Volunteer opportunities
Road trip!
Would you like to visit the Northern Territory for 2-6 months at a time? Do you want to volunteer your time to help remote Indigenous Australians access the Bible?
We are looking for retirees who can travel to various remote communities in Central and Northern Australia to build relationships with local Christians and distribute translated Scripture and other resources. Relationships take time and usually require introductions, so people who are open to coming more than once would be preferred. Furthermore, given the cross-cultural environment, you would need to have a willingness to learn about working in another culture. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide a wage or a vehicle, but may be able to source funding for fuel and accommodation.
Escape to Darwin
Want to escape winter and spend 2-8 weeks a year in Darwin? Come and serve Indigenous Australians and promote the use of Scripture by supporting our Darwin office.
We are looking for retirees to come and volunteer in our Darwin office once a year to help out with administration and archiving. We have a bookshop with books to be labelled, shelves to be organised and cleaned, a catalogue to be updated, and gaps on the shelf to be investigated. We also have a library with new books to be archived and old ones to be scanned, along with other office administration tasks. People with some computer skills and the ability to work independently are ideal. We’d prefer to have people come for at least 4 weeks, and/or plan to return regularly so that time spent on training is worthwhile. Anytime from February to November is possible. You’re welcome to park a caravan on site, or we may be able to find accommodation nearby.
Internships
Considering missions, but not ready to commit to a long-term position? Want to see what working with Wycliffe/SIL is like?
We are looking for people to come and work in Darwin for a year, with the possibility of extending to two years. It would involve joining Wycliffe and raising your own prayer and financial support, though partial funding may be available.
Responsibilities
– Work full time from the Darwin Office
– Be trained and work in your areas of interest
– Contribute to the administration needs of the Darwin office
– Keep your church and supporters up-to-date about your work
Skills and training
Successful applicants will learn their role on the job, however proficient computer skills are required.
We are looking for interns with a passion for and skills in at least one of the following areas.
– Linguistics
– Audio recording and editing
– Translation
– Project management
– IT
– Biblical exegesis
– Managing digital content (web, apps)
– Literacy
– Language research
– Website development
– Admin & office management
The exact role you do will depend on your skills and passion, and could involve more than one type of work. Below are a few examples:
– Bible translation
– Managing digital publications and archiving
– Recording and editing Scripture audio
– Language research/survey
Job opportunities
We’d love more workers so that we can do more! Please note that these are not paid positions. Most of our staff work as members of Wycliffe Bible Translators and have a team of partners who pray and provide financial support, and we also have some volunteers. Below are some of the urgent needs for personnel, but they are just a sample of the opportunities available.
Resource distribution
Bibles and other resources are no use sitting in a storeroom! We need people who can travel to communities to take resources to the people who need them.
Literacy – Scripture engagement workers
We are looking for people to come alongside churches and communities, to encourage people to use the Scripture and biblical resources available in their language. This could include helping them to increase their ability to read portions of vernacular Scripture, and helping produce new resources.
Sociolinguistic research – Language survey workers
We are looking for people to do primary and secondary research into current and future patterns of language use, in order to understand translation needs for particular groups. Researchers who would be willing to transition into a translation advisor role are preferred for primary language research.
Linguists – Bible translation advisors
We need people to work alongside Indigenous Australian Bible translators, giving exegetical advice, helping with computer issues, training them in translation, coordinating consultant checks and more.
Linguist – translators for the Plain English Version
The Plain English Version is specifically designed for speakers of Indigenous Australian languages, and we need more translators to get the whole Bible done.
Translation consultant
We could use a qualified translation consultant to consultant check translated Scriptures.
Audio-Video technicians
In cultures where oral learning is the norm, it’s important to make God’s truths available in various formats. We need people willing to help with audio and video recording, editing, mastering and manufacturing, both for music and Scripture recordings.
IT support & developers
We need people to help set up an online store, maintain and update our website, maintain a cloud-based archive system, and create and update apps with Bible resources, as well as provide IT support for staff and Indigenous Bible translators.
Typesetters & graphic designers
We need people to typeset translated Scriptures, and design books, music labels, and promotional material.
Bookshop managers
We are looking for people to manage our bookshops in Darwin and Alice Springs.
Please pray with us for more workers, and if you’re interested in finding out more, please don’t hesitate to contact us or your local Wycliffe organisation! Australian or NZ passport holders or permanent residents are preferred for work in Australia. There are also opportunities in Timor-Leste, and indeed all around the world. Visit wycliffe.org.au/positions for more information
ausil@sil.org ~ 08 8911 1326
info@wycliffe.org.au ~ 03 9712 2777