STINT:: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. What
is a partnership?
2. What are international campus staff?
3. What does STINT stand for?
4. What will I do on STINT?
5. What will a typical day look like?
6. Will I be trained in ministry?
7. What does the ministry look like?
8. Who will I go with?
9. Where will I live?
10. How long is a STINT?
11. How is the communication between there and home?
12. Where can I go on STINT?
13. How do I apply for STINT?
14. How long does the application process take?
15. How much money will I need to raise?
16. How will I raise it?
17. What is covered in the amount I raise?
18. How do I get paid?
19. What is included in my salary?
20. Do I get insurance?
21. How are medical needs met?
22. What about safety issues?
23. Is language a barrier?
24. Will we go to church?
25. Can I hear more about my specific location?
26. Will we take Holiday breaks?
27. Can parents and friends visit?
1. What is a partnership?
Your school (plus a few others) pulling together the manpower to start
a new ministry in another part of the world. Partnerships are designed
to pioneer new campus ministries on strategic universities around the
world, with the vision to see a movement led by nationals.
A US campus (or several campuses) join with a receiving country to pioneer a new work on a university location. It is an agreement to work in cooperation to establish a new ministry - and help fulfill the Great Commission in that country.
The stages are International Summer Projects (1-4 years), STINT Teams (1-5) years, and International Campus Staff (a resident team for a minimum of 5 years), National Staff and eventually a ministry that is sending laborers to another location.
International Summer Project teams and STINT teams are strategic in launching the ministry. This helps build vision for American staff and students who may become a part of the resident team. The US end of the of the partnership is fulfilled when a resident team is established but there is always a maintained connection of encouragement and support for the international campus staff team as they build national leaders who will carry the vision to reach their nation and the world.
For example, the Crusade ministries
at the University of Kentucky and East Carolina University have joined
forces to start a new ministry in Saratov Russia. Two years ago they sent
the initial summer project team to that location. This year they established
their first STINT team - including the leaders who are now international
campus staff (planning on staying at least 5 years). Already they have
some good student leaders and hopeful soon they will their first few national
leaders choose to join them. This is what we dream for all over the world.
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2. What
are international campus staff?
International Campus staff are staff members from the US who choose to
become a resident team on one of our partnership locations. These staff
are crucial in helping a young ministry become self sufficient by training
local students and new staff in the basics of evangelism and discipleship.
The goal of each partnership is to establish an ongoing movement led by
national staff and students and international campus staff are the key
to making that happen. Establishing a resident team of international campus
staff is the foremost goal of an international partnership.
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3. What
does STINT stand for?
STINT is short for Short Term International.
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4. What
will I do on STINT?
You will be on a team that is responsible for beginning or continuing
to build a movement of evangelism and discipleship at your location. Your
main activities will involve sharing your faith, doing basic follow up,
possibly leading a small group, planning retreats and weekly meetings,
and training students to be leading the ministry after you have gone.
You will spend time praying for these goals as a team and working together
to make it happen.
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5.
What will a typical day look like?
You and your team will work at building a weekly
schedule that focuses on fulfilling your goals in ministry. An average
day will involve meeting new friends and sharing your faith, or meeting
with old friends and sharing your faith. Evangelism is the mainstay of
your year on STINT and most activities revolve around it. During the course
of the week you will also have team meetings, team prayer, team socials,
outreaches (socials for the students you meet) and possibly language classes
(in East Asia for sure). A typical day might look like this:
8 Breakfast & QT
9-12 Language Class
12-1 Lunch with team leader
1-2 Read / work on training / a break
2-5 On campus meeting new people
7 Dinner with Mahmet and Omar
8 Outreach Social with friends from English Department
Or it may look
like this:
8 QT
9 Team prayer at our place
12 Lunch as a team
1 Meet Natasha for follow up
6 Dinner with Yulya
7 In Dorms meeting new people
Of course many
STINTers say that there is no typical day, so mileage may vary depending
on where you are, how developed the movement is, and even security.
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6.
Will I be trained in ministry?
You will have the
opportunity to complete much of the same training that you would receive
as a first year staff member. Much of the training centers on being able
to clearly communicate your faith and do basic follow up.
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7.
What does the ministry look like?
In most cases you
are part of a team starting a very new ministry. You will spend a lot
of your time meeting new people, sharing your faith and doing basic follow
up. It most cases it is very very relational. You are making friends and
talking about Jesus. You are building relationships and bringing people
to a point of decision. After you see people trust Christ you begin to
do basic follow up with them and begin to help them develop the skills
they will need to walk with God.
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8.
Who will I go with?
We are big believers
in team, and no intern will be placed in a location without a team. Many
times this team will consist of students from particular schools who have
planned on being overseas together (in other words, start recruiting some
friends to go with you). A typical team will be somewhere between 5-8
people with a team leader (man) and an associate team leader (woman).
Together they will give leadership and direction to the whole team.
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9.
Where will I live?
In most cases you
will live in apartments near campus. In some cases you may actually live
in a dorm setting on campus.
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10.
How long is a STINT?
STINT typically runs
from August to August, although many STINTers stay a few months longer.
We ask that each STINTer would stay at least one year to complete the
internship.
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11.
How is the communication between there and home?
Email has changed
the world and in most locations you can get good reliable email services.
There are also phone cards that enable you to communicate substantially
cheaper that the normal national rates. Most people in locations we go
have cell phones as well. For family and friends that want to call you,
there are many cheap phone card services that have great rates to places
all over the world. Look at www.enjoyprepaid.com as an example. In other words, it is fairly easy to stay in touch.
