School of Staff and Ministry Development

The School of Staff and Ministry Development is a transformative 2-year staff journey designed to help those considering full-time missions explore their giftings and develop their ministry.

This is an internship-style program where participants can learn “on the job” with guidance and mentorship. Each participant joins the YWAM Seamill community as full-time staff and serves in a ministry of their choice during their time here.

Who is this school for?

The SSMD is an opportunity to join YWAM Seamill as a full-time staff member while receiving discipleship and guidance.
Anyone who has finished their DTS and wants to explore their calling to be a missionary further.
Anyone who feels called to be a missionary in Scotland but would like the opportunity to explore various roles and ministries.

School Info

Dates:

TBD

Location:

The Seamill Centre, West Kilbride

Budget:

At least £500 per month

(see FAQ for more info)

Apply Today!

Schedule

SSMD team members are simultaneously 100% staff and 100% student. You will join the base as a full-time staff member, where we run a typical Mon-Fri, 9-5 schedule,

What is an internship?

An internship is entering into a job with deliberate mentoring. Where one is being introduced to a new field – in our case, missions. There are different parts to it that help give a well rounded experience like first-hand experience, development of crucial skills. So to say, an Internship launches people into a new field with experience, skills and know-how.

Are there any prerequisites I need to have before I can be accepted?

Yes, you will need to complete a DTS with YWAM to join. For this program to be most beneficial, participants will need to have a genuine love of Jesus and this world, to be hungry to learn, grow, and change and to be willing to constantly live sacrificially, serve everyone and step over any kind of unbelief, self-pity or negativity.

We invite you to staff here with us, not just attend a program, which means, we invite you to work alongside us, furthering the kingdom of God, going the lowly road of following Jesus and living for the sake of a needy and broken world.

What has God been speaking to us about the SSMD?

He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Luke 10:2

… take roots downward and bear fruit upward. Isaiah 37:31b

God has been speaking to us from the beginning about the balance of both going deep in our relationship with God, that our walk with God would be genuine, solid, tested, and a witness for God, and also of going out, bearing fruit, reaching this generation in practical, lasting ways. There are times for focusing on roots/sowing and other times for focusing on fruits/harvest – both are important, valid and given from God. May we learn from God His ways in every season and run the race that is before us with zeal, endurance, wisdom and great love.

What will I learn during lectures?

The bottom line of this course is to support and raise this generation of disciples of Jesus and missionaries in the word of God and therefore centred in the person Jesus and how He lived and taught. The lectures aim at both our lives and the way we minister and serve as disciples of Jesus. This also includes, learning and growing in how to give away and share the revelations and understandings, one lives in.

Over the 2 years, the following topics will be covered:

God’s purposes with mankind
Living and Serving wholeheartedly in Missions
Bible
Discipleship
Leadership
Team work and unity
Faith and Prayer
Missions
Holistic Living
Biblical Worldview and Evangelism
Developing Ministry Skills
Vision and Values of YWAM

So will I be a student or staff member?

Short answer? Both! You will apply as staff and, if accepted, be fully integrated into our YWAM community as a part of the team. As every other staff on base, you will have responsibilities within the community, while most of the time you will spend with your particular ministry (more on that below). Additionally, you will have designated SSMD times that include inputs, assignments and mentoring.

What ministries can I join?

As one of our key scriptures says, “the harvest is plentiful,” so also the opportunities to serve at YWAM Seamill are plentiful. To start your time as a new staff, you would join a currently existing ministry and serve there while being deepened in your calling. These can include being a DTS staff, doing worship and prayer, serving the base practically like in the kitchen, gardening, or maintenance, or doing different kinds of local outreaches. Please feel free to ask us about other current existing ministries and how you can join and serve there.

If you have specific interest in a particular ministry, please do not hesitate to write to us, to discuss further possibilities. If you have a desire to start a new ministry while doing the SSMD, you can bring this desire very much and we would love to support, pray with you and release you into those ministries as the Lord leads.

Our general recommendation is to staff DTSs during the SSMD. Staffing a DTS is unlike any other experience, but will grow you like few other leadership opportunities! It is full of privileges, like seeing breakthroughs in trainees, seeing people encounter Jesus, growing deeper in DTS lecture topics, forging deep friendships with people from all over the world. It also has challenges, like navigating team conflict, planning outreaches, confronting apathy, fear or unbelief. Yet, no matter what stage of life you are in, or if you know where you see yourself in, staffing DTS will grow you like few other experiences! Name it and you will learn it during staffing a DTS. Yes, we love DTS! 🙂

Is the course accredited with the University of the Nations?

Yes! This course is registered with the UofN as a School of Ministry Development and offers 24 credits: 12 credits for the full lecture phase and 12 credits for an integrated outreach.
The lecture phase is spread out over the 2 years as learning is integrated with serving in a ministry. The outreach phase is full-time. The specifics of the outreach will come during the course of the school after further prayer – but as you will be a full part of our community, this will be an outreach that is designed around what we feel the Lord is saying to our community (leading a DTS outreach counts as the outreach for the SSMD).
During the 2 years there will be different kinds of assignments, like books and team projects, to evaluate personal growth and participation in the school. These assignments, together with each person’s character development and ministry involvement, will make up the final grade at the end of the 2 year program.

What are the costs?

As mentioned above, you will be a full-time YWAM staff member at Seamill, which means there is no fixed amount. You will need to budget rent, food, school fees, private expenses, travel expenses and outreach expenses (this is at least £500 per month).

Every YWAM staff is fully funded by support that they have to raise on their own initiative. We are very happy to guide and help you in the fundraising process! We know fundraising is scary, but it should not be a hindrance to you joining staff. God has provided for thousands of YWAMers all around the world, for hundreds of outreaches, for years of support for so many of us who have stayed here for a long time. There’s no shortage of testimonies!

Meet Samuel Scharf

Course Leader | Base leader

Samuel Scharf did his DTS in 2016 at YWAM Seamill, Scotland. He joined staff full-time in 2017 and was prayed into base leadership in 2024.

He has served in various roles, from kitchen manager to DTS leader, but his primary ministry focus is discipling others through the SSMD program.

Sam also enjoys music, sports, travel and good food. The main emphasis in his heart is the purity of the church: “To those who have no mixture, God will give the Spirit without measure.”

Get in touch

To apply or find out more, send us a message here!