At Vineyard Ministry School, our mission is to grow kingdom leaders who know who they are and how to bring the kingdom wherever they are called. Come and experience the journey that God has us on in the local church or community organisation setting, with input from key staff and leaders. We aim to see you grow in character and competency as a disciple-maker, and to grow in a team in the skills you'll need to lead. 

Vineyard Ministry School provides outreach to Internationals who wish to volunteer in a NZ church or organisation. Internationals on a Working Holiday visa can attend as guests at the block courses and classes on a term-by-term basis, alongside our New Zealand domestic students. 

Hours per week: 20 hours, made up of 15 hours of Practical Ministry + 5 hours of attending classes

As part of the programme, you will be consistently involved in ministry on the ground completing on average 15 hours per week of volunteer practical ministry involvement. 

You will choose one ministry area (in agreement with us, and after consultation with local ministry context leaders) to volunteer and outwork your learning in. 

Please note ministry areas include (but are not limited to): 

·        Worship  

·        Media  

·        Ministry administration support for areas such as pastoral care, Lifegroups etc.  

·        Communications & Design 

·        Production - Audio, Visual & IT 

·        Operations 

·        Young Adults  

·        Youth  

·        Kids & Intermediates  

·        Or volunteering in one of the community trusts of your local church.

For a specific list on what is available for the coming terms, click the button below.

Classes are on Wednesdays during term time, along with a one week, live-in, Block Course at the beginning of each term. The topics are Discipleship (term one), Encountering the Bible (term two), the Basics of Christian Belief (term three), and Faith in Action (term four), along with a Peer Support Tutorial and Ministry Time.

These classes, alongside the Practical Ministry involvement, are designed to train, equip and enrich the faith of all participants. We value learning theology alongside practical ministry.

As an international, you will not be enrolled in an accredited programme and will not be required to complete assignments alongside your learning. You will be expected to complete a small number of structured written activities to help shape your practical ministry focus and reflection.

Intakes: 4 intakes per year (for specific dates, see below) 

Every year we have 4 intakes which coincide with our school terms. Each term begins with a block course. As an international you will complete a full term of learning (including the block course) at a time, and you are welcome to do multiple terms with us in a row. 

The dates for our four block courses which start the school terms are as follows: 

Term 1 - 17th – 21st February

Term 2 - 28th April – 3rd May

Term 3 - 14th – 19th July 

Term 4 - Sunday 28th September – Wednesday 1st October

The 2025 cut-offs for applications each term are as follows: 

Term 1 – Wednesday 20th November 2024

Term 2 – Wednesday 12th February 2025

Term 3 – Wednesday 23rd April 2025

Term 4 – Wednesday 9th July 2025

Please see our 2025 Timetable PDF for full details of term dates. 

All volunteers in NZ local church and organisation settings require a clear police check from your home country. This will include an extra cost, and you will need to provide the results of your police check near the beginning of your application process. 

We can process police checks on your behalf if you are from the following countries: Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, or South Africa. 

Please note we will require your payment for this service in advance, and this will cost $300 per police check.

If you are from Australia or Canada, we may be able to complete the police vetting process on your behalf at cost. Please note, if you are from any other country you will likely have to complete this process yourself and it will need to be done early in the process and should be one of your first steps once you've decided to study with us.

As we are closely linked with the local church, Vineyard Ministry School can connect you with families who offer boarding opportunities for internationals, or groups of Ministry Students who are setting up a flatting situation. If you need help with finding somewhere to live, please let us know and we will endeavour to connect you with people who could help.

As a guide to help you in planning your adventure abroad, here is an estimate of basic NZ living costs for a boarding / flatting international: $80 per week food + $180 per week board/shared rent and utilities + $50 sundries per week =$250-$300 per week living costs. We may be able to line up a live in board option, reducing rent.

We advise you to arrange for your own working holiday VISA to enter NZ. You are not entering the country to complete a study or training option but entering on a working holiday visa and connecting with our outreach programme to assist you in volunteering in a local church or organisation setting. Click here to learn more about New Zealand Visas.

Processing Fee (paid once upon application)

$100

NZ Police Check (one off fee if we complete this for you)

$300

Cost per term to join the programme as a guest

$300

Many of our Internationals find work in hospitality, retail or support work roles. We advise that 15 hours part time work is about right for most people alongside 15 hours of volunteering at church and 5 hours of attending classes. You could reasonably earn $20 per hour after tax, or up to $300 a week.

·         A robust entry level academic learning

·         Opportunities to serve and grow in your ministry context 

·         Support to get linked with ministry practitioners in local church or organisation setting

·         Safe spaces to talk with both staff and non-staff members about how you are doing during your time with us 

·         Support as you transition out of your time with us

1.     Please read and make sure you agree with our Ministry Volunteer Commitments and Vineyard Churches of Aotearoa New Zealand Statement of Faith before beginning the application process. 

2.     Please complete the internationals enrolment form and pay your processing fee.

3.     Please provide a clear police check from your home country.

4.     Once we have your clear police check completed, our Student Support staff will organise an interview time with most applicants. This can be arranged online or in person. 

5.     At the interview we will discuss the various volunteer ministry options, answer questions about NZ life and talk about whether this opportunity is the right one for you.

There will often be a second interview with the ministry leaders of the area of ministry you would like to volunteer in.

6.     If your application is successful, we will offer a volunteer ministry opportunity to you. If you would like, we can connect you to possible living and work options.

7.     Should you wish to accept this offer, we will send an invoice for the term's fees. 

8.     Once the invoice has been paid, we will start onboarding.

Access the Fees Schedule at the button below: