The North Pacific Union Conference (NPUC) Summer Ministerial Internship is a wonderful opportunity for theology and religious studies majors interested in pastoral ministry. Through this ten-week program students earn full-time practical experience, under the mentorship of skilled NPUC pastors, that strengthens their understanding of what pastoral careers look like.
Over the years, Carl Cosaert, dean of the School of Theology, has received consistent positive feedback not only from students, but from pastors and churches as well, expressing how much they appreciate their interns. Many pastors mention what a blessing students’ gifts are to the church and how much church members value the enthusiasm and dedication their interns bring to ministry roles. According to Cosaert, “It has been such a blessing that we have had students return to the same church for a second summer internship.”
In summer 2024, Logan Lennon, a senior theology and religious studies major with a pastoral ministry concentration, completed his internship at the Spokane Linwood Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church in Spokane, Washington. Afterward, his mentor, pastor Volody Nesteruk, said “Working with Logan was an absolute delight. His positive attitude and willingness to serve wherever he is at, made it very easy and even inspiring. He is an excellent speaker and has a heart that really cares about people.”
Pastor Volody’s mentorship was helpful as Lennon got used to all his many new pastoral responsibilities. Like most other ministerial interns, Lennon earned first-hand experience in a little bit of everything. He helped with a couple of Vacation Bible Schools (VBS), gave Bible studies, attended weekly prayer meetings, and even preached a full sermon on “God’s plan for our lives.” His summer was not entirely restricted to the church building, however. He also went on visitations with church members and volunteered at the local foodbank that Spokane Linwood Church supports.
Lennon especially liked the time he spent helping with VBS. He got to play Daniel for one of the program’s plays and loved to see the kids' joy in watching people dressed up and acting out different Bible stories. His favorite part about the VBS program was that every day brought something new. At the end of the summer, Lennon said, “I would highly recommend doing a summer internship as it helped me grow and see what being a pastor is all about. I learned an immense amount and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”
In most cases, like Lennon’s, students are paired with a single pastor. This provides a focused, one-on-one mentorship experience. However, some churches utilize a multi-pastoral team, and this creates a chance to learn from several pastors with varied perspectives and experiences to share. Throughout senior pastoral ministry major Jonathan Alvarez’s internship experience at the Medford SDA Church in Medford, Oregon, he received guidance from both the interim senior pastor, Dan McCullough, and the youth pastor, Kenton Gonzalez.
After working with Alvarez this summer, McCullough said, “Jonathan has an incredibly good work ethic, is highly spiritual, and is focused on his relationship with Jesus Christ. He did everything he was asked to do and more, and he did everything with great success. He is a great young man, and I look forward to watching his future in ministry.”
While Alvarez gained valuable experience in multiple different facets of pastoral care and church leadership, much of his time in Medford was focused on the youth. One of his main tasks for the summer was organizing and leading weekly youth group meetings where church and community members alike would come together to eat dinner, have worship, and enjoy activities and games.
The most important things Alvarez learned from working with the youth was the value of letting God use him as a vessel for God’s love and caring for each other: he said, “God's spirit working through me and through the youth to minister to each other is more impactful than anything I can say or any activity I can plan… It's only through Him and by His grace that we can minister to others in an eternal way.”
After completing an NPUC internship, students often share their own evaluations of the program, and Cosaert reports that many students express how much they appreciate this opportunity. The time students spend serving at NPUC churches helps them learn how to handle difficult situations like responding to people in need, balancing multiple responsibilities, and adapting to the unexpected. “Beyond developing practical skills,” Cosaert said, “the internship has helped our students grow more confident in their calling to ministry.”
Cosaert continues to see tremendous benefits in what the NPUC summer internship program offers students: while classroom learning about ministry is helpful, it doesn’t compare to working full-time in the field under the mentorship of a pastor. Interns also get the chance to engage with the entire church community through visiting, preaching, teaching, and participating in each of the various church-life aspects. This diverse interaction provides a very well-rounded experience in ministry.
Unlike the School of Theology’s other internship opportunity, the Pastor Mentoring Program, the NPUC Summer Ministerial Internship is optional, though highly recommended. Since these internships take place in the summer, they offer a full-time ministry experience without conflicting with work and class responsibilities. The program offers participants a $5,000 scholarship for their time and is available to any theology and religious studies major who has completed their sophomore or junior year.
To learn more about what the School of Theology has to offer, go to xyschool.net/theology.
Posted Nov. 18, 2024
