Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM)
The ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program invites adults ages 21-35 into a transformative year of international service. As they walk alongside global companions, volunteers are shaped by the witness of neighbors and share in the ministries of partner churches and organizations.
A year of service invites young adults to embody Christ’s love, supporting ministries and projects in communities of need. This journey also provides space for deep reflection — exploring identity, God’s work in the world and one’s own place within it all.
Serving in a spirit of accompaniment, participants practice mutuality and solidarity with global companions. Areas of service include ministry, education, human rights, health and more — offering opportunities to confront privilege, poverty and inequality through the lens of faith.
Specific International Opportunities
This YAGM program includes both countries because of the relationship with the companion church in this region. Placement of service may be in a large or small city or in a rural setting.
Despite a painful history, Cambodia’s youth are eager to rebuild, pursue faith and lead reconciliation. YAGM volunteers walk alongside these young leaders in ministry, service and hope.
YAGM volunteers are placed in Hungary, empowering ministries that nurture belonging and hope with the Roma people, who have endured centuries of oppression, including slavery and genocide.
In a country marked by deep inequality, YAGM volunteers in Mexico serve in Mexico City and beyond — rural villages, mountain towns and historic cities — walking with diverse communities in faith.
Senegal — shaped by Sufi Islam, slavery and colonial history, yet proud of its “Teranga” hospitality — invites YAGM volunteers to learn through interfaith life, community work, and reflection on justice and racism.
YAGM volunteers in the U.K. join a larger network of volunteers from around the world who serve in urban and rural settings throughout England, Scotland and Wales.
YAGM Program Countries
This YAGM program partners with the Iglesia Evangélica Luterana Unida, which is committed to education, diakonia, human rights and ecumenical relationships. Volunteers will serve through after-school programs, community centers, human rights initiatives, creative arts, women’s ministries, youth outreach, support for differently abled people or Indigenous partnerships in a manner that will allow them to wrestle with questions of justice and faith. Volunteers engage deeply in faith, justice and service.
Religion was banned under the Khmer Rouge, leaving deep scars that still shape Cambodia’s spiritual life. Today, YAGM volunteers serve as Christians in a Buddhist-majority society, building respectful cross-cultural and interfaith relationships. Service includes feeding programs, rural development, youth Bible classes, pastoral care, nongovernmental organization support and human rights training, all rooted in hope and resilience after years of turmoil. YAGM volunteers will receive introductory courses in Khmer.
YAGM partners with churches and organizations to serve Roma communities by providing musical leadership in worship, tutoring, after-school programs, day care, art and farming projects, ministries, and care for the homeless, elders and those with disabilities. Volunteers learn Hungarian, accompany Roma youth and students, and walk alongside communities in inclusive ministries. This work happens with the awareness that the church has shared in Roma oppression, both past and present.
Because Senegal is largely Sufi Muslim, young adult volunteers will live and work alongside Muslim and Christian colleagues and families, experiencing daily interfaith relationships. They will learn what it means to be a religious minority and witness how faith leaders collaborate to serve marginalized communities. The YAGM program focuses on health care, education and community development. While French is the colonial language, YAGM volunteers will also learn a local language.
With a wide range of placements, YAGM U.K. volunteers serve in settings from rehab centers to elderly care homes, from small village churches to diverse urban neighborhoods. They engage in local life, encounter social and economic challenges, and explore varied Christian expressions while lifting up the Lutheran tradition. In a secular culture, they wrestle with how to live faithfully and serve with love.
YAGM Mexico volunteers serve in secular schools and nonprofits dedicated to human rights, migration, sustainability and cultural preservation, often joining community organizing efforts around land, women’s and Indigenous rights.
Getting Ready for Service
Applicants must be 21-35 by the Discernment Interview Placement event in March. Married applicants apply separately and must be married by then. YAGM covers travel, housing, insurance, stipend and loan deferment support.
Here, YAGM volunteers share in the journeys of companion churches and organizations in one of nine countries around the world.
Get started on your journey here. Upload your resume and provide your work and educational history.
The directory highlights ELCA missionaries and global ministries, providing an overview of engagement and accompaniment.
Every Young Adult in Global Mission volunteer needs your prayers, support and gifts to succeed in their year of service.
