SUCCESSFUL INTERNSHIPS Growing Effective Competent Pastors Anthony Kent

At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Matt. 9:36-38 NAB)

1 in 4 pastors finish well. (Archibald D. Hart, Fuller Theological Seminary)

There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (Acts 4:36, 37, NRSV)

When he [Saul/Paul] had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, and described for them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.

So he [Saul] went in and out among them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He spoke and argued with the Hellenists; but they were attempting to kill him. When the believers learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. (Acts 9:26-30, NRSV)

News of this came to the earsof the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord. (Acts 11:22-24, NRSV)

Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.” (Acts 11:25-26, NRSV)

Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. (Acts 13:1-3, NRSV)

he inexperienced ones should not be sent out alone. They should stand right by the side of older and experienced ministers, where they could educate them. But they should say to them, ‘You must not copy my T

gestures, nor the tone of my voice, so that nobody will know whether you are speaking or whether I am speaking. You are to stand in your own armor, with your own phase of character, sanctified by God.’” —Evangelism, p. 684

—Australian proverb

ne worker who has been trained and educated for the work, who is controlled by the Spirit of Christ, will accomplish far more than ten laborers who go O

out deficient in knowledge, and weak in the faith. One who works in harmony with the counsel of God, and in unity with the brethren, will be more efficient to do good, than

ten will be who do not realize the necessity of depending upon God, and of acting in harmony with the general plan of the work. —The Review and Herald, May 29, 1888

ery much has been lost to the cause by the defective labors of men who possess ability, but who have not had proper training. They have engaged in a work which they knew not how to V

manage, and as the result have accomplished but little. They have not done a tithe of what they could have done had they received the right discipline at the start.” —Gospel Workers, p. 287, 288

Reasons for Entering Ministry Desire to see Gospel Communicated 84.7% Very Important 8.7 Mean Score Divine Call 77.1% Very Important 8.4 Mean Score Desire to Help Others 65.1% Very Important 7.5 Mean Score

Almost all the respondents expected that the most important roles would be teaching the Bible, soul winning, and pastoral care of a local congregation. (p. 10)

The level of support and appropriate affirmation that your spouse received/is receiving during your first two years in ministry. 60% 30% 0% Fail Pass Good

My mentor modeled/modes the following to me: Bible studies with a new believer 80% 40% 0% No Yes

My mentor modeled/models the following to me: Evangelistic preaching 80% 40% 0% No Yes

My mentor modeled/models the following to me: Evangelistic visitation 90% 45% 0% No Yes

My mentor modeled/models the following to me: Pastoral visitation 70% 35% 0% No Yes

A minority of respondents found that the internship experience was a good one. (p. 63)

A few had mentors who cared about them, supported them, and gave them much practical advice. In many other cases, the internship was a disappointment. Many mentors had little time for their interns, failed to

give them much guided practical experience and in a few cases, had little at all to do with their interns. Many interns felt that they were “thrown in the deep end” and left to “sink or swim. (p. 63)

Baptisms — Final Year Interns, Average = 2.4 over two years

Baptisms — 2008 Stage 1 Interns Average = Stage 1 Interns New internship processes introduced in 2005

It is imperative that ministerial interns personally acquire the essential practical skills of ministry. WHY?

The church must rediscover the biblical truth that all believers are ministers and that the pastor is the trainer and equipper of the laity for their ministry...

The church must be committed to developing a lay ministry model of church where the pastor trains but the laity evangelize and care for each other.” —Russell Burrill, The Revolutionized Church of the 21 st Century, p. 142

Internship is a time to develop the essential skills for a fulfilling and productive lifetime of ministry. Obviously this process of internship will translate to the intern being stretched — but not broken; challenge — but not overwhelmed.

Through the internship process, the intern is enabled to understand by experience how to train and equip others. This will help them to train and equip members throughout their ministry.

The Regular Path to Ordained/Commissioned Ministry Voluntary involvement in the local church Formal theological education Internship (normally two years) Licensed ministry Ordination or Commis- sioning (Individual needs to continue to grow and develop in ministry skills.) Continued involvement in the local church

THE SUCCESSFUL INTERN EXPERIENCE

CORE SKILLS FOR DISCIPLE-MAKING

EVANGELISTIC WORK Evangelistic visitation Evangelistic Bible studies Evangelistic Programs/Evangelistic small groups Gaining decisions

PASTORAL CARE Pastoral visitation Small groups PREACHING TRAINING

The successful internship depends largely on a cooperative effort.

By providing a Ministerial Internship Program By providing resources and training events for supervisors and interns By providing opportunities for interns to liaise and network 1 THE CHURCH ORGANIZATION

By calling the graduate to a ministerial intern position By planning and implementing an appropriate intern ministry opportunity Through ensuring adequate supervision of the intern and the internship team 2 THE CONFERENCE ADMINISTRATION

Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the internship team, in harmony with the requirements of Working Policy 3 THE CONFERENCE/UNION MINISTERIAL ASSOCIATION SECRETARY

Committing time and effort into this special ministry as outlined in the manual 4 THE INTERN SUPERVISOR

By cooperating with, and capitalizing on, the opportunities provided by the other participants in the program Conscientiously endeavoring to maximize the ministry experience outlined in the manual 5 THE INTERN (who would be wise to make the most of the opportunity of internship)

By being patient, tolerant, supportive, and affirming In providing a training ground for the intern By acknowledging the supervisor as the trainer By expecting the intern to invest adequate time in Bible studies and other evangelistic activities 6 THE LOCAL CONGREGATION

By recognizing that the supervisor will need to take time to teach and model various aspects of ministry to the intern By recognizing that the intern and supervisor will both need time for their families

IN INTERNSHIP SUPERVISION

An effective internship program should take into consideration: Distance: supervisor and intern should be close enough to meet weekly and to provide the supervisor frequent opportunities to model ministry to the intern Trained supervisors Teachable attitudes

Adequate financing Clear expectations Suitable match of personalities between supervisors and interns Appropriate local church environment for ministry

A healthy working relationship requires a positive, teachable, attitude from both the intern and supervisor A friendly relationship does not mean the supervisor is lacking in authority

While the supervisor is the leader in the internship process, the intern should be given opportunity to share suggestions and insights. This working relationship will have a significant impact on how much is learned during the internship.

A positive working relationship will lead to a successful internship program, which will benefit not only the intern and supervisor, but ultimately the churches served throughout their years of ministry.

A healthy relationship is one where individuals give each other the right to be wrong. While professional excellence is the aim, occasional mistakes are the reality. Both supervisors and interns need to be aware of this, but when something goes wrong, there needs to be discussion about what happened and why, and a willingness to learn and grow.

Potential obstacles may include: Age difference Values Motivation levels Unwillingness Education and experience levels Unteachable and unyielding attitudes Ability level Gender difference Personality difference Failure to recognize authority Abuse of authority Ministry preferences Task/people orientation differences Ethnicity and cultural differences Unrealistic expectations

ROLE AND FUNCTION OF THE SUPERVISOR

Teaching by Example Discuss plans and direction of training Quality time demonstrating the various areas of pastoral and evangelistic ministry Shadowing Time with the intern must receive top priority in the supervisor’s weekly planning

The role of the supervisor includes: Modeling a balanced ministry providing appropriate time for personal devotions, ministry tasks, family, and personal needs Regularly modeling ministry functions to the intern, especially Bible studies, pastoral visitation, etc. Periodic modeling of preaching, public/seminar evangelism

Meeting weekly with the intern to:  Provide pastoral care of the intern  Discuss core ministry skills with the intern  Provide regular discussion of ministry functions as outlined in an appropriate manual Supervising, evaluating and giving feedback for the intern as they practice skills that have been taught Reporting to the conference/mission on the progress of the intern

n gaining a preparation for the ministry... [the young]... should be associated with older ministers. Those who have gained an experience in active service are to take young, inexperienced workers with them I

into the harvest-field, teaching them how to labor successfully for the conversion of souls. Kindly and affectionately these older workers are to help the younger ones to prepare for the work to which the

Lord may call them. And the young... in training should respect the counsel of their instructors, honoring their devotion, and remembering that their years of labor have given them wisdom.” —Gospel Workers, p. 101

The Training Process The supervisor demonstrates core skills to the intern regularly and repeatedly over a period of months. 1 The intern practices the core skills under supervision and later on their own. 2 Debriefing and reflecting on the practical experience in skill development. 3 Planning for further development. 4

The Stages of Coaching Unconscious Incompetence Conscious Incompetence Conscious Competence Unconscious Competence Desire to learn Practice Rich experience Stimulus State Bryn Hughes, Discipling, Coaching, Mentoring, pp. 47, 48, Kingsway 2003

To achieve the outcomes outlined above, the supervisor should have the following basic skills: Ministerial competence Ability to teach/train Ability to communicate clearly Able to evaluate and provide helpful feedback Able to care

Confrontation is often the caring response in the face of resistance. What counts is the method and purpose of confrontation. Honesty is crucial; to speak the truth in love is a Christian act. Mutuality requires that one hear the truth as well as speak it. —Paul Stevens, Experiencing Ministry Supervision, A Field Based Approach, edited by Pyle and Seals, p. 92, Nashville, 1995

Qualities of Effective Supervisors Commitment to your intern Belief in an intern’s potential Objectivity and Honesty: “This is what I see happening in your ministry.” Openness and Transparency: In an appropriate manner, allow your intern to see your humanness, some mistakes and failures as well as your successes

Model positive ministry Credibility: be the kind of supervisor you would have liked to have had when you were an intern Teachable: Be willing to learn from the intern as well as others Team Player: include the intern wherever possible and appropriate Available: This may not always be convenient, but it will be invaluable and appreciated Reasonable: Don’t ask the intern to do anything you wouldn’t be prepared to do yourself.

very church should be a training school for Christian workers. Its members should be taught how to give Bible readings, how to conduct and teach Sabbath E

school classes, how best to help the poor and to care for the sick, how to work for the unconverted. There should be schools of health, cooking schools, and classes in

various lines of Christian help work. There should not only be teaching, but actual work under experienced instructors. Let the teachers lead the way in working among the people

and others, uniting with them, will learn from their example. One example is worth more than many precepts. —The Ministry of Healing, 148, 149