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About PC(USA)

2025–26 In-Person YAV Service Year
Ages 19 to 30
Applications Open

Virtual YAV Service Year
Applications Open

Read about Austin YAV Elizabeth Welliver’s reflection on “Why YAV?”

Why Apply?

Miami YAV alum Natalie Wolf wrote a blog post documenting her advice and experience with the YAV application. Enjoy!

Check out her blog post...

Application Checklist

Group of YAVs posing in front of glass front building

Application Checklist

Information Sheet

Personal Information, Church Information, Education, Employment (Please make sure your contact info is correct with a valid and long-term email address)

Reflection Questions (1,000-character limit on all essay questions)

  • What has led you to apply for service with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)? Why do you feel that the Young Adult Volunteer program is the right fit for you?
  • Describe an area of your life in which you have recently grown in your Christian faith. How did you see God at work in the process?
  • Describe an experience you have had with a person or group from another race, religion, culture, or country. What did you learn from that experience? What, if any, impact did that experience have on your life?

(Returning YAVs will answer different essay questions)
 

Applicants must be U.S. residents or people living in the United States to apply.

Reference Information

First-year applicants: *Pastoral reference and **Professional reference needed 

  • *Pastoral: A faith-leader who is able to comment on the applicant’s faith journey and spiritual readiness toward a YAV year (Examples include, but are not limited to, church pastor, campus minister, youth pastor, chaplain, spiritual director) 
  • **Professional: Someone able to provide informed feedback on the applicant from a workplace setting (Examples include, but are not limited to, supervisor, professor, intern director)

Returning YAVs: Site Coordinator and Work Placement Supervisor references

For each reference, the following info is needed:

Name
Phone number
Email

Please do not list family members as a reference.

You will be emailed each time one of your references completes their form. If you have not received such an email, your references are not complete. You’re able to check on your Application Dashboard which references are complete. Please contact Bridgette Lewis (bridgette.lewis@pcusa.org; 888-728-7228, ext. 5274) if you need assistance with your reference forms or other parts of your application.