Placements – tell me more

Placements for this year's interns include various locations in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.

Thom says: "I've been working in Berkeley, Australia. Berkeley is very low on the socio-economic scale, and four days a week I go round the neighbourhood giving out bread and visiting people. I also teach in primary schools, am involved in the leadership and teaching of the church, help lead youthwork with street kids, and assist Wayne, the pastor. I'm very busy, on a steep learning curve, and absolutely loving it!"

Abi, based in Australia, says: "I've been on a camp for 15-18 year olds as a cabin leader which was really good fun. It was a great opportunity to have conversations with the kids and God really spoke to me and everyone else."

Last year's Xplorers headed off for their placements in January 2009.

Sam Follett was in Berkeley, New South Wales, Australia, working alongside Church Army evangelist Wayne Pickford. In a tough steel community, the ministry was relational, and community based.

Phil Graham was based at the Side Door project, in Yellowknife, Canada. With a strong youth focus, Phil was seeking to further develop the ministry alongside a significant number of indigenous people. Situated just 250 miles south of the Arctic Circle, Yellowknife experiences average minimum temperatures of -30 during January.

Jon Oliver was based in Canterbury with Capt Graham Nunn, with a focus on youth and children’s ministry.

Betty Ndunge was based with Willowfield Parish church in Belfast, and engaged in a range of cross cultural and generational activities.

Bantu Moses was with Capt Andy Milne, with two youth churches called Sorted. This innovative and cutting edge ministry started with a skateboard!

Gemma Bond was in Cabramatta, Sydney, working with the Vineyard Community there. She engaged in new ways of doing and being church.

Previous placements include

The Rio Grande Valley in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. This focussed on work with young people in this area of extreme poverty. As well as one-to-one work, the placement helped the local church develop a youth strategy.

New Orleans, USA, working with an embryonic Christian community as they continue to respond to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.