The essential Careforce

Careforce works with active outward looking churches where local resources are scarce and which are involved in their local communities in loving service and relevant outreach. This means that volunteers are placed with churches in the inner city and in rural areas and other 'deprived' areas.

Careforce also works with residential programmes and other projects where there is a clear Christian testimony within the work being undertaken and where there is a ministry to those particularly vulnerable in society. This includes the homeless, the elderly, those with addiction difficulties, those with learning difficulties and physical disability and those with difficult family situations.

Careforce volunteers are involved with these local churches and Christian projects in urban, suburban or rural communities. They spend most of their time in one or more of the following: children, youth and schools work; evangelistic outreach and discipleship or music/worship groups; serving people who are homeless or who have drug/alcohol related problems; assisting those who have a physical disability or with learning disabilities; supporting families facing difficulty or the elderly.  Any interests and giftings within a volunteer will be put to good use – and new ones will be nurtured.

Careforce volunteers are Christians aged 17-30 who wish to spend a year serving God and those in real need. They include:

Careforce carefully screens all applications from those wishing to be volunteers, taking up references including, wherever possible, one from their home church. After an initial interview, Careforce will commend a potential volunteer to a particular placement, and send on copies of all their papers. The final choice is then made by the placement after inviting the applicant to spend time with them (usually 1 to 2 days).

Each year some volunteers stay for a second year, some on the same placement and some move to another placement to broaden their experience. All Careforce volunteers attend an Induction Course in September and a Refresher Course in February. Careforce maintains links with both supervisor and volunteer throughout the year as we exercise a relevant pastoral and training role with both parties. Careforce staff will visit volunteers twice (usually during the autumn and after Easter) to ensure everything is going well between supervisor and volunteer.

All Careforce volunteers are placed in small area groups with other volunteers close to their own placements. This peer support is very important for each volunteer.

Careforce makes no charge to volunteers for providing this service. Once accepted, all volunteers are asked to raise some financial support to help cover the Careforce central costs - this is entirely voluntary and is not a condition of acceptance.

Careforce are constantly reviewing and assessing our programme and our bench mark standards are set out in Charters for both Volunteers and Placements.

Careforce works very closely with a number of other Christian organisations and groups. In particular we have strong links with UCCF, Friends International and IFES.

Careforce values statement

The heart of Careforce

1. Careforce is committed to serve evangelical churches and projects in the UK. We are clear about our evangelical basis which proclaims the Sovereign, triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit who has spoken infallibly to us through a clear and sufficient word, the Bible, and who has acted to rescue His people through the penal and substitutionary death of Jesus Christ. We are a Bible believing, cross preaching people. It is an evangelical, gospel faith which Careforce seeks to promote in its support for particular placements and to grow in the lives of its volunteers.
2. The ministry of Careforce is incarnational. We place volunteers in ones and twos to be immersed in the life of the local Christian community. We encourage volunteers to be part of the small, the ordinary, the routine and the long term of Christian ministry. One of our implicit aims is to expose young Christians from large, lively churches to the life of the normal local church. Careforce has this vital contribution to offer to its volunteers – they can immerse themselves in, and identify with, communities of all ages and all backgrounds.
3. The ministry of Careforce volunteers is sacrificial. We do not follow an essentially secular model of self fulfilment - this is what you will get. There are great gains for those involved with Careforce - we have much to thank God for in the way He has transformed so many lives. But great gains come not by right but by grace and not through seeking fulfilment for ourselves but through joyful obedience to God and willing sacrifice for others. We believe Careforce has a prophetic task to encourage this counter cultural vision of sacrificial service to Christians in today’s world.
4. The ministry of Careforce is pastoral. We hold our placements and volunteers in very high esteem and seek to provide quality support through the Careforce staff and the conferences, regular visits and other resources. Our determination is to enable our volunteers both to grow in their knowledge and understanding of God and of His plans and purposes for their lives and also to contribute effectively to the ongoing mission of God during their year on their placements.
5. The ministry of Careforce is UK focused. We recognize the tremendous needs and opportunities for effective gospel ministry within the UK and wish to release committed Christians to spend their gap years serving within this part of the world wide mission field. To this end we welcome those commended to us by Christian leaders from around the world - those who wish to join our British volunteers in genuine cross cultural mission within the UK.