So what are you doing next year?
Imagine yourself sitting in a café in Florence, walking the streets of Argentina, or perusing a city market in the Middle East while getting to know university students and talking with them about your relationship with Christ. You have the opportunity to take the life-changing message of Christ to students around the world. You’ll be amazed at the similarities you find as you engage in conversation about your lives and be gripped by the spiritual need of the students you meet.
STINT is a one or two-year program on an international university campus. You will be aiding long-term workers in helping to raise up national leaders (individuals from that country) for the ministry.
The focus of STINT is evangelism and discipleship with opportunities for on-the-job training and personal development. You will be doing ministry in the context of a team, ministering alongside other Americans and national students.
On STINT you’ll be involved in creating a dynamic national ministry while you:
DETAILS
The focus of your time overseas can be broken down into four distinct elements.
Love the Lord
Our dream is that you would return from your time overseas more in love with Jesus. While overseas, you will have more time than ever with the Lord, and our desire is that you would learn to love Him with all of your heart.
Love my team
You will be on a team of fellow students and Cru staff from different universities with different personalities, gifts, and ways of looking at the world. You will develop great relationships and learn how to work through conflict. Together you will grow from team to family.
Launch a movement
The locations that we make available have been chosen carefully. In most cases the ministry in a particular location is either non-existent or very young. Our desire is to help establish self-sustaining movements on campuses in each of these locations. You will share your faith, disciple young believers and help train them to win others . . . while dreaming of the day when they lead this new ministry on their own.
Learn a new world
You will experience a host of new stuff and learn a whole new world. You will have the opportunity to live in a different culture, eat different foods and connect with people in a whole new way and it will change the way you live.
QUESTIONS ABOUT STINT
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.
International Summer Missions 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 Cru 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.
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.
3. What does STINT stand for?
STINT is short for Short Term International.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
10. How long is a STINT?
STINT typically runs from August to August, although STINT in Southern Hemisphere countries sometimes runs from January to December. We ask that each STINTer would stay at least one year to complete the internship.
11. How do I communicate to 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 online services that have great rates to places all over the world (Skype, Google, etc.) In other words, it is fairly easy to stay in touch.
12. Where can I go on STINT?
Go to the Locations 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. On the Locations Page, click on your state, and see if your school or area has a partnership.
13. How do I apply for STINT?
All applications are done 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|
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.
15. How much money will I need to raise?
The typical STINTer needs to raise $2000 a month and $12000 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.
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 are encouraged to have your team completed a month before your departure in order to get plane tickets and visas organized.
17. What is covered in the amount I raise?
There are three basic things covered in the money you raise:
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.
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.)
20. Do I get insurance?
As an intern you are covered by Cru 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. It is your responsibility to get coverage during this period even if you are accepted to the internship program at this point.
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.)
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.
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.
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. Obviously, the details will be highly dependent upon your particular assignment.
25. 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. Any outside travel (including at the end of your stint) must be approved by your US regional director.
26. 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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