Venture FAQs
Do you help with medical electives?
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.
How much does the Venture programme cost?
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 £100 towards initial admin costs, including criminal record and medical checks. Before the start of your placement, there is an admin fee of £30 plus £10 per week of the total length of the placement. These costs can be paid in either pounds sterling or euros.
You will also need to consider the costs of flights, travel insurance, visas, vaccinations, carbon offsetting, and personal spending money during the placement.
How can I raise the funds needed?
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 to 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.
When can I get to the field?
Venture participants get to the field in varying amounts of time from first contact. Because our mobilisation efforts are very relational, it can take up to a year from the time you first contact us until the time you land on the field. This depends on the amount of time it takes to find a matching team, and on how quickly you choose to go through the training period. On the other hand, the process can take as little as three months.
How do I find out which teams I can join?
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