The Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has announced that it is adding six new service sites in the 2014/2015 year.

The YAV program provides one-year opportunities to young adults for service in local communities around the world and to discern how God may be calling them to Christian service.  

“This year, we sent 73 YAVs into a year of transformative service, and we are excited that these new mission opportunities will invite more young adults to serve” says  the Rev. Richard Williams, YAV program coordinator.

Three of the new sites are in the United States, and three with international partners. The new national sites will be in Indianapolis, Little Rock and Washington DC. National YAV sites are local partnerships with local congregations, presbyteries, and related agencies.

The new international YAV sites will be in Colombia, Thailand and Zambia. International YAVs are invited to serve and learn alongside Presbyterian World Mission’s historic partners.

“Through these new sites, young adults will see the ways that God is at work around the world, grow in their faith and leadership, and join in Christ’s call to serve,” Williams says, noting that YAVs continue in service past their year: recent studies show almost all YAVs continuing in some form of vocational service of others. About a third will go on to seminary and ordained church leadership.

Applications to serve in the YAV program are open now on the YAV website. The deadline for international service is Feb. 14, 2014. For national service, the deadline is May 15, 2014. In 2014/15, the YAV program will have fifteen national sites and eight international sites, which are all described here.

The site expansion is part of the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s goal to triple the number of YAVs serving around the world.