move on or when it means keep knocking.  That is the nature of walking with God. He is the Good Shepherd, gently guiding us even when we fear or don’t understand. He is cultivating our faith and our trust. 

25 years after God promised Abraham descendants as many as the stars, Isaac, the child of promise, was born. It had seemed impossible. Sarah’s womb was dry + barren. There was no hope for an heir, yet God had a miracle in mind. Sarah and Abraham were able to rejoice in the fulfillment of the promise and God working in their lives in miraculous ways. God had done as he promised and in her old age, Sarah nursed her very own son. Abraham’s faith had grown  as he discovered more of who God was in the waiting. At the perfect time, as Abraham’s character had developed and he had come to have fear of the Lord, the promise was fulfilled. Years later, when the testing came and God asked for Abraham to sacrifice his only heir, the fulfillment of his promise and the source of great joy and redemption, he did not hesitate to sacrifice. He trusted in His God, because He had gotten to know him in the mean time.

The question is not so much about when the fulfillment of things will come but what are God’s purposes in the waiting. God’s timing is different than ours and His ways are above our ways. He is not casual or unconcerned with timing, rather He moves in intentionality and sovereignty over His people. We may not always understand but we have the beautiful opportunity to have a response of faith in the waiting. 

What are the things God is asking you to believe for? What will you do in the waiting? 

“So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11 

Words + Photos by TIFFANY LAMBERT.

TIFFANY IS FULL TIME WITH YWAM SAN DIEGO/BAJA AND LEADS THE PHOTO-STORYTELLING DTS. 

Just Say Yes: 3 Reasons to Say Yes to a YWAM DTS

JUST SAY YES

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  I absolutely love leading a Discipleship Training School with YWAM. The more I work with this program, the more I fall in love with it because I see the way the students and staff are impacted and transformed each and every time.  As I talk with students who are interested in applying and doing the school I have noticed a common theme- so many are deeply stirred by the idea of signing up for this adventure, but the voice they hear the loudest is the one telling them all the reasons why they should say no. 

Fear, Finances, Future plans and everything in between causes them to take a step back before ever taking the leap of faith.

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1. Fear Turns to Faith. 

It can be so scary to give up all the comforts and convenience of home, to move to a new city or even a new country. Thinking about doing DTS often brings up all the feels, fears and anxieties within us. Is it worth it? What will happen? How will things be?  While fear is real, stepping out of our norm, however, gives us a chance to encounter God in a new way. God uses the process of us stepping out in Faith to show us more of who He is. 

Fear may be a reality that we face, but it was never meant to be in the driver seat.

Too often we allow it to hinder us from walking towards our calling and our destiny, but once we strip away our comforts and finally face our fears, we get down to the core of really trusting God. This is exactly what God was doing with the Israelites in the wilderness. After bringing them up out of Egypt, He wasn’t keeping them wandering to mess with them or to cause them to suffer.  He was stripping away their fear and slavery mentality. One step at a time, God is introducing himself as a good Father and replacing fear with faith and the identity of slavery with the identity of a chosen son or daughter. In the process of going to DTS, God reshapes our fears into faith and draws us into deeper relationship as we take his hand and take the leap. 

“With unfailing love you will lead this people whom you have ransomed. You will guide them in your strength to the place where your holiness dwells. ”

— Exodus 15:13

2. Financial Worry Turns to Intimate Dependence. 

Tuition costs, flights, supplies- it all adds up and I totally get it. The thoughts flood in- Where will all that money come from? I can’t afford this. I don’t want to look lazy and ask people for money. What will people think of me? It’s dangerously easy to find ourselves looking full force towards the need rather than at the One who meets any and every need we could ever have.

We are created to walk not in independence but in intimate dependence on God.

Thinking about foregoing a job and stable income to do DTS seems counterintuitive and even foolish to the wisdom of the world. In the wilderness, God was intentionally stripping away the Israelite’s ability to control and crafting trust within them. Each day they were to gather only as much manna as their household needed-nothing more, nothing less. They had to learn to trust that their only source of provision was God. The middle of the desert is a great place to learn this because they didn’t have anything else to fall back on or put their trust in. Where do you you look to as a source of provision? There’s a temptation to look towards other things beside God as our source of provision, like a job or a specific person or donor, but ultimately God is our source. Not only when doing fundraising, but in the area of all financial provision- our hopes should always be in our God. It is He who provides. When fundraising He brings us into connection with people to partner with what He wants to do. It is up to Him to touch people’s hearts. The pressure is off, all we need to do is lean in and trust. He really is faithful. 

“In the evening you will have meat to eat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”

— Exodus 16:12

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3. An Unknown Future Turns to Fulfilling Adventure.

Is stressing about career and working towards success keeping you from doing a DTS? I promise you, you are not wasting your time or being frivolous by doing a DTS, even if you feel pressure to be investing in your future and your career now. DTS is the greatest investment you can make because you are not only investing in yourself, you are investing in your relationship with God and the future impact you’ll have on others. 

By overcoming fear and doubt and doing a DTS, you unlock a fulfilling adventure of discovering more about who God is, what His purposes are for you and how you can partner with God to bring heaven on earth.

The DTS is an amazing foundation for the future and a beautiful season of pressing into intimacy with God like never before. Transitioning the Israelites from slavery to the wilderness was not just about the destination of the Promised Land. It was about the process. God is deeply intentional to bring us into the process of healing, of heart transformation and of shifting our perspective and worldview into alignment with Him and who He is. God met with them there, revealed himself and brought transformation to His people. DTS is all about transitioning us towards the Promised Land of walking in our true identity, authority and calling here on earth.  Taking this risk is absolutely worth it. It is trusting the unknown future to a known God and it's the most thrilling adventure. 

“And He has brought us to this place and given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. ”

— Deuteronomy 26:9

Join us for a DTS!  YWAM San Diego/ Baja offers a variety of Discipleship Training Schools with focuses so you can grow in your passions while going deeper with God.

 

The author, Tiffany Lambert, is full time with YWAM San Diego/Baja and leads the Photo-Storytelling DTS.