Bethel University students have the opportunity to experience ministry beyond the classroom through Task Force trips and Missional Internships, programs designed to help students serve others, experience new cultures and grow in their faith.
Task Force trips connect students with missionaries and ministry partners around the world for short-term service experiences lasting one to three weeks. Through these trips, students work alongside local ministry leaders while gaining a firsthand look at discipleship in different cultural settings.
“A Task Force is an opportunity for students to see what God is doing in the world,” says Jeremy Tice, World Partners Missionary in Residence at Bethel University, who serves on campus alongside his wife, Mindie.
A task force trip to Alaska has been ongoing every other year since the 1990s, with Mongolia added as a new destination for the opposing years. The nursing program also leads an annual Task Force, which traveled to Ecuador. This summer, students in both Mongolia and Ecuador served alongside ministry partners while learning what life and ministry look like in another culture.
For students interested in a deeper experience, Bethel also offers Missional Internships that last between one and three months. These internships allow students to live alongside local ministry leaders, use skills related to their field of study and learn what it means to build relationships that lead to discipleship.
Following this year’s Mongolia Task Force, three Bethel students chose to remain in the country for an additional five weeks as part of a Missional Internship. Students are serving in areas such as English education and physical therapy while learning from local believers.
The Mongolia Task Force team was given the cultural experience of a traditional Mongolian barbecue, served in a Mongolian rancher’s Ger (yurt). Pictured with the Bethel team are our Mongolian ministry partners: Pastors Tsegmed and Sundui, and the rancher’s family.
Another important aspect of the experience, according to Mindie Tice, is simply “seeing what it looks like to live and make disciples in a different country.”
One common misconception is that these opportunities are only for students preparing for ministry careers. Jeremy and Mindie Tice emphasize that students from any major can participate.
“Anyone can make disciples using their gifts,” Jeremy Tice says. “God can use anyone creatively in the world.”
Students are not expected to navigate the experience alone. Jeremy and Mindie Tice provide robust pre-field preparation for Missional Internships, meeting with them before departure and offering continued guidance after they return. The goal is not only to prepare students for the trip, but also to help them process what they learned and apply it to their lives.
According to the Tices, students often return with a broader understanding of the world, a deeper appreciation for God’s work across cultures and a greater confidence in sharing their faith.
For students who may be hesitant about applying, Jeremy Tice offers encouragement.
“God wants you to go and he will provide people to send you,” he says.
Students interested in future Task Force trips or Missional Internships can learn more by emailing the Global Engagement Office at GEO@BethelUniversity.edu.