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Encounter is a brilliant opportunity for anyone age 18+ to spend a year in London - transforming lives in schools, churches and communities.

Your Encounter year covers 3 key areas:

Church Placement

A young woman with shoulder-length hair singing into a microphone on a small stage while holding a box of tissues in her raised hand. She is wearing pink socks, gray pants, and a gray oversized T-shirt. There are musical instruments, microphones, and equipment on the stage, with a decorated Christmas tree on the right and an audience watching her.

You will be placed in a church for your year where you will serve - you will either be placed with us at Chase Family Church or with another local church.

Your church placement will offer a whole host of opportunities and experiences to challenge, develop and equip you.

Here are some examples of what you could be involved in:

EVANGELISM // YOUTH MINISTRY // HOSPITALITY COURSES // WORSHIP // CHILDREN’S MINISTRY DISCIPLESHIP // PRAYER // PREACHING // MEDIA LEADERSHIP // AND MORE!

Training

A man giving a presentation to a small audience in a conference room. The presenter stands in front of a screen displaying a quote. Several people are seated at tables, listening. The room has windows, chairs, and some decorations.

Monday afternoons are set aside for practical and theological training led by local and national church and ministry leaders.

The training sessions are a time when all the Encounter students come together, along with students from other local gap year programmes. It creates a great community of like-minded people to learn and have fun together.

Subjects include:

Bible Overview, Apologetics, Healing, Evangelism, Leadership, Mental Health, The Atonement, Creative Worship, Discipleship, Persecuted Church, Spiritual Gifts, Prayer, Working with Young People, Mission, The Church, Working with Children, Teaching & Preaching… and more!

Mission

A blonde woman and a person with black hair sit on a ledge, sharing a moment outdoors on a sunny day. The woman is smiling and holding the person's face gently. In the background, children are playing, with some holding a basketball, and there are trees and a building with large windows.

LOCAL: You will be given the opportunity to make a difference in the local community by helping with groups such as Foodbank, Growbaby, a soup kitchen, a coffee morning for the elderly, and more.

You will also be part of the Engage schools team helping to deliver RE lessons, assemblies and CU’s in secondary schools.

OVERSEAS: We take the Encounter team on an overseas mission trip each year - a chance to experience a different culture and step out of your comfort zone!

 FAQs

  • Encounter starts early September and will finish at the end of July (exact dates to be confirmed with each team). We start the Encounter year with a residential where we worship, pray, hear some great teaching and have loads of fun (and food) together! The Encounter year concludes with week of mission - helping to lead teams of young people to impact the local community for Jesus through evangelism and practical help.

  • Your placement church will provide your accommodation for the year. They will also welcome you into the church family and look after you!

  • You will be assigned a spiritual mentor for the year - someone in your placement church (or one of our partner churches) who will meet with you regularly to listen, encourage and pray. You will also have regular supervision time with the Encounter Coordinator.

  • Yes! You will be given regular time off during each week. You will also have holiday time throughout the year, including two week around Christmas.

  • We recognise that devoting a year out of your life to serve Jesus as part of the Encounter team will be costly to you in terms of your energy and time - so we do not charge for the year. Encounter does have costs in order to run, and so if you feel able to donate towards it we would be delighted!

    You will be required to raise money for the overseas mission trip later in the year, but we will help you plan and carry out fundraising.

    NOTE: We can accept applicants from other countries but we ask that you cover the cost of your flights, visa, insurance and healthcare surcharge.

  • Fill out our online application form - once we have received your form, we will review it and take up references. If your application is successful, we will invite you to an interview.

“Through working in so many different areas in church, you will have the chance to try new things and find your talents. Encounter encourages you to grow in these areas and discover how to use them for God’s kingdom.”
— Leonie (Encounter student 2022-2023)

Meet this year’s team:

Young man with dark hair, light facial hair, and a slight smile, wearing a black hoodie with a gold logo on the chest, standing indoors near a leafy green plant, with a dark blue poster and part of a white wall in the background.

My name is Brian. I am a computer techie that has found himself with a free year to serve the Lord! When I am not busy behind the scenes, I am probably out “adventuring” with Chase and serving the community of Enfield. I’m excited for this year and can’t wait to see what the lord has in store for me.

Brian

A young man with short brown hair smiling at the camera, wearing a navy blue hoodie with a gold logo on the chest, standing in front of a banner with the words 'CHASE family' and a green plant beside him.

Hi I am Charlie, I am currently studying the foundation degree at Chicken Shed and am participating part time on the Encounter year. Chase is my church, having been around for a few years it's great to be able to serve in my free time and bless other community groups. In any free time I have, I love to listen to books and watch movies. 

Charlie

Young man with short brown hair, mustache, and beard, wearing a black hoodie with a gold badge logo that says "Encounter" on it, standing indoors with a green plant and a dark blue banner in the background.

I’m Mo, I come from Bury in Lancashire. I very much enjoy reading in my spare time, especially books to do with history and religion. As I participate in the Encounter team this year, I pray that God gives me the strength to complete any tasks, as in Him is all power.

Mo

A young woman with blonde hair tied back, smiling, wearing a black hoodie with a logo, standing indoors with a plant and a banner in the background.

I`m Marie. I`m from Germany but currently doing a gap year here in England.

My gap year is with Pathway - an organisation working in primary schools across North London. During my year, I will help deliver assemblies and Christian clubs in schools. My placement church is Chase - I join the rest of the team at the Encounter Training on Mondays and help out at the church on Fridays and Sundays. 

In my free time I really enjoy going for a walk or a quick run. I also love reading, and can read for hours on end!

Marie

“I’m really grateful that I was able to go on mission as part of my Encounter year. Even though it was tough sometimes due to language barriers, we were still able to share the gospel and the responses were very positive. The passion and love from the locals and the people we worked with really inspired me to keep pushing myself and spread the good news no matter where I am.”
— Hanna (Encounter student 2023-2024)

Graduates

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Vivi (2024-2025)

A young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a navy blue polo shirt with 'CHASE family church' embroidered on it, standing indoors with a blurred background of a person and plants.
A young woman with wavy, shoulder-length brown hair smiling, wearing a navy blue polo shirt with "CHASE family church" embroidered on it, standing inside with a blurred background of a television screen and green plant.

Hanna (2023-2024)

Hannah (2022-2023)

A young blonde woman with glasses smiling, wearing a dark sweater and a delicate necklace, standing indoors with greenery in the background.
A young woman with light brown hair tied back, wearing a navy hoodie, sitting at a table with her arms crossed, smiling at the camera, in a room with a brick wall and colorful tapestry hanging behind her.
A young woman in a navy polo shirt with 'CHASE' embroidered on it, smiling and posing excitedly in front of a man in a maroon t-shirt with a lighthouse and trees graphic, outdoors in a park with trees, bushes, and buildings in the background.
A young man with long dark hair tied back, wearing a navy polo shirt with the Chase church logo, standing in front of a banner that reads 'Training for Life' and 'out' with additional text and images, indoors with a TV on the wall.
A man with glasses and a beard smiling, standing in front of a promotional banner for Encounter. He is wearing a dark polo shirt with the Chase family church logo.
A woman with glasses and curly brown hair, wearing a black shirt and light blue jeans, stands behind a music stand and speaks into a microphone in a wood-paneled room.

Adonai (2019-2020)

Rose (2018-2019)

Hannah (2022-2023) Enfield Vineyard Church

Leonie (2022-2023)

Marti (2019-2020)

Emma (2021-2022)