Home Sponsors
Thank you for considering being a Home Sponsor for DLA. The following are answers to some frequently asked questions. If you have additional questions, please feel free to call Tyrel Koenes at 719-268-8282 or email him at tkoenes@newlifechurch.org.
When does the program begin and end?
The students will arrive on or around September 2, 2011 and will be here through July 22, 2012. There is an orientation for all parents, home sponsors, and students with a variety of informational sessions on September 2nd. Students may move into their home sponsors homes on September 1st. Family members and home sponsors are welcome at all events. This is a great time to get a better understanding of the program and to get to know your student and their family if you are able to attend.
What accommodations would you need to provide?
You would need to have a separate bedroom for the student(s). If you would like to house two students, they may share a room with twin beds or bunk beds. It is fine to share a bathroom with other family members.
The student would also need to have access to a washer, dryer, and kitchen. They will also need a place to park their car.
What are the meal requirements?
The students are kept very busy so are not home for meals on a regular basis. However, they do need to eat, so you will need to have things on hand that they can fix to either take with them or eat when they get home - microwave items, sandwich fixings, leftovers, etc. They will often take food to pack a lunch. Most students cannot afford to eat out too often so the bulk of their meals will come from the home sponsor. When possible, they will let you know if they will be home for dinner.
Do the students provide their own transportation?
Students who are U.S. citizens are required to have their own car. Due to high insurance and the difficulty of obtaining a car, foreign students are not required to have a car. We will house a foreign student with a U.S. student and they will help that person with gas costs.
What is the DLA schedule?
The day generally starts at 9:00 a.m. with a one and a half hour God time. During the day there is God time, college classes, and a variety of other activities within ministry tribes. Students will also be attending some of our evening prayer meetings for the Furnace. It is not unusual for the students to be at the church until 10:00pm or sometimes even later depending on the prayer meeting. Click here for the Weekly Schedule or click here for the Yearly Schedule.
Monday is their day off. This is usually the best day for them to run errands and do laundry.
What does missions look like?
There will be several different missions experiences for the students. We want to change the paradigm of what missions is and want it to mean more than just taking a trip overseas. We want our students to be missionally minded wherever they go. However, DLA students will be involved in working with Dream Centers, doing inner city missions, Desperation Blitz week, Tours, as well as an overseas mission trip.
Other things you might want to know –
Students are not allowed to smoke, drink, or do drugs.
Also – no rated R movies or secular music.
NO DATING the first year of the program.
Curfew is 11 pm on Mon-Thurs and 1pm on Fri-Sat.
Application
Home Sponsors are an integral part of the success of DLA. We want you to know how grateful we are that you have responded to the Lord’s leading, and in obedience and willingness, desire to house and minister to a DLA student. By sponsoring a student you are choosing a ministerial role in which you are serving the church and doing ministry alongside us. We as the Desperation staff and New Life Church would like to thank you for your desire to participate in what God is doing through Desperation Ministries. Our desire is that a whole generation would rise up in desperate pursuit of God and that the Lord would truly receive the reward of His suffering.
Our application process focuses on understanding your family and is designed to select those applicants who will thrive with a student in their home. Our director will work closely with each applicant throughout the application and student placement process. We carefully and prayerfully consider each Home Sponsor applicant while making our decision.
Please click on the following link to apply through New Life Church's Dream Team Volunteer Ministries. You will be prompted in the application to select which department you would like to volunteer for. Click "DLA Connect- Home Sponsors and Mentors". We will contact you as soon as you complete your application.
If you have any questions about the application process or the Academy, please contact our director, Tyrel Koenes, directly at 719-268-8282 or e-mail him at tkoenes@newlifechurch.org.