Project Servant Internships are full-year, volunteer internship opportunities for strategic volunteers. A few of our Asian and Pacific YFC programs offer these today and they recognize the high value both to YFC and to the interns. For example, in Singapore YFC, the Project Servant role has been nurtured over many years and now is a core component to the local ministry.

In many countries, making the jump from part-time volunteer to a full-time paid or volunteer staff is too large without a chance to "try-out" full-time ministry. Offering a structured, full-time volunteer internship opportunity can give these young leaders a chance to grow, serve, and experience full-time ministry as they seek God's will for their lives.

YFC also benefits as we gain additional, committed volunteers that are willing to help us reach out to more young people than we could alone.

The Project Servant Internship component of IGNITE has two main purposes: 1) To help YFC national programs implement full-time volunteer internships, and 2) To provide stipends to assist with some of the living costs the participant will incur during their one-year volunteer internship.

The countries across the Asia Pacific area are very diverse with work, living, extended family, and costs of living. The Project Servant Internship stipends will be flexible and consider these differences as we work with the different national programs. The purpose of the stipends is not to provide a salary to the staff--that would defeat the whole concept of Project Servant. However, in many cultures, providing support toward the living costs of the Project Servant will just be enough to allow the person to commit to a full-time volunteer role with YFC for a year.

Estimating the costs for the diverse cultures of Asia and the Pacific is difficult. For example, in Central Asia, $50 per month is what a Youth Pastor earns for a salary. However, $50 per month in Melbourne, Australia would not even cover the cost of food. So, we see these stipends as very flexible based upon the local needs of the country we are working with.