Cultivating Youthful Leadership thru Summer Internships Randy Meyer

Role of Summer Internships at The Church of the Resurrection To identify and/or cultivate a call to ministry for the participant through hands-on experiences in our church setting.

What’s in it for the Intern? Exposure to excellent ministry work and leaders Develop their leadership and ministry gifts thru their interaction with key staff and volunteer leaders Give them equal opportunities to lead and be led Help them grow in knowledge, faith, and maturity within a ministry setting

What’s in it for the Church? Receive valuable ministry work and support Help to spark renewal in the church by raising up youthful leadership Promote ministry to the brightest and best young people as an attractive career option Ultimately, increase the number of young people seeking ordination in the church

Who are we Looking For? People who are exploring Pastoral Ministry People who are exploring Vocational Ministry People who have a heart for Christ and desire to explore how they can help lead their local church as a young adult while working in the secular world.

Jordan Buscher’s Story

How do we Recruit? Centralized process Mostly within congregation – Christmas, Spring Break Referrals from each ministry College campus postings

Preferred Candidates? A growing interest in or calling to a ministry career Internally identified as a candidate through past or existing involvement with a ministry area Church leadership exhibited as a student. College campus leadership exhibited, especially related to faith Completed their freshman year of college or have at least one year of post-high school experience

Interview Process Discuss purpose of program - we need you! Describe what we’re looking for What’s in it for them Describe the experience Discuss their interests/passion/experience – suggest areas to serve. One person (Randy) talks to most candidates, then refers best fits to ministry departments for interview and final decision

Hiring Logistics 10 week internship Serve a maximum of two summers, with exceptions allowed for strong pastoral candidates desiring exposure to multiple ministry areas Do not receive benefits or housing. Church may assist with finding a host family. Pay is $9 per hour – work part-time or full time. Workspaces provided within the ministry area they are serving in

Hiring Logistics (cont) Focused mainly in one ministry area. Possibilities include: Small Groups Special Needs Guest Connections Traditional Music Catalyst Contemporary Music Technical Arts Congregational Care Children Counseling Youth Communications Regional Campuses IT Missions Finance/Stewardship

Supervision One person assigned to each intern Sets specific job responsibilities and ministry goals Regular check-ins (recommend at least bi-weekly) Regular discussion to ensure the internship is meeting the expectations of the intern Guides and mentors the intern throughout the summer

Intern Experiences Orientation session Campus tour/Church tour Weekly group learning opportunities focusing on community, spiritual growth and leadership development Faith stories of guests during weekly gatherings Exposure to the church staff thru our staff chapel. Encouraged to set up numerous “coffees” with staff and congregant leaders

Intern Reflections Provide a short reflection paper at the conclusion of the summer Summarize their experience Describe the status of their “call,” both before the summer began and when it ended. Mention who and what impacted them the most from their experience. What worked, and what didn’t – use feedback to improve the program

Summary of Goals Develop a process for helping the intern initiate or cultivate their call into a future ministry career Ensure future leaders are identified and developed Be a catalyst for more young leaders to be placed as ministry professionals and/or pastors Increase visibility to the congregation of our intent to develop young ministry leaders for the future Promote ministry as an attractive career option

Please complete an evaluation of this workshop Thanks for Coming!! Randy.meyer@cor.org li.cor.org/workshops Please complete an evaluation of this workshop