Get involved helping to make Jesus known in France with short term opportunities. Take part and see how our work is making a real difference in .
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Are you a university student looking to spend a period of residence abroad in France? The Year Abroad opportunities below are ideal for students who need to spend time in France (1 or 2 semesters, or shorter periods) as part of a university course and make a difference.
If you feel called to explore the possibility of long-term service in France, please contact us for more information. We’d love to pray and discuss the opportunities with you – providing help and advice for considerations like home church support, financial support, French-language skills, culture stock and other practicalities in relation to serving in France.
A Rocha France welcomes volunteers, particularly students or graduates with a background in biology or environmental sciences, for placements of one or two semesters at one of their field centres. There are also opportunities for volunteers with skills in construction, maintenance, gardening and more... fluent French is not necessarily always required.
Champfleuri is an “oeuvre partenaire” of Perspectives and is located in the Alps. Champfleuri is open year-round welcoming church groups on the weekends and organizing its own retreats for children, youth, adults and families during the four seasonal school breaks. Most of the camps are in French, but “TED” (Totally English Days) is run in English. There are many opportunities to offer your services as a volunteer for any length of service.
A general site providing details of various Christian holidays in France. Ideal for anyone wanting to learn/improve their French and get to know French people.
This 6-month Bible School in the Alps is part of Torchbearers International which started at Capernwray in the UK. The programme is designed for 18-30 year-olds. All courses are in French, so a good working knowledge of French is required. As part of the application process, you will be given a test that will help the organizers evaluate your level of French.
RESEARCH FOR STUDENT-VOLUNTEERS FOR 2021/22 Located 15 minutes from the heart of Paris, the Institut Biblique de Nogent-sur-Marne is looking for French or international student volunteers to provide various services (setting up meals, cleaning, gardening, maintenance of the premises...) on the basis of twenty hours per week. For non-French speakers, basic notions of French are required. In exchange, the volunteer-student is welcomed at the boarding school with full board, participates in the community life of the Institute (worship, prayer meetings, outings...) and benefits from biblical and theological courses.
Organise bilingual Christian activity holidays in France and Belgium for young people from across Europe. InterAction holidays are a great chance to practise your French, make some new friends and have a lot of fun learning about the Christian faith. We’ve had great reports from several folk associated with Perspectives.
LPO is Spring Harvest's holiday park in the Vendee. They recruit people for a range of roles. If you're fluent in English, passionate about your Christian faith, energetic and love working with children or young people (or have other skills), click the link on the right to find out more. Team members who are offered a role for four weeks or more are eligible for financial sponsorship.
Le Pré-Saint-Gervais (generally known as Le Pré) is located just outside the north-eastern edge of the Paris city boundary. The Perspectives church here, led by pastor Nathan Millet, would be happy to welcome a student for a short-term mission trip or a longer period (6 or 9 months) to be part of a small but growing community, and to get involved with children's work, the church gospel choir, evangelism, discipleship, etc. Candidates would need to have good people skills and a reasonable level in French. If you’re a UK student and are interested in this opportunity, please contact Paul Cooke (paulcooke@francemission.org) for an application form.
Aix-les-Bains is a church plant that started in January 2014. The project emphasises bold, energetic discipleship. New team members will quickly find themselves challenged in terms of serving and sharing their faith. The church can offer opportunities relating to children's work, secretarial work, communications, and discipling young believers. People willing to provide au-pair services are also needed to help team members who have young children. Basic French language skills are desirable. A professional teacher of French as a foreign language is available in the church to help develop French-language competency, but as this is the person's livelihood, she needs to charge for this service. If you’re a UK student and are interested in this Year Abroad opportunity, please contact Paul Cooke (paulcooke@francemission.org) for an application form.
Nantes is a city in western France with a large student population. The established Perspectives church in the city's Boissière district, led by pastor Patrice Alcindor, is looking to recruit an English-speaking intern from September/October 2021 to help especially with the church's international student ministry, run in conjunction with an organisation called Amis des Étudiants du Monde similar to Friends International in the UK (see www.amisdesetudiantsdumonde.org). If you’re a UK student and are interested in this Year Abroad opportunity, please contact Paul Cooke (paulcooke@francemission.org) for an application form.
OM France organise various short-term opportunities, not all of which will require volunteers to be able to speak French. Click on the link on the right to see what (if anything) is available in francophone countries (filter by Western Europe if you're only interested in those destinations).
Would you like to serve in a real Parisian Church? France Mission has a small church in the 17th arrondissement (L’Église Protestante Évangélique de Paris Cardinet). We have an intergenerational congregation and would welcome short-term students to join in our church life. Apart from the Sunday morning worship service, there is an evening service aimed mainly at young professionals, and a weekly Bible Study. We also have close contact with the local Christian Union. If you’re a UK student and are interested in this Year Abroad opportunity, please contact Paul Cooke (paulcooke@francemission.org) for an application form.
The historic city of Strasbourg in Alsace is home to three churches in the Perspectives network that work together closely to share the gospel in this major European centre. The most established of the three is the Eglise de la Krutenau which, alongside "standard" church activities, runs a cafe called Oh my goodness aimed at creating connections between local people and the church. This church is pastored by Arnaud Schrodi. The other two churches in the network are still at the "church plant" stage. One is located in the multicultural area around the main station and runs a cafe to provide outreach such as French classes, literacy classes, and homework clubs. The other church plant project is located in the area that's home to the major European institutions and is focused on connecting with the people who work in this context. If you’re a UK student and are interested in this Year Abroad opportunity, please contact Paul Cooke (paulcooke@francemission.org) for an application form.
Taverny & Saint-Leu-la-Forêt are two pleasant towns located 20 km north-west of Paris, a 30-minute train journey from the capital. The Perspectives church in Taverny already has a plant in Cormeilles but now has a new church-plant project in the town of Saint-Leu, bordering Taverny. They're looking for volunteers in 2022 to help prepare for this new church, in collaboration with the church in Taverny. Since 2020, a team has been busy assessing the needs in Saint-Leu and are now seeking volunteers with an interest in children's and youth work, as well as people with artistic gifts to help connect with the local population. In 2021, the Perspectives church in Taverny will be moving into new, larger premises and this will facilitate collaboration on outreach and cultural activities. If you’re a UK student and are interested in this Year Abroad opportunity, please contact Paul Cooke (paulcooke@francemission.org) for an application form.
The Perspectives church in Tours would be happy to integrate Year Abroad students as part of their activities in various ways. In addition to the usual church ministries, there would be the opportunity to participate in a local charity where the pastor also volunteers. Students would need to have enough French to be able to communicate and to have a reasonably outgoing personality. Tours is a nice city with plenty of things going on for students through Navigators, GBU and PULSE. Students would need to find their own accommodation. If you’re a UK student and are interested in this Year Abroad opportunity, please contact Paul Cooke (paulcooke@francemission.org) for an application form.
UBM currently run events in Houlgate (Normandy) and Montreux (Switzerland). Click on the link on the right to find out more.
YWAM’s French branch offers various opportunities to serve (from a couple of weeks to 3 months), for both French and English speakers, in various locations.
