Now recruiting! -

Clare Hosking - Weston Church Youth Project, Southampton

I have nothing but praise for the prayerful care and support which Careforce offers its volunteers. I was placed incredibly effectively in a place where I was happy but challenged, and amongst people who took great care to use my individual skills and abilities for the Church, the community and the glory of God. Careforce supports its volunteers every step of the way; from assistance with government forms and administration, to individual staff visits to you in your placement, to inspiring teaching and training on the conferences.   

Like many graduates, I left University still not sure of what I should be doing with my life. Careforce was recommended to me at a critical time, and having been placed in Weston I am now certain that this is the place God wants me to be. Instead of being unemployed, I am using this time for the glory of God and to offer my skills in a place of great economic and social need. I am gaining fantastic experience, new skills, and am testing the different possibilities of God's call on my life. I would recommend this year to any graduates considering church or community work, or to those just uncertain of what they should do.

Caleb Yengo - Elmfield Church, Harrow, North London

After my degree in Environmental Sciences and after working for a year back home in Cameroon, before me lay a series of choices - either to continue with my postgraduate studies or work for bigger Environmental organisations. In my heart, I knew God wanted me to serve him for a while, but I did not know how that would happen. Then came this email asking if I will be interested in Careforce. I read up about it and was excited about the work and I immediately knew that this was where God was leading. My application was received and a placement was found for me at Elmfield Church in North London.

Here at my placement, I am actively involved in the children and youth work. My tasks include leading mid-week youth clubs, running lunch clubs and taking assemblies in local schools, teaching and leading the children’s and youth work, and also in singing in the worship team during service.

I am very grateful to God for all that He is doing in and through my life here at my placement. I must confess there are challenges working in a cross cultural mission, but God has granted me His grace through all this. I now fully understand that true personal fulfilment never comes through self-gratification. Instead, it comes through sacrifice, and as I do that sacrifice I feel more fulfilled in my life.

Rachel Dabbs - St Luke’s Church, Lodge Moor, Sheffield

I had always planned on doing a gap year after university, partly because I had no burning to desire to do another year of education(!) but also because I wanted to do something different. I had always had an inkling that I would end up working for a church for a time and that it would be children and youth centred. So, in my third year I began to research potential gap years and Careforce stood out to me. Strangely enough, I had known about Careforce for sometime before as a couple of people from my church had done it in previous years, but it never occurred to me that I would end up doing it! Now I’m here in Sheffield and I’ve come to realise it is so much more than a gap year. God has made me realise that He has called me here for a specific reason. After three years at university this year has presented its challenges (already!) but working with children and young people is such a privilege and God has been so abundant in blessing me!

Now, I have a real desire to show the love of Christ to children and young people in a relevant and real way and to step into all that God has planned for me to do. I cannot wait to see how this year unfolds!

Beth Fennell - St Michael’s Church Mytholmroyd

I suddenly found myself applying for university at college when everybody else was. I chose a course that I didn't even like (nursing) but thought I would take it as I was so scared of coming out of university without the prospect of a job and I knew that it would be easier with this type of course. I went to interviews and introduction days on this but then really felt as though I didn't want to do it as I couldn't stand the idea of doing 3 years of something I hated.

So I looked round on the internet at potential Christian gap years just because I was stuck for what to do next. I thought about Africa, Australia and exotic places like that. But then I looked at the Careforce website and it said about helping those in need in the UK. I felt then that this was the right thing to do, something had immediately happened in my heart which meant that I longed to help those right on my doorstep.

I have loved what I've been doing so far and I am amazed at how much God has shown me of who I am and how much love and support I have from those in my placement. There has been some tough times but none can compare to the love of God. The Careforce year is definitely not one to be missed.

Rachel Senior - The Cross Project, Wakefield

Preparing to apply to Uni for 2009 was really difficult for me and I found it really hard to even know where to start. In the end, after many discussions with my youth leader I decided that I would explore youth ministry and see where God took me, whether that was to University or something entirely different. I looked around at lots of gap year opportunities so that I could get some experience to find if this was where God wanted me to be. It was a difficult time as I don’t like making decisions and even more I hate not having set plans- God was defiantly making me rely on him!

I first looked at Careforce along with many other organisations, but this was the one which I kept coming back to and so I applied. I originally decided that I would like my year to be church based, and had the image of my perfect placement after my interview however, I was contacted with a schools project in Wakefield called The CROSS Project. Even though schools work was the opposite to what I’d had in mind I knew that I should just explore everything that I was given a chance to. After visiting the project I still didn’t know if it was where God wanted me but I had no objections to it, so I accepted their offer to become their Careforce Volunteer.

Despite my reservations about this not being similar or even close to my idea of a perfect placement I know that God has put me here to push my boundaries and take me out of my comfort zone: I am now a little more confident going into schools and talking to the young people there about God - even when they don’t know Him, and I know this is something which I would have lacked if I was in a church based placement. I pray that this year God will use me to serve the schools of Wakefield and that He would show me further where He want me to go after this, Careforce has allowed me to explore God more and the plan that He has for me.

