Internship Questions
 
Getting the Best Internship Experience

Internship programs at Bible Colleges vary widely. Some colleges make distinctions between weekly ministry or "Christian Service" and a more intense time of ministry involvement at a church, para-church, or missions organization called an "internship". For the sake of clarity in this article, Internship will refer to intensive ministry time and "placement," will refer to weekly ministry involvement that is usually required at Seminaries and Bible Colleges. Internships are often full courses that require the payment of tuition and sometimes a grade assigned by a supervisor. Often weekly placements are assigned a pass or fail grade but sometimes they are also graded for academic credit.

Part of a prospective student's choice of Bible College should be the quality of the internship program. Here are some elements to consider.

Philosophy and Purpose:
Each college will normally state its philosophy of Field Education or Christian Service in its literature. Typically they will mention that this is an aspect of personal and professional development. What they mean by this is that through serving the student develops character and skills. One indication that a field education program is designed well is that the placements are tied to ones program of study. For instance, if a student in enrolled in a Children's ministry major is this student to required to serve in a related placement or will just any Christian ministry suffice. If just any kind of ministry will do the situation is analogous to a student teacher being placed in garage to learn and to serve. While the student will develop character and skills, rotating tires and changing oil, they are not be acquiring the skills necessary for creating lesson plans and unit assessments.

Colleges requiring intentional placements and the fulfilment of clear objectives in each year of study, have stronger field education programs. The goal of the placements should be that by the time the students graduate, they are fully prepared to serve vocationally in that area of ministry. Internships should really be designed with the vocational goals of the student in mind. The most effective programs require students to be immersed in the context of ministry for at least three months or one semester. Normally third or fourth year students will job shadow a professional at the outset of their internship but after a short time are expected to do the work of the ministry and be observed by the professional. At the end of the internship, the student, the supervisor and the college should be convinced that the intern is competent take a position in the ministry they have served in for that semester.

Duration
Bible College programs range from one year certificates to four year degrees. Effective field education placements regularly require students to make a minimum of one college year commitment to a ministry. This makes good sense. During this time a student is able to observe and to participate in at least 2 full seasons of the life of a ministry. As the weeks progress students should be able to take on greater responsibility and build rapport with the people being served. Weekly involvement provides students with opportunity to reflect upon the experience and to pursue personal and professional goals.

Internships that require students to relocate to a church, mission, or para church organization provide students with real world exposure to ministry life. Students can better determine their personal strengths and weaknesses when they have been immersed in a culture or a ministry context.

Supervision
Effective weekly ministry placements and internships are characterized by a carefully maintained system of supervision involving the commitment of approved supervisors in close communication with the College. Every good program will have reporting forms and procedures for charting the student's progress at regular intervals. Each of these reports should be arranged in conjunction with the supervisor. The best situation is when both student and supervisor have input on the form and all of the content is discussed before it is submitted to the college. More and more colleges are moving toward digital documents that can be submitted electronically to the institution.

Quality supervision involves more than the punctual submission of evaluation reports. Students should be selective when choosing a placement based on the leader they will be working with. Some ministries employ the services of dozens of college students. Some students may be paid for their service to the ministry. While this type of situation may feel safe among the comfort of peers, students will rarely receive much attention from their supervisor. A supervisor may be an excellent leader but unless they have the time and the inclination to mentor, students will be disappointed. Field education supervisors who see themselves as part of the teaching team make a greater contribution to the student. A familiar old adage used on Bible College Campuses that relates to this situation is "It is not so much what you do, as who you work with that matters most!"

Adequate college supervision is yet another factor. Personnel at the college must be aware of what is going on at the church. Some colleges offering academic credit for placements normally require either time with a college liaison or attendance at a field education or practicum class. Smaller colleges may have only one person responsible for all of the placements or use a system of delegation involving department heads.

Expectations
Internship placements can go sour when the expectations of the student do not match the expectations of the ministry. The corollary is also true: internships deteriorate when students are unable to meet the demands of a ministry. The clearer the expectations established before the start of a placement the better the experience will be for the student and the supervisor.
Effective internships programs require the establishment of a learning contract or ministry covenant. Careful consideration of the position by the student will ensure a better fit. When it comes to a good fit here are some important considerations developed by Dale Reesor director of International Biblical Online Leadership Training:

Is it Meaningful?
You will observe and learn something new
You can make a valued contribution a to the ministry
You will receive quality time from the supervisor

Is it Challenging?
There are aspects of the ministry that are new to you
It will increase your faith dependency on the Lord
There are aspects of your responsibilities that extend you gifts and abilities

Is it Rewarding?
Being there makes a difference for you and the participants
You meet new people and build relationships
You will receive encouragement, feedback, and instruction from the supervisor
You will grow in your relationship with Christ

Choosing a Bible College where you will invest years of your life and thousands of dollars is one of the most challenging decisions you will ever make. Knowing what you are looking for in the area of Field Education and Internship should make that decision just a little bit easier.

Dr. Ron Powell
Field Education Director
Vanguard College
 

Dr. Powell served at Masters College and Seminary for 8 years as the Youth Ministry Program supervisor. He was adjunct faculty at Tyndale Seminary 2 years and is currently serving at Vanguard College as the Director of Youth Ministry Institute (3 years). Dr. Powell also teaches several DE courses (search our database for Ron Powell)