Project Overview:
First Year Missions is for the college-aged Christian, age 18-24, who devotes a school year (with a summer option) learning how to become a more effective disciple of Christ through missions. This program is not an academic study, but a practical discipleship and missions program. First Year Missionaries are immersed in both local culture and the missionary lifestyle as you serve Jesus Christ in South Africa and Swaziland

Ministry Description:
The FYM program has 3 components over the course of the year. The first component, The Awakening, takes place in South Africa, and runs from Sept. – Dec. The Awakening includes discipleship, ministry, ministry training, community living and ministry trips. During this time you will be discipled by our staff, you will be involved in ministry, you will live together with about 50 other FYM’s. At the beginning of The Awakening you will be put together with the team you will minister with from Jan. – May and you will do ministry together with that team. Our possible African outreach ministry locations are Swaziland, South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique.

During the second component of the FYM year, outreach at your ministry location, your ministry team of 10-12 will live and serve together in the local community. Here are some of the elements of the Outreach:
• After you submit your top three choices for your outreach location, you will be divided into teams to minister together during the Awakening and into the Outreach.
• Outreach ministries and internships might include ministry in the townships, in hospitals, at day care centers, orphan ministry at care points, etc.
• You will continue to be discipled by one of our staff as they challenge you to understand and personally surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Our final leadership component is optional. During the summer, Adventures In Missions sends hundreds of high school and college students all over the world on Ambassador (one-month) and Real Life (two-month) trips. We need leaders who know their locations to help lead these teams. If you apply and are accepted, you would then go through additional leadership training, help lead a trip and finish in the beginning of August.

Discipleship:
There will be weekly one-on-one discipleship for each team member, and daily group discipleship and teaching, mostly from the FYM team leaders. At times, local pastors, missionaries, or other believers will share in discipling the team.

The major focus of the FYM program is personal discipleship. You will be mentored by a godly man or woman, someone committed to helping you mature on your personal faith journey. Emphasis is placed on daily surrender and releasing anything that may keep you from close communion with God.

Group discipleship will focus on growing as a community of believers. Daily teaching hits major topics such as communion with God, spiritual gifts, evangelism, disciple making, surrender, spiritual warfare, missions, the body of Christ, and worship. Team discussions are geared to build into each individual the core foundations of being a disciple of Christ.