What is Discipleship Bible School?

One of the first things we learn in the DTS is the YWAM motto upon which the mission is founded: “To know God and to make Him known.” Yet one cannot possibly claim to know God if he/she does not even know His Word. So in the DBS we make the Bible the student’s companion for life! And it will be with Spirit and Truth! The student will discover the unified story of the Bible, be discipled by the Bible and will fall in love with the Author of the Bible.

In this 12-week introduction to the Bible, the student will be given an overview of “God’s story” and will discover the purposes of God in it. The student will read the entire Bible, observe the chronology of biblical events, better understand each book in its historical context, understand the harmony between the books, be able to recognize the different genres of literature, and major themes found in these 66 books. The student will learn the foundational truths of Christianity by going directly to the source.

    Topics in DBS generally follow through the books that you are chronologically studying. Although each book is studied to discover its original intent, you will also be taught on topics. For example – you will look at Worldview and Origins as you study through Genesis, Exodus, and Job. Or you might look at Leadership and Worship as you study the life of David in 1 & 2 Samuel, Chronicles, and the Psalms. Or during the study of Acts and Paul’s missionary journeys you might study Cross-cultural Missions and the Cost of the Call. Each book is filled with insights to be discovered!

As a result you will be able to share your faith more confidently with those who are seeking (evangelism) and explain the Word of God more accurately to those who’ve already come to faith (discipleship). The course is like a sequel to the DTS. Students continue the discipleship process begun in the DTS by addressing a variety of topics illuminated in the Scriptures, by building godly character and developing a lifelong hunger and love for the Word. This will not only be accomplished in the classroom, but also outside the classroom, through one-on-ones, small groups, plus evangelism and mercy ministry in the community.

  Some of the school’s outcomes will be:
(1) Students have read, together in their small groups, the whole Bible chronologically and discussed many topics throughout
(2) Students have learned how to lead a small bible study group using the inductive approach
(3) Students have traced through the Scriptures and made a creative timeline of God’s Story from Genesis to Revelation with (a) main biblical events; (b) revelations about God’s character & nature; (c) God’s Redemptive Plan.
(4) Students at the end of the school have presented to an audience of their choosing a 30-minute presentation the story of the Bible, ‘God’s Story’ using the above mentioned timeline with some of its information on the biblical events, God’s character & nature and redemptive plan.

Schedules vary between locations but a typical daily schedule could be something like this:

8 – 9 AM: Worship, intercession, a devotional, etc.
9 AM – Noon: Lecture with your special guest speaker for that week, teaching on the books of the Bible that you are currently reading and studying.
1 – 3 PM: After lunch you meet in your small groups. This is the exciting part where you will take turns and read aloud in your own small group over the course of the 12 weeks Genesis to Revelation! At the appropriate time after a section is read there is time for discussions and answering questions. Twice a week a selected passage is studied inductively as well. The discovery of new truths leads to transformation in the life of the students!
3 – 5 PM: Work duty
7 – 9 PM: After dinner you work on your homework assignment that includes study of historical background, working on your creative timeline that includes (a) biblical events, (b) revelation on God’s character and Nature as well as (c) God’s redemptive plan. All this homework contributes to your “end product” and that is when you need to teach for 30 minutes God’s Story from Genesis to Revelation at the end of your school using your Timeline as a visual aid.