Becky Davidar – Hazel Grove Baptist Church

After finishing my Master’s degree I was really disillusioned and confused about what I should be doing with my life. I was trained to be a counsellor - but my heart wasn’t really in it. I seemed to be going through the motions of studies but I always knew that I was called to be working for the church and in the church, in whatever capacity. I heard about Careforce and I applied for it, having many reservations about how it was going to fit in with my career. I had so many questions but still I knew that God wanted me to apply so I did. I was placed with Hazel Grove Baptist Church in Stockport and the entire experience has just been so amazing. God had to teach me that this year was not about me or my career but it was about serving Him and His people. It’s been such a humbling experience to work in this church.

I have so much support from the people I work with, I am just having so much fun and I feel like my heart is in the work I am doing. Everyday is different, whether it is youth clubs or assemblies or just helping around the church, the atmosphere of working with people who love the Lord as well and have the same passion to serve, is great. I receive supervision every month, which is more like a time of prayer and planning.

Even though it has been only a few months here at HGBC I have realized that I love and enjoy working and serving God’s people and I want to continue doing that even after Careforce.

Ben Atkins – Springboard for Children, Peckham

If I had to sum up Careforce in one word, for me it would be ‘enable’. And ‘discover’. And ‘adventure’.

So that’s not exactly one, but its nearly one…!

Enable. Regardless of whether you know what you want to do for the rest of your life, or don’t even know at all, Careforce can enable you to have a year that is truly meaningful which you will remember for the rest of your life. I know that sounds clichéd but its true so it had to be said.

Discover. Whether it becomes a stepping stone into your future job or ministry, or whether you end up doing something completely different in life, you’ll finish the year having discovered more about our God, more about yourself, and more about the world we live in – and ultimately how all three are linked.

And adventure? Well it’s simply that: a complete adventure – exciting, challenging, inspiring and life changing. Do it – you never know what might happen!

Paul Avinyia – Corfe Mullen Parish Church

While in University in Uganda, I was involved in serving God in various ways but I always had a desire to experience ministry in a cross-cultural setting and I prayed that God would make this possible for me at the end of my degree if it was in His will for me. Sure enough, He did! God opened the door through Scripture Union Uganda, for me to come and serve with Careforce in England. The thought of going to serve God in a strange land of cultures that would be strange to me was very intriguing.

I was placed in Corfe Mullen in Dorset to do youth work and church ministry. This is a church that had a variety of needs and it was very exciting to come to a place where there was so much scope for God to do great things. During my first year, God really stretched me in many different areas of my life. I was given the opportunity to minister in lots of different ways ranging from leading youth group meetings to leading worship and preaching in the main service! Some of these were very new to me but it has all been a journey of God teaching and developing me in these areas. Some of which I am a lot more confident with now while others still remain a ‘work in progress.’

I am currently doing my second year back in Corfe Mullen and it is still exciting to be part of what God is doing here. All through my first year and part of my second year now, God has been teaching me to rely on Him and to trust Him more in all that I do. Being a Careforce volunteer can have its pressures from time to time especially when the needs around seem overwhelming! This is when God has often reminded me that it is not about what I can do as a person but what He can do through me if I will only trust and obey! I have also received great support from both my placement and my Careforce staff and I am always reminded of the saying that ‘God will never take you where His grace cannot keep you!’ and this has been true for me.

Serving with Careforce has been a lifetime opportunity through which I have learnt so much both in my faith and as a person and I’d say to young people out there, who are thinking of joining....., go for it!! You’ll be amazed at what God uses you to achieve on your placement!!

Lydia Gathoni – St Luke’s Church, Canning Town

I have heard the Lord beckoning me into ministry over the years. Having been in a Christian university gave me opportunities to take part in mission work, something that I continued to do even after graduating. My desire to be in ministry heightened in the period after graduating and the decision to join Careforce came after a time of prayer on the same and from the understanding that God was sending me out. He was sending me out both to serve Him and to learn and gain cross cultural exposure to ministry.

Careforce presented just the opportunity to do that and I thank God for the Careforce staff and trustees for the work they put into running the programme and making it a success. I would recommend it to anyone who desires to work with people and serve the Lord or anyone who is still trying to get a bearing into ministry as it offers a great opportunity to explore different areas of ministry and develop your gifts.

At my placement, my job entails interacting with people and this is a good opportunity for me to show the love of Christ. I am involved in quite a number of projects in the community as well as running the church youth group and helping out in the Sunday school once in a while.

From interacting with all these people I am learning quite a lot about God and how He works and I can say I am being stretched as well in my faith. Every day presents new challenges and lessons to be learnt and above everything the reality of God’s love and power at work in our lives.

I feel that a bond has developed especially with the people that I work with and I am immensely happy to work among them and serve the Lord together!

Will Jones – Knowle Parish Church, Solihull

In March 2009, I had absolutely no intention of doing a gap year as I saw it as a waste of time and money and wanted to just get straight down to Uni - as I had received a place and was gearing up to going and looking forward to it. Through a completely random conversation between my youth worker at the time, Sarah, and the youth worker at Knowle Parish Church, Louisa, I was made aware of an opening to be a Youth Intern at KPC but did not think anything of it (after all, they "are a waste of time and money").

After pondering over it and praying and talking to different people about the opening I decided to go and check out the church and the area and in no time at all...absolutely loved it. From that day onwards, everything just fell into place. My university said that I can defer by a year with no problems at all, accommodation became available quickly, money matters sorted themselves out and I managed to visit a few more times and loved it.

Four months in and I am having a great time here and would really recommend doing a gap year in a church with Careforce to anyone who might be interested.