COMMUNITY LIVING STANDARDS
YWAM Denmark is for Christians who are committed to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-19). Your time here will be enjoyable, rewarding and challenging. We are committed to helping you grow as a disciple of Jesus and we look forward to you being here.
Being a disciple of Jesus includes taking responsibility for your life and conduct, which includes living a Godly lifestyle worthy of example. As we read the Bible, there are guidelines for those conducts that are “absolute,” such as the Ten Commandments. However, there are areas that are not so clearly defined, and this is where we run into “cultural sins” as Paul describes in Romans 14. These are situations relative to the way we have individually been taught, which may or may not be considered as a sin to others. We know that only God can judge the heart, but depending on the ways in which we were raised and what our parents, pastors and other authority figures taught us, these issues can often be quite sensitive. Below are some of our standards for community living as we interpret the Scriptures.
Alcohol, Drugs and Tobacco
Approximately 90 percent of the evangelical community of the world (Africa, Asia and the Americas) considers alcoholic drinks and tobacco products totally off limits. Often in these contexts, alcohol and tobacco use is viewed as a sign that someone either does not know God or is turning away from Him. God has blessed YWAM Denmark with a variety of people coming from many cultures, denominations and backgrounds, so it is important that as a family we understand and honor one another in our conversation and actions.
While you are here in Denmark and on outreach, we ask that you take the most conservative view in order not to offend the largest percent of international believers. Whatever your personal conviction may be, we ask that you refrain from drinking alcohol and using tobacco products during your school. This is not meant to be legalistic, but to live by the law of love and respect the beliefs and values of others. Therefore, if you do have a dependency on alcohol or tobacco products we would ask that you eliminate these habits before coming to YWAM Denmark. The use of these products during your school can be grounds for dismissal. Illegal drug use is strictly prohibited and is grounds for immediate dismissal. If you have any dependency on these we ask that you seek professional help and apply for this school at a later time.
Exclusive Relationships
This will be a very special time for you where you can focus on God and build excellent friendships with both sexes that will last not only for 3 or 6 months, but for a lifetime. We all come from various backgrounds and cultures and have different needs and ideas of relationships. To remain focused through the duration of the school we ask that no “boyfriend/girlfriend” relationships be developed. We find that this provides a healthy environment where students are able to relax and enjoy developing Godly friendships without all the confusion of a dating relationship. Time spent on the school is like no other as it is a great investment that will continue to influence you for the rest of your life. Because of this, there is no room for relationship difficulties to become a distraction.
If you are able to refrain from the use of tobacco, alcohol and exclusive relationships for the duration of your school please sign the Community Living Standards. If you have any questions or if you have trouble understanding anything in this document, please feel free to contact us at dts@ywam.dk.
Code of Conduct
All students enrolling in the UofN are expected to be committed Christians who aim to glorify God in their lives. As a result, faculty and staff have high expectations for each student. The UofN modular education system demands concentrated study and continuous diligence because the academic content of each course or school is equivalent to several traditional university courses.
The development of Christian character is an integral part of our training and a central ongoing goal of the UofN. Consequently, we expect that the conduct of UofN students will be in keeping with biblical standards. Any compromise of academic integrity, including cheating and plagiarism, any verified violation of biblical standards or of local community-living guidelines at the location where the course takes place and any violation of the law of the land, including visa and immigration procedures, may be considered grounds for disciplinary action or dismissal.