YWAM Nashville Trains Missionaries of Tomorrow

By Katherine T. Phan

Whether a person is looking toward a future in long-term missions or just a new Christian seeking to grow in personal discipline with God, he can find a course or program to fit his stage in faith at Youth With A Mission in Nashville, Tenn.

“We are committed to mobilizing anyone at anytime to help us complete the Great Commission,” Robert Itzin, who works in the Strategic Frontier Department, told The Christian Post. “That is the bottom line.”

Although some of the YWAM programs take place in Nashville, most of the offered courses take place in Adams of Robertson County, located 45 miles from Nashville.

YWAM Nashville offers several training schools including a foundation course called Disciple Training School. Secondary schools are: School of Ministry Development, School of Worship, School of Strategic Missions, and School of Biblical Studies Core Course. All courses are accredited by YWAM’s University of the Nations.

Students interested in developing in their faith or becoming a full-time YWAM staff member begin with DTS, which teaches the character and ways of God and how to establish personal discipline and devotion with God, said Itzin.

The first part of the five-month course consists of an on-site training schedule, which includes three-hour lecture sessions, work duties, scheduled intercessory prayer meetings, and small group meetings twice a week. Students live on campus while attending DTS.

Currently, a group of 50 students are involved in the program.

After three months, DTS students engage in the two-month outreach portion of the course in which they go on a foreign missions trip, Itzin explained. Afterwards, students wishing to go into long-term missions would then attend a secondary school.

In addition to schools, Itzin said the organization also give Christian youths a chance for a hands-on experience of the mission field.

“For the first taste of mission, we provide a short-term mission trips,” he said. “We hope that out of that pool that many chose to do long-term mission with YWAM.”

Itzin knows personally the impact of YWAM missions. He became Christian at the age of 25 after meeting members from YWAM in Guatemala. Now, 41, he works full-time for the organization. “Young people don’t know the power they have,” he said.

“We believe God is calling young people to preach the Gospel to the world.”

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