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Total Land Area: About 450,000 km2 Forest: 54% Cultivated Land: 8%
Mountains: 16% Highest Mountain: Kebnekaise, 2,111 km 6,926ft alt.
Lakes and Rivers: 9% Total # Lakes: About 100,100; 22 > 100 km2
Length North/South: 1,574 km 977 miles Length East/West: 499 km 310 miles
Capital of Sweden: Stockholm City Population: 1.7 Million people
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Sweden is also known as the land of the "Midnight Sun". In the north, during the summer months, the sun never sets. In the winter months, the sun never rises above the horizon.
What is the present state of the work?
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Sweden was a ‘Christian country’, but is now facing severe spiritual challenges. Officially about eight million Swedes (89% of the population) are Christian, but many don’t even believe in God. Tensions within churches are common and some churches fall short in their confession to the risen Jesus. Stress and loneliness are growing problems in our wealthy nation. Honesty and faithfulness are vanishing values, but there is a longing for meaning and God is moving among young people across denominations. About 5% of the population are evangelical Christians. |
Credo, the Swedish IFES movement, supports 180 high school groups and 20 university groups scattered around our vast country. Recently there have been only two half-time Student Secretaries. However, quite some students want to share responsibility and Credo is becoming more of a movement. Students want to contribute to what God is doing and be faithful to our focus on evangelism, Bible study and leadership training. Still, the work is far too much for the small staff, and does need to be strengthened and vitalized.
In September 2006 an InterAction Team has started in Stockholm to support the work with national and international students in Stockholm. The needs are demanding especially in Stockholm and the team focuses on reviving the CU in Stockholm and expanding the work there. The Team works closely with the national staff.
However, for the work to be able to continue Team Leaders and more Team Members are urgently needed! Please pray with us for this!
What about accommodation, living costs, courses, jobs?
Accommodation is not easy to find in Stockholm city, and it is rather expensive. The InterAction Team and Credo staff will do what they can to help you find suitable accommodation.
Average costs of a student room would be 3000 Swedish kronor per month (€325, GBP 222); a 3-room flat (in the suburbs of Stockholm) would cost 5000-7000 Swedish kronor (€535 - 750, GBP 365 - 515).
It's difficult to say anything about monthly costs, as it depends on where you live and where you buy. Prices vary a lot, but that gives you plenty of possibility to go to cheaper places.
It would be good for InterAction workers to learn Swedish, but since most students know English rather well, it isn't necessary to be fluent in Swedish before arriving.
What special requirements are there for joining the InterAction Team in Sweden?
Visa: citizens from EU and EEA countries don’t need visas for entering Sweden; they only need a valid passport or identity card. InterAction workers will stay for longer than 3 months and therefore they need to apply for a residence permit. Submitting applications for this can be done from within Sweden, after having entered.
Those from other countries need to apply for a Schengen visa in order to enter Sweden. However, Sweden has visa agreements with other countries, such as Japan, Canada, Switzerland and the US; citizens from those countries won’t need a visa. A complete list of all the countries where visa is required is available on the Swedish government website www.utrikes.regeringen.se.
Language: although most of the students the Team will work with speak English, it is highly recommended to learn Swedish. There will be several possibilities to learn Swedish while in Sweden.
