Get prepared for a culturally diverse world through overseas volunteer service

Discover the transformative power of overseas volunteer service and how it can foster a global mindset for you, even if you don't plan to become a career missionary.
There are ways to overcome obstacles such as student loans, career concerns, and financial constraints.
Integrate cross-cultural experience with theological education through the innovative "365m program" at Nazarene Theological Seminary.
Embrace the mission-focused ethos of Southern Nazarene University and join a network of passionate individuals who are making a difference around the world.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Overseas Volunteer Service

"People from every nation, tribe, people and language" -- Revelation 7:9

"College graduates without considerable cross-cultural experience will be under-prepared for the global culture of the 21st century" -- Loren Gresham, retired Southern Nazarene Universitypresident

photo
of Loren Gresham

As university president, Loren Gresham dreamed that large numbers of SNU graduates would offer themselves for a year of volunteer missionary service.

Example of William Cameron Townsend

After his junior year in college, twenty-one-year-old William Cameron Townsend took a leave of absence from his academic life to spend a year selling Bibles and Scripture portions as an evangelistic outreach in Central America. That was in 1917. That one year became two which ultimately became a lifetime as Townsend went on to found Wycliffe Bible Translators. What does that mean for you? Well, a year or two of service overseas won't necessarily turn you into a career missionary. It may, however, create a more global mindset for you.

Overcoming obstacles

What keeps you from offering yourself?

"What about my student loans?"

All our volunteers who have had loans have gotten payment deferred for their year overseas.

"Isn't this going to interrupt my movement toward fulfilling my call from God to be a pastor?"

Districts have been counting the year of Mission Corps service toward ordination requirements. So, you are not losing any time at all.

"Wouldn't it be better for me to go straight to seminary first?"

Nazarene Theological Seminary has worked out "field experience credit" for volunteers so they actually begin their seminary experience by going to the mission field. That's called their 365m program.

"Where would I get the money?"

Friends, family, and home church people love investing in young people willing to sacrifice a year of their lives. This is not about fundraising. It's about creating a network of prayer supporters who help pray in the resources.

"Where could I go?"

The Nazarene mission board has opportunities worldwide. Two Creative Access areas, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Japan, and Macedonia have benefited from SNU graduates who have gone for a year or more as Mission Corps volunteers.

While in India on his way to Japan, new missionary Francis Xavier wrote back to his fellow students: "Give up your small ambitions."

Giving up one's "small" ambitions and getting in tune with God's heart for the world is usually what happens when one embraces SNU's missions ethos. Sometimes, people are tempted to think that missions activity at SNU is a great -- but very much optional -- dessert. It's not; missions involvement is part of SNU's main course. It's such an important part of what we do that the school has talked of finding a way to make meaningful cross-cultural experience a graduation requirement.

A few semesters ago I was trying to talk an SNU student into going on "Commission Unto Mexico." The more I pushed and cajoled, the more he backed away. Finally, in exasperation, he said to me, "Missions is your thing; it's just not mine."

He was wrong, of course. Missions isn't "my" thing; it's God's thing. As Henry Martyn, a missionary to China, often said, "The nearer we get to Christ, the more intensely missionary we must become."

SNU students have a variety of ways to get involved. Fall is recruitment time for summer ministry experiences. There are often over-the-New-Year holiday opportunities.

As new students arrive at SNU, I hope it quickly becomes clear to them that missions involvement is not something expected only of the super-zealous or of the extraordinarily talented. In early July, Jessica Bohn e-mailed me from her summer Youth in Mission assignment in the Caribbean: "I don't have much to offer, but God is taking my willingness and moving mightily."

Don't be one of those who get an SNU diploma and move into a career, graduate school, or family life without ever participating in one of our missions thrusts. Don't graduate from here without a photo album full of delightful pictures of little children whose language you do not know all crowded around you making faces at the camera. Don't be content to graduate from here, having merely talked about the church's responsibility for the poor and alienated. Get involved in doing something. Craig Shepperd, who graduated from Southern Nazarene University and then gave a year of volunteer service to Croatia, recently wrote to university leaders: "Don't lose the [world missions] focus."

SNU offers various opportunities for you to "give up your small ambitions." I hope you'll take advantage of them.

-- Howard Culbertson,

"During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, 'Come over to Macedonia and help us.'" -- Acts 16:9

Afterword: It will be good for you!

Taking a gap year of volunteer service globally before starting a career or pursuing further studies can be beneficial for fresh college graduates in several ways. Here are seven of them:

Engaging in volunteer work abroad exposes people to new cultures, languages, and ways of life. This experience can bring about personal growth, self-awareness, and adaptability. It can help new university graduates develop important life skills such as problem-solving, communication, and cultural competence.
Spending time volunteering in a different part of the world provides a firsthand understanding of global issues and challenges, including poverty, environmental sustainability, healthcare disparities, and social justice. This exposure can result in empathy, compassion, and a broader outlook on global interconnectedness.
Volunteer service can instill a sense of civic responsibility and a commitment to making a positive difference in the world. Participants learn the value of service to others and can develop an ethic of giving bck to their community, both locally and globally.
A gap year of volunteer service can strengthen fresh college graduates' professional skills and credentials. They may acquire experience in areas that include project management, leadership, teamwork, and cross-cultural communication. All of those can be advantageous in your future career pursuits.
Volunteering abroad allows graduates to build meaningful relationships with people from diverse backgrounds, including fellow volunteers, local community members, and professionals in the field. These connections can lead to mentorships, career opportunities, and lasting friendships.
Taking a gap year for volunteer service sets graduates apart from their peers in the eyes of employers and graduate admissions committees. It can demonstrate initiative, cultural awareness, and a commitment to service. That can increase a person's attractiveness in the job market or graduate school admissions process.
A gap year provides fresh college graduates with an opportunity to step back from their academic or professional pursuits and reflect on their values, interests, and long-term goals. This time for introspection can help them make more informed decisions about their future career path or academic direction.