Venture FAQs

Yes! Pioneers is happy to help you find a placement for your medical elective. We do not have medical elective placements prepared in advance. Rather, we will talk to you about where you feel called, how long your elective needs to be, when you can go, and what type of medical situation you’re looking for. We’ll then consult our database to see if any of our medical teams might match your requirements.

Because Venture participants join long-term field teams, the cost is dependent on the location of the team, the duration of the placement, and the team’s ministry activities. For instance, a 6-month placement in Tokyo is likely to cost more than a 3-month placement in rural Kenya. The budget will be agreed on collectively by the field team, the Pioneers office team, and the participant.

Once your placement is confirmed, you will need to make a deposit of £130 GBP or €150 euros that covers the initial admin costs, including criminal record and medical checks. Later in the process you will also need to make a contribution to the office of £10 GBP / €11.50 euros per week of the total length of the placement.

You will also need to consider the costs of flights, travel insurance, visas, vaccinations, carbon offsetting, and personal spending money during the placement.

We know that raising money can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be scary!

We encourage all Venture applicants to ask their church and friends to consider supporting them financially and prayerfully. Support raising is more than about money: this is giving others the opportunity to partner with you and invest in world mission. It enables them to be a part of what God is doing in you and among the people you serve, blessing them as well as you.

We would be happy to talk with you about support raising and offer advice, including suggesting organisations that may be able to give grants. For more reflections on support raising, see the fourth article in our What's Stopping You series. You can also check out ideas for fundraising events here.

We strongly recommend applying at least 3 months in advance of when you hope to go. But the earlier you apply, the more likely it is that we'll be able to find a good match for you, as placements are dependent on the availability of our teams on the field. It also typically takes several weeks to work through the process of applying and preparing to go.

We have long-term missionary teams serving in over 100 countries throughout the world. On a Venture placement you would go and be part of one of those teams, anywhere from 2 weeks up to a year. A few examples of regions with short-term possibilities include Latin America, Europe (including the UK), North Africa, Sub Saharan Africa, and much of Asia (South, Southeast, East, Central, and the Middle East). Once you've applied and your references are in, we would then start reaching out to teams that could be a good match for you, and then put you in touch for a conversation once we find one that is interested and has availability.

Once you have applied and your references are all in, we will begin reaching out to teams on the field who may be a good fit for you based on the information you shared in your application form and your conversations with us. When teams get back to us expressing interest and availability to host you, we’ll give you more information about them and will offer to put you in touch a 3-way conversation. You, the team, and our office will decide together whether the team would be a good fit for you

At the office we will help you explore your sense of calling and find opportunities that will be a good fit for you. We'll be available to guide you through the process of preparing to go, to answer any questions, and to have conversations to talk things through. We provide you with orientation, as well as training in things like security and safeguarding. Once you return, we also provide you with a debrief and will help you explore next steps from there.

During the placement the long-term mission team you're serving with will be the main people providing you with mentorship and pastoral support. One of the main aims of the placement is for you to spend time with them and learn from them and their ministries. Usually one person or a couple will be your main point of contact, often the team leader or somebody else who is experienced. At the office we'll be in touch throughout the placement to check in and offer prayer. We also ask you to maintain a network of Christian friends and family at home who are committed to praying for and supporting you.