Kosovo: Direct a Community Resource Center

CAMA Kosovo desires to build bridges of hope in their city for all people, regardless of religion or ethnicity. The Bridge Community Center provides a space for people to come to know of their God-given value and significance.

High-caliber, low-cost programs are offered for English as a foreign language. With staff availability, we can offer programs in career development, business education, mental health counseling, and early childhood development The center will also host other community-centered training and seminars.

Position Type:

• CAMA worker
• Partially funded
• Couple or single

Responsibilities:

• Oversee staff and programs that enhance the well-being of Kosovars, enrich the city, and create bridges for the gospel
• Oversee or handle financial aspects including budgets, invoicing, and payment of bills
• Oversee necessary maintenance and upkeep of the center
• Oversee the development of Bridge staff and programs to achieve specific outcomes
• Create a healthy collaborative team culture where staff are valued and cared for

Required Qualifications:

• Recognized bachelor’s degree
• Previous experience leading staff
• Completion of World Perspectives Mission Course or another comparable mission course
• Completion of Alliance Polity course
• A minimum Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) score of 60 or higher

Preferred Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in marketing/public relations
• Cross-cultural training and/or experience
• Recent experience in directing and/or overseeing a successful career development center
• Proven experience with the development/discipleship of others

Biblical Characteristics:

• Ability to articulate personal conversion and call to gospel ministry
• Demonstrated heart for the poor and marginalized (Micah 6:8)
• Theological alignment with The Alliance
• Demonstrated flexibility and grace in all aspects of life
• Vibrant spiritual life with consistent practice of spiritual disciplines
• Ability to learn and recover from failure

Timeline for Deployment:

Summer/fall of 2024. Following appointment, and once fundraising goals and other qualifications are met, the appointee is required to attend a cross-cultural and language-acquisition program and pre-field orientation prior to deploying.

General Information:

Kosovo is a country of 1.8 million people, rich in history. Albanians are extremely welcoming and easy to develop relationships with. Kosovo maintains freedom of religion, yet less than 0.1 percent of the population is evangelical Christian.

Currently, the team is involved in business development, health-occupational therapy, mental health counseling, evangelism, church planting, and teaching EFL. Beyond classrooms, The Bridge Community Center includes a place for mothers to connect, guest rooms for teams and interns, and a large meeting room to house a church family and community gatherings.

World Factbook—Kosovo

Joshua Project—Kosovo

Language Expectations:

Language is an essential part of ministry. For those who do not know the language, one year of formal language study in Albanian is required with an additional year as necessary.

Health Considerations:

Some local, private, pay-for-service clinics offer quality basic and emergency care. Private hospitals and clinics in the capital city, Pristina, provide quality care in nearly all specialties. Those with an allergy to smoke may struggle, as a large percentage of Kosovars heat their homes with wood stoves. Additionally, though technically banned, smoking is allowed in most restaurants and coffee bars. Those with food allergies should be aware that dairy and gluten are significant parts of most Kosovars’ diets.

Expectations for Spouse:

Spousal roles vary based on the spouse’s gifts, training, and abilities, as well as the needs of the team. It is expected that both spouses will be meaningfully involved in meeting team objectives, depending on the nature of the family roles, children’s needs, etc.

Children’s Educational Plan and Options:

Educational options in Kosovo consist of local Albanian public schools, homeschooling, and Black Forest Academy in Germany for high-school-age children.

Compensation Package

The successful applicant(s) will receive a full compensation package with the expectation that, once appointed, efforts will be made to raise a portion of support costs through the applicant’s network of friends, family, local church, or other resources. Information on support costs will be made available upon application. Training and/or coaching in fundraising is available.

Important Clarification

Applicant(s) should be aware that serving in the international world often requires a higher degree of grace and flexibility. For example, overseas teams can be suddenly and unexpectedly impacted by illness, government decisions, financial realities, team changes, or other factors beyond the team’s control. The challenge for applicants is that these factors can sometimes necessitate the sudden redefining of a position, which may take place before, during, or after the application/interview process has begun or is completed.

Whole-Life Health

CAMA Services is the relief and development specialized structure of Alliance Missions. As part of an evangelical denomination, we are committed to biblical holism, which is modeled and reflected through our work. Due to this commitment, part of the required qualifications includes optimal emotional, spiritual, and physical health. These will be assessed during the application process.