Apprentice

This year I come to the end of my certificate course at the IBI. If you had asked me last year what I would do I would have probably said “continue on and get the degree” but to do that I’d have to switch to full-time studies (or else finish when I’m 30) and I couldn’t afford to take the extra time off of work. I need to start getting more experience in ministry so I decided to just graduate with the certificate this year and try to get a job/missionary work. I can continue on with education (I’m a nerd, you don’t really need to twist my arm to get me to study), but I really do need the experience now. I’m not sure where or in exactly what capacity but I do feel called to spend the rest of my life working with the church. Anyway, I’m afraid chipping spuds just doesn’t do it for me.

So I’ve been left with two choices: get a job in some missionary or church organisation, or volunteer as a missionary and rely on donations. Now I’m afraid the job avenue didn’t look too good when I peered down it. I haven’t got enough experience to get a job yet so that leaves me with volunteering to get this much needed experience. Again I ran up against a wall. Working for free is expensive! Somebody eventually has to pay for my upkeep for the year. This is usually paid for by a base of very kind supporters. While I have some very kind, loving and encouraging supporters at my church the number of people in my church is still in single digits. Yes, single digits. In a large church it would be easier to find enough people to pay a small sum of money so that it would all add up to be able to fund my missionary work for a year, but in a church where the congregation has at time been only two people this isn’t possible. It was all getting a bit depressing until my elder and mentor Peter handed me a note before church. The note contained the name and phone number of a contact in charge of PCI Youth and Children’s Ministry’s SWIM programme. SWIM seems perfect. I would go to a church and work full time with them for a year and my accommodation and ministry expenses would be provided by the church as well as £50/€80 a week spending money. At last a way to gain experience.

On Monday I posted off my application form to the Board of Youth and Children’s Ministry, I received confirmation of their receipt.

On Wednesday one of those things happened that simultaneously excites me and makes me very happy and also makes me very worried and unsure of how to progress. A friend of mine mentioned the possibility of me working as the SWIM worker at his church. Out of all the churches in this country if you were to ask me to pick which one I would like to work with it would be this church. I wouldn’t even have to think about it..

So why am I worried and unsure of how to progress? The great thing about the SWIM programme was how my expenses would be provided for by the church, in fact this wasn’t just a “great thing” - a point in SWIM’s favour - it was what made SWIM even possible for me. If I get the position at my friend’s church I would have to raise the funds myself, about €8,000.

I’ll be honest, I have no idea how I’m going to raise that money.

I might not find out whether or not I’ve been assigned to this dream position at my friends church for a few months. So by the time I find out whether or not I’ll have to raise any funds I could have as little as one month to raise them. Remember my base of potential supporters is in the single digits.

So maybe you can understand how I feel. Please pray. Also consider this a roundabout way of saying “dear stranger from the internet, would you like to support me?”.