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12.
Where can I go on STINT?
Click on the "locations"
link on the left of this page to see where you can go. Remember that though
you could go anywhere in the world, your partnership campus will benefit
the most if you go there. You can help raise up the students today who
will go to raise up more students tomorrow… possibly in a place
that you could never go. Click on your state, and see if your school
or area
has a partnership.
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13.
How do I apply for STINT?
All applications
are done online (as of October 3rd, the online application process is
not ready. You may download a print version to look over, but check back
later in the year to apply online.) The application process involves completing
information regarding:
· Personal Information
· Ministry Experience
· Church & Spiritual Background
· Financial Information
· Moral Convictions
· Recommendations
· Biographical Information |essay format including your testimony
and why you believe God is leading you to take this step| · Statement
of Faith |check the boxes you agree with|
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14.
How long does the application process take?
After completing and returning the application (and with all your references
completed and returned) you should hear back from us in 3 weeks. In most
cases you will be notified by email.
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15.
How much money will I need to raise?
The typical STINTer
needs to raise $1500 a month and $6000 in one time needs (to cover travel
and briefings and things like that). There are 10 Internship conferences
(by region) held in April specifically designed to help you learn how
to do this. At this conference you will be given a specific breakdown
for your ministry location.
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16.
How will I raise it?
Most of your support
will come from individuals you ask to be part of your support team. We
call them ministry partners and we will provide extensive training on
how to gather a team of ministry partners. Be encouraged, every staff
member in the world is responsible for raising their support and God has
done it over and over again. He continues to prove himself faithful and
gives abundantly beyond what you can imagine.
In April each region of the
US Campus Ministry will host a conference that all STINT and Interns are
required to attend (it is a great time). At this time we will give you
extensive training on how to develop a ministry partner team, a biblical
basis for support raising and strategy for getting started. You will need
to have your team completed a month before your departure in order to
get plane tickets and visas organized.
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17.
What is covered in the amount I raise?
There are three basic
things covered in the money you raise
1. Salary (money for the basics of life)
2. Benefits (health insurance)
3. Reimbursable expenses (money for ministry related expenses)
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18.
How do I get paid?
Out of the money
you raise will come your salary, your benefits and money you need to reimburse
ministry expenses. Your salary will be directly deposited in a First Union
bank account (you cannot use your current bank account, but we will help
you open a first union account at the Intern Conference in April) and
you will draw money from this account using a First Union Bank Card from
any ATM in the city you are located. You will use your salary to pay your
rent, eat, have fun and do the basic stuff of life. However, you will
also be able to reimburse certain ministry expenses so that ministry related
activities will not have to come out of your personal salary.
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19.
What is included in my salary?
You will use your
salary to pay your rent, eat, have fun and do the basic stuff of life.
Basically, your salary is yours to do with as you please (but obviously
you must take care of the basic necessities.)
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20.
Do I get insurance?
As an intern you
are covered by Campus Crusade for Christ health care insurance. Coverage
will begin one month after your hire date. So, if you finish
your support August 1st and are hired, your coverage will begin September
1. More detailed information will be given to you at the April Internship
Conference including a benefits notebook. It
is important to note that you are not covered until after you are hired
and you are usually not covered by your parents insurance after you graduate
college. It is your responsibility to get coverage during this
period even if you are accepted to the internship program at this point.
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21.
How are medical needs met?
It varies from location
to location, but it most countries you go and get treatment, pay out of
your own pocket, file a claim and then get reimbursed. Most locations
have adequate if not good medical facilities. If it is an emergency or
a serious issue, you will leave the country to get adequate treatment
in the best place possible. If it is an extreme emergency you will be
air lifted out by our emergency evacuation service (a company called SOS,
which every intern will have coverage with.)
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22.
What about safety issues?
In all locations
we follow the instructions of the US State Department (for their information
of a specific location check out travel.state.gov). If they say don't
go, we don't go. If they say get out, we get out. In addition, each country
has a specific evacuation plan for the teams associated with that country.
In the case of medical emergencies
we have contracted with an emergency evacuation company (SOS) to be able
to airlift anyone out of any location.
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23.
Is language a barrier?
English is a global
language. Most of your time will be spent with students who are studying
English. You will quickly learn the basics of language to be able to get
around. You'll also make friends who will be able to help you with things
like shopping, paying bills, and other necessities of life. In some places
there will be long term International Campus Staff who will be able to
help as well.
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24.
Will we go to church?
This will vary by
location. In countries where a local church is not available or there
are language issues, you will most likely meet as a team and to have praise
and worship, and a teaching time. Many times STINT leaders will make use
of taped messages from a church or other source, or they may teach something
themselves. Obviously, the details will be highly dependant on your particular
assignment.
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25.
Can I hear more about my specific location?
Go to the "Where
do you want to live?" page and find the information for your regional
director. Your regional office can give you more specifics on your location.
They may have more specific information online as well, if your region
has a local website (listed on the page).
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26.
Will we take Holiday breaks?
Yes. Most locations
will go to a mid-year conference away from their country, and have a vacation
together. There are scheduled vacation times, but the primary focus of
your time will be to minister to students. With very rare exceptions,
you will not be allowed to be away your team for the duration of your
stint. Any outside travel (including at the end of your stint) must be
approved by your US regional director.
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27.
Can parents and friends visit?
We welcome parents
visiting their students in the county where they are located. In some
cases, there are organized trips for parents to visit a particular team.
Before making plans, check with your US regional director to check on
scheduling issues. Friend visits need to be approved by the US regional
director and the in-country director.
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