Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, our teams are a safe place for your child to serve. As with anything in life, overseas travel is not guaranteed to be risk free. However, we take every precaution to make sure our Goers are given the safest environment possible in the communities they serve. Goers serve under the direction and supervision of their team leader, and it is these team leaders who are responsible for training and equipping the Goers to live and work safely in the country that they are serving. Most of our team leaders have served for many years in the region, so they are experienced, knowledgable regarding the local culture, political climate and other considerations that need to be taken into account when making decisions for the leadership and safety of their teams.
GoCorps teams are in many different locations around the world and while most of the countries we go to are considered low-risk, we don’t want to limit the gospel to exclude places perceived as more dangerous or risky. Whatever the context, your child’s safety is a priority and necessary steps are taken to provide a safe experience.
Goers join an existing team that have been in the country for a number of years and understand the political and cultural climate and how to maintain a safe presence. The team leadership is also trained in assessing risk and handling sensitive situations. Team leaders actively monitor safety on a frequent, on-going basis and communicate to us if the location is no longer deemed safe for Goers. Emergency evacuation plans are also in place for teams in more sensitive locations.
GoCorps placements are funded through personal support raising. Each goer will develop a team of individuals and churches to partner with them financially and prayerfully to launch them to their global service apprenticeship. GoCorps places a high priority on giving all of our Goers the best professional training, resources, and one-on-one coaching available to ensure that their fundraising process will be successful and quick! The funds Goers raise cover everything they need for a successful two years of service, including living expenses, ministry funds, insurance, student loan payments, etc. Goers will raise all of these funds in a three-month support raising period prior to launching to their team.
GoCorps partners with multiple US-based Christian non profits that align with our common Statement of Faith. You can see our current partners here. Goers will serve with an existing long term team on the field through one of these partner organizations. GoCorps chooses our partner organizations through a rigorous vetting process to ensure theological soundness, financial accountability, and effective care and leadership of goers. All Goers serve on a team of like-minded believers and are never placed alone.
The places Goers stay varies per placement. Most often, Goers will stay in apartments within the community they serve. Occasionally, they will stay in a home stay with an approved local family during the first initial language learning stage. Many times goers stay with other single members of their team, and sometimes they are able to have local roommates. The team leader helps determine the best housing for the context.
The team they are joining helps the Goer arrange their housing in country.
Goers receive a set salary from their organization to cover cost of living, student loan payments, health insurance premiums, ministry expense requirements, etc in their context and role. Goers raise the funds necessary for this salary through the three-month support raising period prior to launching to their team.
Yes, all of our Goers have health insurance for their two years. Their organization will help them determine the best health insurance policy for their needs. In many cases, Goers may be allowed to stay on a parent health insurance plan, which would lower the cost of their placement.
GoCorps was established in 2009 as a unique partnership of missions organizations purposed to create a pathway for more Goers. GoCorps began sending Goers in 2010 and has since sent almost 200 recent graduates overseas through our program. However, while this unique partnership has been around for just under a decade, all of our partner organizations that your child will serve through have been around for 55 - 125 years (see our partners here). This rich history and collaboration between well established organizations is one of the things that makes GoCorps a great opportunity for your child.
