Entry Training / On-boarding

The Gateway course is part of the Mercy Ships On Boarding program and is designed to educate, equip and empower our staff and crew for service with Mercy Ships. It is 8 weeks in duration, comprised of 5 weeks classroom instruction and 3 weeks field application in West Africa. The Gateway field service is a practical application of topics taught in the classroom. After the compltion of the service, we will arrange transportation to the ship.

Curriculum includes topics on Faith Foundations, Working with Those We Serve, Personal/Interpersonal Development, and Basic Safety Training (a maritime requirement), and Crowd Management and Department Training.

All volunteers are encouraged to attend both FMS and Gateway but it is only required for those volunteering nine months or more.

Costs:  The Gateway program is $1,700 US plus the cost of airfare to the field service (which is typically $1800-2400 US).

This fee includes course tuition, housing, food and travel insurance during the field service. If you are joining us with a family, click here for additional information and costs.  

Prerequisite: Foundations of Mercy Ships

Dates: 

Gateway 2012

January 07 - March 1, 2012 (Gateway Field Service February 14 - March 1, 2012)

June 09 - August 03, 2012 (Gateway Field Service July 16 - August 03, 2012)

September 15 - November 9, 2012 (Gateway Field Service October 23 - November 8, 2012)

For more information, please contact us by e-mail at jobs@mercyships.org or call a Mercy Ships Recruiter at 1-800-939-7000.

THE SCHEDULE

Gateway is rich with learning opportunities. It is a special time set aside to equip you for service with Mercy Ships, expand your knowledge of living the Gospel cross-culturally and to enrich your spiritual growth and relationship with our Lord. The schedule is very full and structured, especially during the classroom phase. The field service schedule will also be full, but tends to be less structured due to the cultures we are in.

During Gateway, it may be a challenge to find much personal time during the day. Because of this, we encourage you to come prepared to be flexible and adaptable. We hope you find Gateway to be rewarding and beneficial in preparing you to serve with Mercy Ships.