Every host has been on a host confirmation call with our team on video, has shown us the home and the room a traveler would sleep in, and has signed the Statement of Faith. Travelers and hosts can review each other in the member portal after a stay, and every traveler must carry medical insurance. Safety is still a shared responsibility, so read the safety guidelines before you go.
How a Cross Exchange work exchange works
Cross Exchange is
The Christian work exchange.
Volunteers serve with a vetted, Christian host. Room and board provided, no money trades hands. Ends when you choose.
The traveler provides
Valuable volunteer help.
An agreed number of hours each week. Often yard work, cooking, childcare, church and ministry help. Rest of the time: explore, enjoy, and live like a local.
The host provides
Room, board, and belonging.
A spare room and a seat at the table. Travel is better when immersed in the culture, not sitting in a hostel.
We vet every host.
Our staff meet each host on a video call before their listing goes live, to confirm who they are and see the space a traveler would stay in. Every host also signs our Statement of Faith.
Both sides come out ahead.
The service ↔ room & board trade is a fair deal. Hosts don't charge the traveler, keeping the relationship honest and friendly.
Be Part of theWorldwide Network
Cross Exchange has members in 42+ countries around the world.
- 42+Countries with members on the map
- VettedEvery host video-vetted by our team
- FreeNo money changes hands between host and traveler
Loved by Members in
42+ Countries
Verbatim from our Google Reviews
Cross Exchange is more than just travel, it's a meaningful, Christ-centered program that encourages service, cultural exchange, and personal growth! The co-founders were so supportive and well-organized, and helped make everything flow so well. I highly recommend Cross Exchange to anyone looking for a faith-based travel experience made simple!
You don't need much
to host
“My home isn't nice or big enough.”
Volunteers aren't seeking a sterile hotel. They come to experience what life is really like in the local area, with real people who will share meals with them. A welcoming space, a clean bed, and a safe environment are enough!
“I don't have enough work to offer.”
Everyday help counts. You and the traveler agree on the hours each week before they arrive, and ordinary household tasks can fill them. No farm, building project, or ministry required.
Hosts are often seeking:
- Yard work, gardening, and landscaping
- Painting, repairs, and small building projects
- Childcare, school runs, and homework help
- Cooking, baking, and cleaning
- Church, ministry, and outreach help
- Errands, driving, and shopping
- Feeding, walking, and caring for animals
- Language practice and tutoring
If you have a spare room and a few hours of work each week, you qualify.
What a month costs
Estimates for one person staying one month in a mid-cost country like Greece. Cross Exchange currently charges no program fee, and your host covers your room and meals in exchange for an agreed number of hours of help each week. Here is how that compares with a short-term mission trip and with backpacking.
| Expense | Cross Exchange | Mission Trip | Backpacking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program Fee | Currently free | $2,500 | N/A |
| Accommodation | Covered by host | Included in fee | $750 |
| Meals | Covered by host | Included in fee | $660 |
| Total Estimated Cost | $500 | $4,200 | $1,910 |
| See full pricing | |||
Every total also includes an estimate for gear, incidentals, and travel insurance. The mission trip total includes a round-trip airfare allowance, because mission programs sell at one all-in price. Flights for Cross Exchange and backpacking depend on where you start, so those columns leave them out.
How we build trust
Work exchanges are built on shared trust, gained through a variety of measures. Here's what we do to help everyone have a safe, enjoyable experience.
Video call with every host
Our mandatory video call prior to approving host listings allows us to confirm who they are, see the space where volunteers will stay, and talk through what types of help they're looking for. If anything gives us pause, the listing isn't published.
Christianity is the common thread
Hosts are professing Christians, and each agrees to the same seven-point Statement of Faith before publishing. Travelers don't have to be Christians, but should be open to learning about Jesus.
Reviews, insurance, and shared responsibility
After a stay, travelers and hosts review each other in the member portal, and a host who keeps drawing negative reviews is removed. Every traveler carries medical insurance valid where they are staying.
How Cross Exchange Compares
Cross Exchange sits between the secular work exchanges and the short-term mission trip, and it works alongside both. Here is what each alternative leaves out.
- Secular work exchanges
- Workaway, Worldpackers, and HelpX run the same room-and-board trade at a far larger scale. What they cannot offer is a network of Christian homes, so a stay with us comes with a church family and shared prayer.
- Short-term mission trips
- A mission trip gives you a team, a leader, and a set itinerary. We give you a host instead of a program: you pick the country and the dates, and serve one family directly.
- Backpacking
- Backpacking is the cheapest way to see the world on your own terms. We keep that freedom and swap the hostel bed for a Christian home, where your help covers room and meals.
Fairlie, New Zealand
Questions People Ask Before Signing Up
There is no catch, because no money changes hands between host and traveler by design. The traveler's help is what the host gets; room and board is what the traveler gets. Cross Exchange currently charges no fee to either side. In time we intend to charge travelers a subscription for the ability to contact hosts, which keeps money out of the host and traveler relationship.
Not required. Travelers do not sign a statement of faith, but you should be open to learning more about Christianity; someone opposed to it will not enjoy living in a Christian home. Hosts are different: every host is a professing Christian who has signed the Statement of Faith.
No sweat. Nothing binds either side to finish a stay: the traveler is free to leave at any time, and a host can ask a traveler to leave as well. Talk it through with each other first where you can, and after the stay each of you can leave the other a review in the member portal so the next match has the full picture.
Host and traveler agree the length between themselves; there is no enforced minimum or maximum. Most Cross Exchange stays are short-term, typically under three months. For a six-to-twelve-month arrangement, as a host or as an au pair, our partner the Christian Au Pair Network specializes in exactly that.
Ready to join
the network?
Cross Exchange was started by siblings Trent and Bethany Sikute. Over the course of a year, Trent traveled to 22 countries, most of them through work exchanges, and came home wanting the version other platforms never offered: Christian hosts, where service and connection have a deeper purpose. Read the story.
Now, this dream is a reality, and Cross Exchange is creating mutually-beneficial service opportunities around the world. Whether you could use a hand or want to see the world, let the adventure begin!