Episcopal Church Young Adult Service Corps: Application deadline for 2021-2022 extendedPosted Mar 1, 2021 |
Applications for 2021-2022 placements with the Young Adult Service Corps (YASC), the international missionary program of The Episcopal Church, will now be accepted through Friday, April 9, 2021. YASC offers Episcopalians ages 21-30 the opportunity to follow the Way of Love into deeper relationship with God and the global Anglican Church while spending a year living and working with communities around the world.
“When we opened the application for 2021-2022 placements earlier this year, we shared that those interested in serving in YASC would need to be more flexible than usual. That is true for everyone involved with the program,” said Elizabeth Boe, mission personnel officer and former YASC volunteer in Tanzania from 2008-2010, “As we have continued to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and have conversations with our partners around the Anglican Communion, we feel that there are too many variables to move forward with our normal processes and timelines for YASC service. However, we are excited to share our plans for a new way forward for both YASC and Episcopal Volunteers in Mission (EVIM) this year.”
“In order to minimize risks for both YASC members and partners around the Anglican Communion, we will dramatically shift our timeline and discernment/training procedures. This will allow us to be both creative in terms of what we offer and how we offer it as well as ensuring the safety for applicants, staff, and partners,” continued Boe.
“2021 is the 20th anniversary of YASC and, while we wish that many things were different, it feels appropriate to try something new and creative as we celebrate 20 years of relationship building, listening, learning, and transformation,” said the Rev. David Copley, director of global partnerships and mission personnel, and a former missionary in Liberia and Bolivia, “YASC service is traditionally a one-year commitment and while that may be possible for some applicants, our new timeline will allow those who applied to YASC in 2020 and 2021 to serve for 6-8 months, one year, or even up to a year and a half depending on their particular situation and future plans.”
The Rev. Charles Robertson, the canon to the presiding bishop for ministry beyond The Episcopal Church, shared “I am incredibly excited about the thinking and energy behind this reimagining of the YASC program process in particular and of our overall mission training timeline. By truly embracing the opportunities that virtual discernment and training offer, we will be able to include more voices and experiences from around the Communion as well as involve more Episcopal Church leaders and thinkers. While there is still much that is up in the air, we hope that the new timeline will also allow us to safely return to Holy Cross Monastery for a shorter in-person session later this fall as the Brothers have become an integral part of the community that trains and supports YASC and EVIM members.”
The new program timeline will look like this:
- April 9: YASC application deadline
- May: Virtual discernment retreat featuring both on-demand and live sessions (exact dates for live sessions will be worked out with the applicants)
- June-August: Online informational sessions/conversations with staff, partners, and former missionaries
- September-October: Hybrid orientation for all new YASC and EVIM members begins with online sessions
- November: One-week in-person orientation session (anticipated)
- January 2022: New YASC and EVIM members depart for placements
The program anticipates returning to the regular January application deadline in 2022.
Additional information, as well as the application form and instructions, for a 2021-2022 placement is available here. The application deadline is Friday, April 9, 2021.
For more information contact Boe, 347-805-2142.
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