posted on January 18, 2022
aXcess: Church Planting and Disciple Making in Kosovo
Today, many young people in Kosovo are disillusioned with the majority religion and are looking to the West to find hope for the future. We are looking for colleagues who will creatively use their skills and experience, both traditional and holistic, to engage this young population, share Christ, and develop communities of faith. If you enjoy building relationships over many cups of coffee and collaborating with a small, but vibrant, national church network to transform communities, then Kosovo may be a good fit for you. This position will be messy, stretching, challenging, and life-changing. An adventurous, flexible, go-with-the-flow attitude is a must.
Position Type
- International worker (IW)—aXcess—Clergy Track
- Church planting, discipleship, evangelism, community development, ESL, and leadership development
- CAC
- Partially funded
- Couple only
Responsibilities:
- Learn the Albanian language to full proficiency and make a healthy adjustment to the local culture
- Build and nurture new relationships on an ongoing basis, intentionally share the gospel with people who practice the majority religion, and appropriately disciple them
- Collaborate with our national church partner to create and develop new communities of faith
- Participate in the spiritual life of the local church, fulfilling leadership roles as appropriate
- Integrate into the existing team and contribute to healthy team dynamics
Required Qualifications:
- A recognized bachelor’s degree
- Completion of at least 30 hours of Bible/theology/ministry and 15 hours of intercultural studies
- Note: If a couple, one spouse must meet this requirement. It’s preferable that the other spouse holds a recognized bachelor’s degree, has strong ministry experience, and has completed the C&MA Polity course and at least 18 hours of Bible/theology and 12 hours of missions/ministry studies (with a minimum of 6 hours in cross-cultural or missions studies).
- Minimum of two years of successful Alliance Licensed Ministry Experience
- Completion of Alliance ordination/consecration (one partner per couple)
- Completion of Alliance Polity course
- A minimum Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) score of 60
Preferred Qualifications:
- A bachelor’s or master’s degree in intercultural studies
- Ministry experience that indicates an ability to initiate new ministries, measurably grow them, and transition them to new leadership
Biblical Characteristics Desired:
- Kingdom-minded
- Biblically grounded
- Spirit-dependent
- Competently skilled
- Self-aware
- Self-disciplined
Timeline for Deployment:
Summer/fall of 2024. Following appointment, and once fundraising goals and other qualifications are met, the appointee is required to attend a cross-cultural and language-acquisition program and pre-field orientation prior to deploying.
General Information:
Workers usually rent a modest, fully furnished apartment or house within a few kilometers of the city center. Internet is widely available. Electricity and water are regular with occasional rationing or outages. Hospitality is a significant priority, and the Kosovar people value relationship over tasks.
CIA World Factbook – Kosovo
Joshua Project – Kosovo
Language Expectations:
Language is an essential part of ministry. The successful applicant(s) will receive two years of intense language study, followed by ongoing language and cultural acquisition. The goal will be to speak, read, and write the language at a functional level in order to mentor, teach, and train others.
Language learning is done through private tutoring, individual language helpers, and significant personal practice in the community under the oversight of the team’s language coach. The goal at the end of two years of full-time language study is to reach a proficiency level of 2.5 (advanced high) based on the ACTFL guidelines.
Health Considerations:
Teammates should be in good health to thrive in this environment. There is a local foreign-staffed private hospital, and basic health-care services are readily available, including well-run private clinics and hospitals, dentists, etc. Quality general surgery options are available in the capital. More advanced medical care is available nearby in Macedonia and Greece. Air quality is regularly poor during the winter, which can exacerbate existing respiratory problems. Kosovo is not very handicap-accessible, so climbing stairs and navigating uneven ground is unavoidable.
Expectations for Spouse:
Spousal roles vary based on the spouse’s gifts, training, and abilities, as well as the needs of the team. It is expected that both spouses will be meaningfully involved in meeting ministry objectives, depending on the nature of family roles, children, etc.
Children’s Educational Plan and Options:
Educational options in Kosovo consist of local Albanian schools, homeschooling, and international schools in the capital. Black Forest Academy in Germany is an option for children in high school.
Compensation Package
The successful applicant(s) will receive a full compensation package with the expectation that, once appointed, efforts will be made to raise a portion of support costs through the applicant’s network of friends, family, local church, or other resources. Information on support costs will be made available upon application. Training and/or coaching in fundraising is available.
Importance Clarification
Applicant(s) should be aware that serving in the international world often requires a higher degree of grace and flexibility. For example, overseas teams can be suddenly and unexpectedly impacted by illness, government decisions, financial realities, team changes, or other factors beyond the team’s control. The challenge for applicants is that these factors can sometimes necessitate the sudden redefining of a position, which may take place before, during, or after the application/interview process has begun or is completed.
Questions?
Please email the IPO office at [email protected].
Whole-Life Health
As part of an evangelical denomination, we are committed to biblical holism, which is modeled and reflected through our work. Due to this commitment, part of the required qualifications includes optimal emotional, spiritual, and physical health. These will be assessed during the application process.