2021 GCF LE APPLICATION FORM

Applications 2021

Instructions

Please apply as early as possible. Places are limited. Applications close on 31st October 2021, or when places have been filled. Please note the following:

You must answer every question. Unanswered questions will disqualify your application.
You will be informed when your application has been received, and when it has been approved or otherwise.
The Leadership Experience begins on 1st December 2021, and will conclude with an Online Graduation Ceremony in October 2022. In making this application, you are agreeing to be involved with every aspect of the course.

Personal Details

First Name

Last Name

Date of birth

Gender

Country of birth

Country where you are currently living

Do you currently have a valid passport

Yes

Name as it appears on your passport

Passport number

Place of issue

Issue Date

Expiry Date

Your Contact Details

Postal Address

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State

Zip Code

Country

Mobile

Alternative phone number

Emergency Contact Details

In case of emergency, please supply contact information on the person you would like to be contacted

First Name

Last Name

Emergency Contact's mobile

Emergency contact's email

Their relationship to you

Family Details

Please specify

If you are engaged or married, is your fiancée or spouse in agreement with this application knowing that, if successful, this will involve a three-week and a one-week residential training?

Yes

Number and ages of children (please specify "none" if none)

Health Information

Please inform us of any health-related needs that you have. It is important that your information is accurate. These details will not necessarily affect your application.

Do you suffer from any chronic illness?

Yes

Please detail any chronic illness

Do you suffer from any injuries?

Yes

Please detail any injuries

Do you have any disabilities or special needs that may prevent you from physical or other activities?

Yes

Please detail any disabilities or special needs

Do you have, or have you ever experienced, stress-related or psychological issues of which we should be aware?

Yes

Please detail any stress-related or psychological issues

Do you commit to abide by all the rules and requirements that will be in place regarding Covid-19 whilst you are in Kenya?

Yes

Are you able to arrive for the intensive with proof of full vaccination, and with proof of a recent negative Covid-19 test result?

Yes

Have you read and understood the Covid-19 information page on the website?

Yes

Is there any particular food you do not eat because of medical or dietary reasons?

Yes

Please specify foods

Are there ANY other health-related issues we should be aware of?

Yes

Please detail any other health-related issues

Personal Testimony of Faith

We would like to learn more about how you became a born-again Christian. Please write your testimony in the space below as briefly as possible

In what ways are you currently strengthening your walk with God?

Ministry Leadership Experience and Dreams

The GCF Leadership Experience will encourage and challenge you as a leader in children's ministry to reflect on your practice, develop more strategies and skills, and learn from others who are involved in similar leadership roles.

Describe below a recent project that demonstrates your contribution to leading children's ministry. For example, it may be in developing a program that equips younger children's workers, or in implementing a new program to benefit children.

Type of Project

Purpose of Project

Your contribution in leadership

What lessons have you learned about leadership through these experiences?

What do you enjoy about leadership?

How do you hope that the GCF Leadership Experience will equip you both in your current role and potential leadership opportunities in the future?

Why would you say that the GCF Leadership Experience is the right time / opportunity at this point in your life?

Nominating Church or Agency

You must have the consent of your church or organisation before you complete this section. In this way, we are sure that you will receive the support you need during the course and will continue to contribute in a significant way as a leader.

Nominating church or Christian organisation

Please provide details of someone in that church or organisation with whom we can communicate regarding this application.

First Name

Last Name

Contact's relationship to you

How long has he or she known you?

Contact's postal address

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State

Zip Code

Country

Contact's phone number

Contact's email address

References

As part of your application you are required to choose two people who will act as your referees. These are people who have know you for more than three years. Ideally one should be a mentor / pastor / church leader, and one should be a person that you work with / studied with / volunteered with. Please supply below the details of the people who will act as your referees. None of these should be a close relative. It is acceptable for one of the referees to be the person whom you have listed above under Nominating Church or Agency.

Your first Referee

Name of first Referee

First Name

Last Name

Referee's phone number

Referee's email address

Relationship of the Referee to you

Organisation for which your Referee works

How long has your Referee known you?

Your second Referee

Name of second Referee

First Name

Last Name

Referee's phone number

Referee's email address

Relationship of the Referee to you

Organisation for which your Referee works

How long has your Referee known you?

Employment History

Current Employment

Are you curently employed? Please choose the option that best describes your current situation

Yes, I am employed full-time

Yes, I am employed part-time

I am self-employed

I am a student

I am unemployed and looking for work

I am unemployed and not looking for work

Other (please specify)

Please specify

Present occupation / job

Name of the organisation you work for

When did you start?

Job Description

Previous work experience (full-time or part-time)

Please list any previous work experience (full-time or part-time)

Please list any previous volunteer experience in your church or community in the past five years

Education History

Please indicate the highest level of education achieved in the following areas (if none, please leave blank). You only need to provide details of your most recent / highest qualifications.

Click the + sign to the right of the box to add more than one qualification.

