Love Languages?The programme is ideal for language students but also for all those wanting to take some time to make a real difference in a contemporary European context.

Community Living. All time2bless placements begin with several weeks at Bethanie, our missional training centre in France, where we introduce the ‘bless ethos’ and offer practical input. Students enter into a daily rhythm of prayer, learning and shared meals.

Cross-Cultural Mission. All time2bless placements work with a local church in a pioneering mission setting, serving in key areas such as worship, youth and children’s ministry and community engagement. Students are encouraged to immerse themselves in the culture, multiply their language skills and engage in prayer and local acts of service.

Personal Formation. Time2bless offers space to explore deep questions about faith, church and personal calling. All students participate in a programme of study based on a number of key texts including ‘Celebration of Discipline’ by Richard Foster and are assigned an online tutor. Through prayer, reflection and grounding theory in action students discover and develop new gifts, embrace deeper faith and begin to find their place in the mission of God. We call this process ‘missional formation’.

What does it actually look like?

Tricia spent 3 months at Bethanie, France

“My time with bless was life changing. I learnt to lead a life of love, for God, myself and others. It gave me the time and space out of ordinary life to listen to and become more confident in God’s callings for my life. It was a healing and confidence building time. I enjoyed the daily rhythm of prayer and community meals, sharing stories, reading and writing, being in the countryside, cooking and creating. I met wonderful and inspiring people. I am very thankful for my time at Bethanie”

Marky B spent 9 months in Freiburg, Germany

“I had previously done summer mission trips with Bless both in France and Croatia and loved what Bless was about. I loved their heart for Europe and spoke to them about the potential of working together on a placement in Germany. Before moving to Freiburg I spent three months at Bethanie. It was great fun working on the veggie patch, looking after the chickens, helping with the local church and learning a cheeky bit of French. I really loved entering into the daily rhythm of prayer that happens at Bethanie and being a part of the community there; it will always be a second home for me”

Melissa spent 3 months in Perpignan, France

“I stayed at Bethanie for just under a month, where I learnt a lot about prayer, community and mission. I then spent three months as an ‘intern’ for a church in Perpignan. I served in the church office translating documents and sorting out the church website as well as helping run an Alpha course. God revealed things about myself during that time that I didn’t know before and most of all revealed things about Him. I learnt to praise God in the busyness and chaos of everyday life. It was certainly a challenge, but one which I will never forget”

For more information, contact gemma@blessnet.eu or download and fill in a time2bless form

go2bless begins with team training at Bethanie, our missional training centre in France, where we introduce the ‘bless ethos’ and offer practical input. Participants undertake basic language skills, Bible teaching, creative workshops, prayer, team building activities and lots and lots of eating!

go2bless trips call for a range of skills and need team members of all ages to work with kids, teens and young adults. Each team needs a mix of creative, practical and language skills. We use lots of music, sport, circus skills, games, arts and crafts.

Trips have a strong focus on spiritual formation. Each day we set apart time to pray, study the Bible in local cafes and worship together. We believe prayer and mission are inseparably intertwined.

“Being on go2bless mission trip, showing people a glimmer of light from God, completely transforms you as a person”

Are short-term mission trips fruitful?

We know that travel broadens the mind but we have learned that it can do far more, when combined with service, reflection and prayer. We see short-term mission as a tree with three fruits – bringing blessing to the churches and communities our students serve, to those they return home to and to the students themselves. Our method is short-term mission, but our goal is long-term change. Our aims in these three areas are:

1. To build up and encourage local churches across Europe
2. To create opportunities for Christian students and young adults to experience mission, learn to serve, establish their faith and encounter new cultures.
3. To enable these same students to return to their home churches and communities better equipped and grounded in their experiences, enhancing the contribution they are able to offer.

“Go2bless always refreshes me. It gives me time to think about who I am in Christ. It makes me realise that God needs to be the centre of everything and I need to put him in my day to day life”

For more information, contact gemma@blessnet.eu or download and fill in a go2bless form

“heart2bless gives you time to hear the heartbeat of God and allows you to align yourself to His rhythm”

“Heart2bless is always a great time – fun, encouraging and challenging and above all, inspiring!”

What does it actually look like?

A typical heart2bless prayer weekend begins on Friday evening with a hearty home-cooked meal followed by evening prayers and a night cap before bed.

Saturday breakfast is followed by morning prayers, worship and two coffee infused learning sessions all before lunch. There is normally an offsite visit in the afternoon before returning to Bethanie for afternoon tea, learning session three, dinner and compline.

Sunday morning is usually more laid back with a later breakfast, morning prayers and a final learning session before lunch.

“heart2bless was a weekend of encouragement, inspiration and connection; discovering and developing God’s heart for Europe”

“Refreshing, basked in God’s presence! Loved my short but sweet stay! Also received answer to very specific prayer prayed at one of the prayer installations.”

How is heart2bless mission minded?

We believe the mission of God is, at heart, a work of transformation. That which God does in me he wants to do in the wider world. There is a qualitative link between the inner transformation I experience in Christ and the outward transformation he will bring to whole communities.

Those called to inward transformation are turned outward to their neighbour in loving service. Those receiving forgiveness are empowered to forgive. Those transformed by grace become the very essence of grace to others. The people of God are called not only to receive healing but to be a source of healing in their world; not only to know reconciliation but to bring reconciliation; not only to be blessed but to carry blessing outward.

Changed people change people, and the people they change change the world.

“Mind bending, vision lengthening, spirit uplifting, friendship renewing, time expanding, relationship building, belly filling, heart warming – simply breath taking!”

For more information, contact gemma@blessnet.eu or download and fill in a heart2bless form