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REACH Summer Internships

Spend 8-weeks serving with REACH!

REACH is an intercultural internship program that connects young adults with hands-on ministry opportunities all across the world.  We have unique service opportunities for young adults with interests or skills in ministry, nursing, community health, social work, business, veterinary care, agriculture, children and youth ministry, music, media and more!  Join a team of like-minded young adults and spend a summer with us helping transform the world by connecting with God's mission!

If you are interested in learning more about a REACH Internship, please email REACH@cmfi.org

You’re invited!

As the world becomes more connected and intercultural, missions continues to be redefined as an opportunity to learn and encounter global Christianity in a new way. God is active all over the world, and you’re invited to experience the ways He’s working this summer. REACH is an invitation to engage in the global task of being a witness “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Endless possibilities!

Our teams will serve in a variety of countries across the map. Your experience will be eye-opening, transformational and challenging, whether you serve in a medical clinic in Ivory Coast, a youth ministry in Asia, or in a university campus ministry in a European city. No matter where you serve, you will gain experience in intercultural ministry, use your unique skills and gifts to encourage missionaries and ministry staff and serve others while building relationships.

Expand your world!

As God calls and sends people from everywhere to everywhere, will you become a part of that story? Joining a REACH internship team will connect you with like-minded young adults, open your eyes to the beauty of the global nature of Christianity, and give you a broader perspective of yourself, other cultures and God. Join the team that’s been sending REACH interns abroad safely since 1992 and experience what it means to be engaged in the global work of missions that goes from everywhere to everywhere!

Places you can serve as a REACH intern!

Check out photos and video

from summer 2023!

What you can do as a REACH intern!

Asia #1:

Ministry opportunities may include teaching ESL and/or computer skills, taking care of infants at an adoption center, working with children who live on the streets, coaching/working with young people in a sports ministry, or researching business-as-mission projects alongside local staff. Interns will have the opportunity to serve in multiple cities, working with skills training programs and children’s centers.

Asia #2:

Interns will have the opportunity to teach ESL and work with children and students in a refugee school. Interns will live and work in a largely Muslim context while participating in disciple-making and community projects. This is a highly relational opportunity, focused on deep connection with families and children of the Muslim world. 

Brisbane, Australia:

Interns will participate in the final few weeks of the semester that include helping to host faith-based events, serving community meals, and encouraging students in the exam block. During the university break, interns will plan and host events at The Garden while the staff is traveling. Interns will be able to get creative and host social events, faith-based events, camping trips, beach trips... you name it!

Paraiba, Brazil:

Interns will have the opportunity to be immersed in Brazilian culture and serve side-by-side with local leaders at a church. They will be encouraged to use their gifts and share their testimonies to plant seeds and show the love of Christ to others. In addition, interns will engage with at-risk youth through education, small groups, and sports outreach. 

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:

Interns will serve with the church planting team in Ethiopia and have a unique opportunity to work in different contexts throughout the country. Interns will get the opportunity to teach and use their unique skills to benefit the growing and dynamic work with CMF missionaries and Ethiopian leaders. In addition to getting ministry experience in an urban setting working with low-income families, interns will also get to experience church planting work and teaching English classes in other rural locations across Ethiopia. 

Abengourou, Ivory Coast:

Interns will get an opportunity to serve in a number of different ministries. They experience what medical missions is like through serving in a local clinic. They will also be working with the community sponsorship program, the girls’ program, and the orphanage. They will get a chance to take part in evangelism events, home visits, teaching English, working in villages, and working with local leaders. 

 

Erlangen, Germany: 

Interns will participate in campus ministry in Erlangen the final few weeks of the semester, including helping to host faith-based events and encouraging students in the exam block. Interns will be able to get creative and help host weekly free meals, a free Café English, small Bible study groups and service projects with local charities. 

Tübingen, Germany:

Interns with Unterwegs in Tübingen will participate in a diverse community of university students, hosting and being hosted at various events and community spaces. It will be a summer full of welcome- receiving it and figuring out how to offer it humbly to others. Interns will practice language learning, grow in intercultural competence, drink a lot of coffee, and explore what it means to be along the way with others. 

 

Nairobi, Kenya:

Interns will work in the slums of Mathare Valley and engage in numerous forms of holistic ministry. Interns will have opportunities to work in community health, serve in a local clinic, use business development to work with entrepreneurs, shadow social workers and serve in homes, work alongside local pastors and church planters, and work in a classroom for children with special needs.

