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 Kosovars, and appropriately disciple them 
• Collaborate with our national church partner network 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 
• Spouse must hold a recognized bachelor’s degree and have completed at least 18 hours of Bible/theology, 12 hours of missions/ministry studies (with a minimum of 6 hours in cross-cultural or missions studies) 
• Completion of Alliance Polity course 
• Completion of Alliance ordination/consecration 
• Minimum of two years successful Alliance Licensed Ministry Experience 
• A minimum Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) score of 60 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• A master’s or bachelor’s degree in intercultural studies 
• Ministry experience that indicates an ability to initiate new ministries, measurably grow them, and transition them to new leadership 
• Experience collaborating in partnership alongside other local churches, ministries, or community groups 

Biblical Characteristics Desired: 

• Kingdom-minded 
• Biblically grounded 
• Spirit-dependent  
• Competently skilled 
• Self-aware 
• Self-disciplined 

Timeline for Deployment: 

Summer/fall 2025. All appointees are required to attend a cross-cultural and language acquisition program and pre-field course/experience 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 fairly stable but have occasional rationing or outages. Hospitality is a high priority, and the Kosovar people value relationships over task. IWs will primarily work out of a home office but will spend significant time connecting with people in the community in various locations. 

World Factbook – Kosovo 
Joshua Project – Kosovo 

Language Expectations: 

Language is an essential part of ministry. Those who do not know the language will attend a language study program. The goal will be to speak, read, and write the language at a functional level in order to mentor, teach, and train others. 

Language study is done in-country through private tutoring, language helpers, study time, and practice in the community under the oversight of the team’s language coach. The goal at the end of two years of full-time study is to reach a proficiency level of 2.5 (advanced-high) based on the ACTFL guidelines. 

Health Considerations: 

Basic health care is available including private clinics, dentists, etc. Specialized treatments such as chiropractic care have limited availability and are below Western standards. Cigarette smoke inside restaurants and poor air quality in the winter can exacerbate existing respiratory problems. Climbing stairs and navigating uneven ground is unavoidable in Kosovo. 

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 language public and private schools, homeschooling (after language study), and Black Forest Academy in Germany for high school-age children. For children of a certain age, a family could live in the capital city during language study and send their children to an international school. However, there are currently no international or English-language schools in the target city in Eastern Kosovo, so families would need to consider one of the above options after language study.