Email!

I got an email back from Colin (the director of ICY) today. He answered a few of my questions I had and I'm still waiting on an email back from Darin (the director of the UK branch) in the next few days. But I thought I'd put this up for you guys to read too.

Dear Shelley,

It was really good to hear from you. I will do my best to answwr your questions briefly by email but if you'd like a call to chat them through some more I'd be very happy to do this too.

First of all, I was looking into either the Bachelors or the Missions Leaders Course... The missions leaders course actually sounds more appealing to me, but I'm not quite sure on the difference. It sounds like the missions leaders course is more hands on and on the field where as the bachelors is more study and classes... but the classes sound like ones I would be very interested in. Are any of those classes included in the missions leaders course (or does the missions leader course even take classes)? Also, does the missions leaders course give you a degree or diploma if it's unaccredited? I'm definitely more interested in the ministry and missions of it all, so would the missions leader course be better?

This is a really hard one. You have summed up everything about the two courses, except I should say that the missional course does have cleasses and from time to time merges with the Bachelors. We offer a diploma for it but this is in house and therefore doesn't carry the same weight the B(Th) and masters qualifications do. If your focus is ministry then the Missional course may be better for you, but to be honest we only really want those who are ministry focused on the Bachelors too. You can of course join in and make up your mind once here. Your registration for the B(Th) might be delayed by a couple of months but that isn't a big deal.

Second, as for the funding, how do people usually raise all the money? The website mentioned something about fund raising, so do they usually raise it all themselves or ask for donations? Do they pay their own way through, like college, or have supporters? And for the missions leaders course, I know it's cheaper, (only $1000) but does that mean that's all you pay or do you pay the whole $2200 and give the rest to missions experiences? Does that money have to be paid up front or can it be paid over time?

The prices quoted are the prices you pay per year. You don't pay any more, and actually of course do receive a small weekly allowance. How you raise that funding is up to you. Some fund raise, (and we do have a scheme to help with that!), some have savings. Because you are on the field, fund raising is very valid and possible. We prefer the money up front because we need to pass it on. However we can make exceptions to this as long as we have a plan in palce in advance.

Also, once you've been accepted, and it's time for the church placement, what if they don't find on for you? Do they just wait until one becomes available or are you automatically taken out of the program? What is the average time frame from the time someone sends in an application to the time they start?

Again an excellent question. We try to only accept folk we know will be accepted by a church placement and we constantly get better at this. However there are blips. We tend not to throw you out of the program, unless we sense that we really aren't going to find you a palcement and then it would be wrong to keep you waiting. We take folk on in September, January and May, and normally would need an application processed at least two months before the next start date if we are realistically to sort a placement. The process can therefore take between 3-6 months.

What kind of hands on experience do you get? Ministering to other cultures or just in your local church? And while in the local church, are you working with children, teens, or young adults? I know it probably depends on the situation and the church, but what kind of opportunities do they have in their local church (speaking, leading, discipling, etc.)?

We are local church focused, and as far as we can try to match placement with gifts, although this doesn't always work as smoothly as we would like. You will need to be a bit of an all rounder when it comes to youth ministry. As far as the cross cultural element is concerned, if you are coming to the UK, you will discover it is all pretty cross cultural, although some of our placements are more so than others.

Where in the UK are people placed? The website mentioned some places (London, Oxford, etc.) but is it just in those cities or are there other churches in smaller places?

We do have a mix of rural and suburban.

I know the churches supply the housing but where do they live? Do they have host families, live on their own, or have college housing type buildings?

Again it is varied, but most live with host families.

Shelley, thanks for these questions. We'll pray hte Lord leads you very clearly as you seek Him for His way ahead. Don't hesitate to contact me if you want to know more.

Every blessing,

Colin