The main goal of our Gap Year programme is to give you an experience of cross-cultural Christian ministry.
You will work with our local mission partners from mid-January through to mid-June (five months). Each placement will involve serving others, being discipled and practising evangelism.
We run a range of placements in Africa and Asia, detailed below. You will be sent with team leaders or with extensive support from local hosts.
Each year the placement locations and team sizes we run depend on location availability and the number of applicants. When you apply to the programme, you can state a location preference, but you may be asked to join a different placement to the one you have requested.
Please note that you will need to satisfy the following requirements to join a Crosslinks gap year team. You must:
- be a committed Christian.
- be between 18-21 years old when you travel.
- have an enhanced DBS check (can be done through Crosslinks).
If you are over 21, why not come along as a team leader?
The application cycle for January 2026 is now open. Members can apply until 18 May 2025 and leaders can apply until 15 June 2025.
Missed the deadline? Still fill out the enquiry form and we may be able to arrange another short-term placement for you.
Take a look at the video below to give you a snapshot of what the Gap Year Programme is like.
Gap Years in Africa
Number of places: Eight.
About the placement: You will become church interns at various churches in Cape Town. You will stay in Muizenberg, living on campus at George Whitefield College, where you will also have the opportunity to audit classes. You will spend some time helping out iThemba, which is a township primary school.
Number of places: Four
About the placement: Your church will be Hope Church, Auckland Park. You will be working very closely with James and Lucy Buchanan and their current group of local interns. During your time with them, you will be able to audit a course at Johannesburg Bible College and be part of local outreach. Like the other interns, you will serve the church community as well as receiving Bible handling training.
Number of places: Eight
About the placement: You will be based with Gerald and Louise Mwangi as they seek to train youth workers across the country. You will spend a few months in a rural region of Kenya involved in youth & children’s work, and evangelism. You will also spend some time helping out at a local Christian School. You will have the opportunity to serve at local churches.
Gap Years in Asia
Number of places: Eight.
About the placement: You will be working at the Place of Grace with John and Gillian Robinson. You will work as a teaching assistant at the Place of Grace Learning Centre (a small school of ages 5-18), and help to run after school clubs at the Place of Grace. You will attend an international church in the centre of Bangkok.