Secondary / High School or Trade School / Polytechnic

Academic Level	Name of Institution	Qualification earned

College / University

Academic Level	Name of Institution	Qualification earned

Post-graduate

Academic Level	Name of Institution	Qualification earned

Language and computer skills

Please answer these questions as honestly as you can. As the GCF Leadership Experience uses English for all its work, it is therefore very important for us to know your level of proficiency in English. Students are required to be able to speak and write in English and have reasonable computer access and skills as most assignments and research will be done using computers.

What is your first language?

What other languages do you speak well?

English Proficiency

How well do you READ English?

How well do you UNDERSTAND English?

How well do you SPEAK English?

How well do you WRITE English?

Computer Proficiency

How proficient are your general computer typing skills?

How proficient is your use of Microsoft Word?

How proficient are you in using the internet for research?

What type of internet access do you have?

Free internet available at office

Internet available at home

Internet cafe that requires payment

Other (please specify)

Please specify

What type of printing facilities do you have?

Free printing available at office

Printer available at home

Internet cafe that requires payment

Other (please specify)

Please specify

Commitment

The GCF Leadership Experience includes mentoring, supervision, assignments, online forums and two residential intensives in Nairobi, Kenya. All of these are essential for every participant and require both financial and time commitments.

Assuming that you are accepted, are you able to commit to the following:

Seeking funds to cover your contribution to the cost of the GCF Leadership Experience (see financial section below for more information)

Yes

Regular meetings with a local mentor

Yes

Regular meetings with a ministry supervisor from your church / organisation

Yes

Completing research and reading assignments as required

Yes

Participating in online discussions

Yes

Attending the four-week residential intensive in Nairobi, Kenya

Yes

Providing reports and feedback as required

Yes

Responding promptly to GCF Leadership Experience communications

Yes

Once your application is accepted, you and other parties will be asked to sign agreement to the GCF Leadership Experience requirements.

These documents include Memorandum of Understanding, Children Protection Declaration, and Legal Indemnity.

Are you then able to commit to the following:

Sign the relevant documents promptly

Yes

Encourage the other parties to sign each document as required (e.g. family, supervisor, mentor, nominating ministry etc)

Yes

Financial Support

An important part of the registration process is to explore how you will meet the financial requirements you will face as a GCF Leadership Experience participant. We expect this will be a partnership between you, your church or organisation and your family and friends.

The fee for LE, including all course fees and accommodation and meals in Nairobi, Kenya is US$2,100. You are responsible for:

Purchasing your airline ticket
Visa costs
Insurance costs (travel and medical insurance for the residential intensive is compulsory)
The LE fee. Only in exceptional circumstances will subsidies be available. Preference is given to suitable applicants who can pay the full amount
All personal expenses

Please note that very limited scholarship money is available. We anticipate that the leaders who apply for this course will be largely supported through their church, the ministry with which they are working, and their network of friends and mentors.

Please note

The GCF Leadership Experience does not at any time provide any financial support for participants to pioneer or sustain their ministry, or for their personal needs.
Participants who do not comply with the requirements of the training during the residential intensives and are therefore requested to leave the program prior to its completion, or who fail to complete the program for any personal reason, will not be reimbursed for the fees they have already paid.

Please answer the following questions:

Do you have a stable source of income to meet your personal and family needs during your participation in the GCF Leadership Experience?

Yes

Do you currently have any people financially dependent on you? These might include parents, biological, adopted or foster children, other family members, non-family members. Please click the (+) on the right-hand side to add extra dependents.

Name	Age	Relationship to you

Have you talked with your church or organisation about financially supporting your involvement in this program? What has been their response?

Have you talked with your family and friends about financially supporting your involvement in this program? What has been their response?

What steps will you take to ensure that you are able to raise the full amount?

Successful applicants are likely to be those whose church or organisation is able to help them to raise the total cost of airfares and course fees. Please indicate if you will have any difficulty with that and state clearly the amount of sponsorship money you might need. Please note that sponsorship funds are very limited.

The Application Process

When we receive your completed application form, we will contact you if we have further questions.

When we are satisfied with your application, we will contact the people you have named as referees.

We will advise you if your application has been successful by 31st October.

If successful, to confirm your place on the Leadership Experience, you will be required to pay:

US$1,000 by 30th November 2021
The balance of US$1,100 by 27th February 2022

You are responsible for successfully obtaining a valid Kenyan visa to attend the residential intensives (embassy rules differ so you must check requirements with your national embassy). We recommend that you begin the process for your Kenyan visa once you have signed and sent in your Participant Covenant document. Please ensure that you have a valid passport which covers the Leadership Experience dates before you apply for your visa.

You are required to pay for and provide confirmation of personal health / travel insurance covering the residential intensives in Kenya before you travel. We cannot accept participants without valid insurance

The Leadership Experience begins on 1st December 2021, and concludes on 30th September 2022 with an online graduation on 15th October 2022.

For specific date and deadlines, please go to https://gcfleadership.org/timetable/.