Turkana, Kenya

Interns will serve alongside the church planting team in Kenya as they work with existing Kenyan churches to empower, strengthen, and ignite the indigenous church. Interns will get to experience church planting and partnership work in this rural setting. 

Mexico City, Mexico: 

Interns will serve in urban ministries, focusing on VBS, teaching English, working with youth in the church, and other team ministry. They will especially be working with children, leading VBS and day camps. They will also have opportunities to teach English, be involved in the worship praise team, sports ministry and outreach ministry. 

Arusha, Tanzania:

Interns that serve in Tanzania will have an opportunity to work with local missionaries and Tanzanian young adults in various projects. We have a 12-member band of talented Tanzanian musicians whose vision is to share the message of Christ through music and media in areas such as worship concerts, photography, videography, social media development, podcast production, and more! Interns will get to incorporate their passions and gifts through performing worship services, assisting with summer camp programs, hosting short term visitors from America, and developing relationships with mentors and peers serving in and around Arusha. If you have any skills or interests in media, communications, or music, this might be the perfect opportunity for you! 

 

Bangkok, Thailand:

At Grapevine, interns will assist the staff in hosting gatherings at our house and doing outreach events on the Thammasat University campus. They will have the opportunity to explore ways that they can incorporate their own skills and interests into connecting with Thai and international students. There will also be plenty of opportunities to experience Thai culture and cuisine!

Montevideo, Uruguay:

Interns will serve in a dynamic campus ministry reaching out to university students. They will use their skills to meet new students and help to build up the community within the unique campus ministry called La Ruta. Interns will help by participating in small groups, coordinating the weekly faith event, cooking for the weekly gatherings, pouring into the university students, and more! 

Is REACH right for me?

For more than 25 years, REACH interns have served with CMF team members in many different areas of the world, from Germany to Asia, Africa to Mexico, and many points in-between. Their jobs varied widely, but they all worked hard, had adventures, faced many challenges, and developed lifelong relationships. You are invited to participate in REACH and experience what God is doing across the world. Here are just a few of the hundreds of things you might get to do to serve God’s Kingdom across the world:

  • Participate in home visits to families in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya.
  • Work with at-risk children in major cities across Asia.
  • Spend time building relationships with college students in Bangkok, Thailand.
  • Join ministry in a detention center in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
  • Help plan and lead VBS and youth camps for children and families in Mexico.
  • Use media and music to serve churches in Kenya.
  • Work in a clinic and use medical training in the Ivory Coast.
  • Use media and music to impact college students in Valencia, Spain.
  • Shadow a social worker or business leader around the slums in Kenya.

Along the way you may find yourself riding an elephant, on a safari, navigating the streets of big cities and tiny villages, living in homes with local families, learning to cook over open fires, climbing mountains, praying with and for other Christians, using your skills to point others to Jesus, and so much more. Check out your options and come join us for REACH!

REACH FAQs

Dates and locations subject to change due to travel restrictions. Interns and applicants will be notified as necessary. Regularly check the CMF website for updates.

Q: What is REACH?

A: REACH is an eight-week summer internship experience for young adults. Teams of interns travel to countries where experienced CMF team members live and work and join them in hands-on field ministry.

Q: What is the schedule for 2024?

A: May 28-July 18, 2024

Q: How much does a REACH Internship cost?

A: An internship costs $6,500 per person for each field. These funds cover your entire internship, including your passport, visa, immunizations, pre-departure training in Indianapolis, flight, field and ministry expenses, and much more!

Q: How old do I need to be to participate in REACH?

A: Internships are for college students and young adults, typically ages 18-30. You must complete at least your freshman year of college before the internship.

Q: Is this a paid internship?

A: No, but we will assist you in raising your own support and provide tax-exempt receipts from CMF for your donors.

Q: What other services does CMF provide for its interns?

A: CMF will assist you with passport and visa procurement, travel arrangements, medical requirements and packing.

Q: Will I receive any training before I leave?

A: CMF provides extensive training through a required six-day Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO) in Indianapolis. Interns learn skills in team building, language learning, cross-cultural adaptation, and building relationships, and receive spiritual preparation and specific pre-field training.

Q: Who will supervise my activities on the field?

A: You’ll receive guidance and oversight on the field from veteran CMF team members and their partners.

Q: My parents have a lot of questions about REACH. Where can they find some more information?

A: In addition to this page, ask your parents to look at our parents’comment page for further information.

Q: What happens when I return to the US after my internship?

A: Before you return home, you’ll complete your internship with a three-day Debrief that will prepare you for re-entry and help you process, maximize and bring closure to your mission experience.

Connect with us

Questions? reach@cmfi.org