Frequently Asked Questions - NEXT

John 17:3 says”Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

In working alongside our mission partners and project partners, you will not only have opportunities for using your skills and experience, but we also hope that that there will be openings for you to share your faith and make Christ known to those amongst whom you are working.

Crosslinks is passionate about serving people’s practical needs combined with telling them the good news about Jesus Christ so that they might come to know and follow Him in their lives.

The NEXT programme seeks volunteers who are:

• Aged 30 and above (see our SMILE programme for those under 30 years)
• Mature Christians who are members of a local church and have a passion for the Gospel
• Resident in the UK or Republic of Ireland
• Ready to give their professional skills, gifts and time in God’s service – usually for a minimum of 3 weeks or more
• Flexible and open to experiencing new cultures and ways of life
• Willing and able to be financially self-supporting

Many of our opportunities are based in various parts of Africa, some are in Europe and a few are in Asia.  Please look at our Opportunities page for specific examples.

The personalised nature of the NEXT programme means that we work closely with volunteers to find them a placement that will fit their particular profession / skill and interest. A number of our volunteers have teaching skills , however, NEXT is able to accommodate a wide range of different skills.

The nature of the placements we have range from working with disabled or vulnerable children to teaching adults English, business skills or the Bible; from administration, social or medical work to involvement in construction, maintenance or IT. 

Please look at our Opportunities pages for more details. Link to pages - Opportunities.

If you would like to know any more about any of our opportunities, or you feel that God is leading you to serve in some other capacity overseas, then please contact the NEXT co-ordinator (link to contact page).

Placements are entirely self-funded. A volunteer will therefore need to cover all their costs, which will typically include; their return airfare, in-country travel, accommodation and living expenses, vaccinations, visas, travel insurance and a Crosslinks placement fee.

The costs vary according to the country and the duration of the relevant placement. Crosslinks will work with you to establish an appropriate budget but as a rough guide it will cost between £400 and £600 a month for accommodation and living expenses, and between £550 and £750 for your return air fare. In addition to this there will be other expenses such as your insurance, visa and immunizations to consider.

• A personnel interview to help in identifying the right type of placement for the volunteer
• Use our links overseas to set up the relevant placement with a mission or project partner ‘host’
• Take up the required references and facilitate the necessary health and CRB clearances
• Provide health advice and comprehensive medical insurance for the duration of the placement
• Advise on the budget, practicalities, equipment and any special requirements for the placement
• Access to the Crosslinks website for posting news and updates whilst on placement
• Organise a placement orientation
• Pastoral and prayerful support for the volunteer whilst overseas
• Placement oversight by mission / project partner ‘host’
• Debriefing on return to enable the volunteer to reflect upon their placement experience

There are no fixed times for placements, we place volunteers all year round according to the window of time they have available. We are, however, dependent on the term times of the relevant academy for college / school based placements.

It takes approximately 3 months to complete the initial placement process due to the personalised nature of the NEXT programme, and the necessary checks and clearances that need to be carried out.  Subsequent placements have a shorter preparation time.

If you feel that the Lord is guiding you towards a short-term mission, first talk this through with your pastor or another of your church leaders. Ask for their thoughts and for their prayers so that they can advise and support you in reaching a decision whether or not to move forward. We will need a pastor’s reference from you so it is important that your church are involved and are in support of your application.  Church families are also a valuable source of prayer support and are sometimes in a position to help volunteers in financial and practical ways too – it is exciting for your church to partner with you in your short term experience!

Either email, phone or write to the NEXT Coordinator – link to contact page.

You will be contacted by the NEXT Co-ordinator to discuss your thoughts about a placement. Whatever your skill, availability and interest, we’ll do our best to prayerfully find an opportunity that is right for you through the networks we have.  Once we identify a potential opening for you we will send you an application pack. On receipt of your formal application we will take up your references and arrange a mutually convenient date for you to come into the office for an interview. A NEXT placement offer can be made once your references and the necessary health and CRB clearances have been received.

We acknowledge that part of the joy and the challenge of short-term mission is the experience of different cultures and people. Christians in other countries may often hold different views to our own concerning what constitutes godly and acceptable behaviour.  It’s therefore important to observe the culture and to respond to those around us with sensitivity, respect and love.

A NEXT placement will immerse you in cross-cultural life, working as an ambassador of Christ alongside an established mission or project partner. We will help prepare you before you go by giving you an orientation briefing and your placement host will be able to give you guidance on the local culture and customs once you are there.

There are many resources available to help you prepare for going overseas e.g. reading books, talking to people who have lived / worked overseas (see news from NEXT volunteers), researching the internet and even doing short courses.

We will help prepare you before you go by giving you an orientation briefing. Depending on the length of your placement and the time you have available, however, you may feel that you would benefit from some in depth cross-cultural training. All Nations Christian College specialises in mission training and have an option to do a 10-week term or on-line course in inter-cultural training. www.allnations.ac.uk

Several of our placements involve teaching in some capacity including teaching English in schools or theological colleges.  If you are considering Teaching English overseas there are a number of organisations offering training. The International Training Network specialises in the area of equipping Christians to teach English. They offer a 5-week intensive TEFL/TESOL and online training courses - www.itnuk.com Discounted rates are available for online course if applications are made through Crosslinks.

NEXT placements can be anything from 2 weeks to 2 years, however, the minimum requirement for placements does vary according to the nature of the project.