Oasis: for people & community - threesixty Christian Gap Year: FAQ

Those on threesixty work with children at risk of exclusion, young offenders, the homeless, parents and the elderly; they develop projects such as children’s and youth work, literacy, sports and arts initiatives; they work as learning mentors, health trainers, football coaches, worship leaders, sound engineers; they tackle deprivation, challenge inequality, promote inclusion and confront injustice.

The thing is though, it depends a lot on you, your skills and your passions. For example Stevewas interested in business and ended up running our coffee shop, business plan, finances, the lot – he’s gone on to study business. We’ve also got churches springing up where you can be involved.

So basically if your thing is not on the list give us a bell and we can explore it. We’d love to chat.

Most people who join threesixty are between the ages of 18-25 but if you are older you're very welcome to apply. If you are just younger than 18 be in touch and we'll see what we can do!

For us the most important thing is your character. If we reckon your really up for it, willing to learn and ready to get stuck in then please apply.

We do look at both your qualifications and experience but it is normally your experience that shows us what you are passionate about. No particular level of qualifications are required.

You can do Oasis threesixty at any of the following community hubs:

Waterloo, London

Enfield, London
Salford, Manchester
Bristol
Southampton
Grimsby, N.E Linconshire
Immingham, N.E Linconshire
Croydon, London

Find out more about these locations here.

I’ve heard the US and the UK are really similar, but I’m still nervous about living in a different culture. Is there anything that can help me prepare for a year away from home?

You’re right, there are some similarities but the US and the UK are still different cultures in their own rights.  Throughout the year you’ll go through different stages of being impressed, inspired, energized, overwhelmed, frustrated and homesick while living in another country.  This is all normal.  To help you prepare we’ll send you a pack with useful tips on adjusting to life in the UK and useful resources that you can use to help you prepare.  There are also many international staff working for Oasis in the UK who can be a valuable help if you need a friendly chat with someone else who has been through the experience of living abroad.

The website mentions interviews will I need to come to the UK for an interview?

When we have applicants from outside of the UK we conduct interviews via Skype or over the telephone.

Do the threesixty fees include my flights to and from the UK?

Any travel that you are required to undertake as part of your placement will be paid for by your hub.  However all threesixties are responsible for any journeys that you make to and from home at the start, middle and end of each term.  You can often find a good deal on flights from websites like Cheaptickets and Travel Zoo if you book in advance.

I need to apply for/renew my passport, where can I get one?

All of the information that you will need about applying for a passport or renewing it can be found on this website: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

The US State Department recommends that you leave 10 weeks for your passport application to be processed, so if you are applying for one for the first time, please do give yourself plenty of time.  If you would like to have it quicker than that you can expedite your application at an extra cost.

Why are the threesixty fees higher for US applicants?

Fee's are no higher for US applicants, but you will need to cover the costs of your flights.

We are committed to your success in all areas of your threesixty year, including your finances. For fundraising inspiration and ways that we can support you in this please see the section on our website entitled “Cost and Finance”.

Yes you can! If you've already got a church or community placement in mind where you want to do a gap year, you can join in with just the training side of threesixty.

You'll still be a part of so much of all that threesixty is about including the national training (three residentials per year) and support from our threesixty staff team.

You wil also have the opportunity to achieve a University Certificte in Lifelong Learning (subject to validation). This is being run by Oasis College for threesixty and is equivalent to an A Level. It has two core modules. These are:

• Community volunteering
• Working with children, young people and families

There will also be optional modules. These are:

• Sex and Relationships Education
• Mentoring through intentional relationships
• Whole life ministry and mission

The cost of this tailored package is lower than the full threesixty option so contact us today to find out more.

Oasis threesixty is a journey of discovery based around two core elements:

1. Spiritual formation and personal transformation
2. Community engagement and social transformation

Working with Oasis staff and other volunteers you will be able to develop your current skills and explore hidden talents. You will discover more about your Christian faith and become more dependent on God. You will gain a much greater understanding of who you are, how you fit in this diverse society of ours and how to make a serious difference.

But don’t panic - we will guide and support you on the journey.

All those who join threesixty will be placed in teams of up to four people and sent to resource and serve a local Oasis Hub. Each team will have a team leader who will be appointed by Oasis and all teams will receive mentoring and personal development support as they work together within the local setting.

On your way, you could also work with local youth services, the police, churches, primary health care and social housing agencies, as well as a range of other community organisations to bring about regeneration and lasting change.

You will also benefit from the expertise and regular input of a wide range of specialists and practitioners.

As part of encouraging you to live out your faith we will encourage you to live and buy ethically. We are keen supporters of Fairtrade goods and we as threesixty will do our best to use these products at our events. By coming on threesixty we ask you also to commit to buying Fairtrade goods wherever possible and to get involved with events such as Fairtrade Fortnight. Your training will also include fairtrade/ethical sessions.

Talking to our friends at the Fairtrade Foundation they were happy for us to show the Fairtrade mark as a way of showing our support.

Every person joining threesixty is required to agree to and sign the Oasis threesixty Code of Conduct. This provides details on the type of behaviour and personal lifestyle choices all threesixtys are expected to live by. In addition there are four threesixty rules which have been developed as a result of the many years of Oasis experience in running gap year programmes that form part of the code of conduct. We'll go through this as part of the application process but if you'd like to know more before hand just let us know.

All those on threesixty are overseen by an appointed line manager within the Hub. You will have the support of the threesixty staff who are available for support and pastoral care.

You will also be appointed a personal mentor who will be there to support and challenge you during the year.

You will be challenged to think carefully about how you live out and apply your faith to the context and experiences that form your year on threesixty.

It is likely that you will face many challenges and opportunities during your time on threesixty. Together we will look for answers, solutions and ways forward. We will help you discover more about who you are in the process, as well as gaining a bigger understanding about what it means to have a faith that is active and engaging.

You will be encouraged to have regular contact with family and friends and all of those people who are supporting you.

You will be expected to write to all those who are supporting you both through prayer and financially on a monthly basis.

threesixty can either act as a one year commitment or provide you with a strong foundation year on which to build over the following years. We will discuss the range of options open to you and invite you to consider becoming more significantly involved in the ongoing life and activity of Oasis through pursuing further options including;

Further Volunteering or Employment

There are always plenty of opportunities for volunteering at various levels of committment. threesixtys can become interns, taking a specific volunteeering opportunity or they can become a long term part of an Oasis hub team. All our latest job vacancies appear on our website here.

Further training

Alternatively, your year on threesixty may result in you choosing to train as a youth worker on the Oasis Youth Work and Ministry Degree Course.

Education

Previous threesixtys have decided to study at a University near where one of the Oasis Hubs are located. By doing this you will have the option to continue with the kind of work you have been doing on threesixty for the duration of your time at University. You can be sure there will always be plenty for you to do and get involved in!