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CY in partnership with the European Evangelical Alliance offer a network of youth ministry training across Europe with regular UK based conferences. In 2007 this includes workers based in Austria, Ireland, Poland and Great Britain with further workers due to be placed in Germany and Finland later in the year. Those with EU passports will have their flights, insurance, board and lodging and training all covered, and be given a weekly allowance.
Our partners and their opportunities include:
PROeM is an amazingly visionary Polish youth ministry, with a large international team including up to four young British leaders ICY send for up to 12 month fully funded placements. PROeM is headquartered in Warsaw (in central Poland) which is also the location of a Christian Counseling ministry. The main office of operation however is located at the Christian Youth Center in Zakosciele - a beautiful camping ground set on the bend in a river with its own hotel, suspension bridge and beach! Proem hosts conferences and camps throughout the year from the site, and the ICY volunteers live in the en-suite hotel rooms.
A church plant initiative in the nearby city of Tomaszow, called "Tomaszow Project", is located at the TOMY center, providing activities for reaching the community and gathering for Sunday worship. However this year the church took the brave step of buying up a redundant cinema with a view to converting it into their main church building.
PROeM reaches out to young people through sports, language training, and training in the arts. Apart from summer and winter camps, PROeM organizes basketball tournaments, Bible correspondence courses, Christian conferences, various community outreaches, and training workshops. PROeM prepares media and musical presentations dealing with current topics of discussion for public schools, churches and educational settings.
ICY has continuous opportunities for Brits to join the PROeM team for up to a year fully funded. With recording studios and media suites, sports pitches, computers galore and brightly coloured sofas designed for all day long coffee drinking, whatever your gifiting or calling, you should consider PROem. Read on for how this placement fits into the ICY European program.
Led by Captain Frank Heinrick, the Chemnitz Salvation Army Centre is a vibrant community of hope in a city struggling to find its way in a new Europe. Each week it attracts hundreds of young people, children and adults for a wide range of activities from beach volleyball to cookie making. On a Sunday the sofas are set up and church for about 120 begins! But it isn’t church as you know it! A unique partnership between the Salvation Army and the Jesus Freaks makes sure of that. Intrigued, you should be! This is one of the most innovative evangelistic works going on in Germany! Frank Heinrick though has more dreams. He is presently planting a new church on an estate built by the old Communist government. He also has a vision for wider church unity and partnership and Chemnitz has one of e most flourishing local Evangelical Alliances in Germany!
We’re always looking for volunteers to join Frank. You can stay at the Salvation Army Centre and join in everything that’s going on. Read on for how this placement fits into the ICY European program.
New for 2007 are opportunities to join a vibrant church in the capital of Finland. Our first team member heads out this September to engage in youth, schools and community based youth ministry. More details to follow as we track his progress!
Spiritually Europe is a dying continent, but we believe in the power of the gospel to speak life back into dry bones. We are looking for pioneers who are prepared to go out into some of the toughest parts of Europe, as part of a dynamic team, to be the channel through whom this life can be brought. In particular if you are 18-30 years old and hold a UK or Irish passport, we can apply for EU funding under the European Volunteer Scheme who will cover all your costs. We are also interested in training native English speakers from across North America, the UK and Oceania to support themselves by teaching English as a foreign or second language.
KISI is an incredible ministry which reaches children through music and dance. Based in Gmunden, Upper Austria, choirs of children and young people perform all over Austria and beyond. Johanna Binder, one of the KISI leaders studies with ICY on the Bachelors course.
We have frequent requests from churches across Europe to place emerging leaders with them. At present we have possible placements in Austria, Greece and Belgium. These projects won’t probably be on line until 2008, but we would be open to receive expressions of interest in these.
Also in partnership with the EEA ICY staff help deliver an innovative youth leader training programme called
Foundations. Put together by Grahame Knox, this program is offered over a series of weekends or as one residential course,
Foundations aims to train Biblical visionary volunteer leaders and is particularly geared towards those countries where the evangelical church is weaker. For more information contact
Grahame