For most people, the word internship conjures up images of fetching coffee, sorting through filing cabinets, or inputting data into spreadsheets. Even in church circles, internships often amount to nothing more than busy work and the occasional planning meeting. Interns typically fill the role of “doing whatever the full-time staff don’t want to do themselves.” And sadly, opportunities like this often leave both interns and the churches they serve at wanting for more.
But does this have to be the case? Is there a way to reinvent the internship in a way that benefits all involved? If we want capable, experienced leaders on our church staff, are we actually providing people with that training and experience? How does balancing coffee orders and stuffing mailers prepare one for a life of ministry? What makes an intern love coming to work, rather than just dread another day at the office?
Each year at Watermark, we have dozens of young adults (typically people who are 25+ years old) and recent college graduates (typically 22 – 24 years old) join us on a short-term, 10-month basis. Much like interns, they come to learn and gain experience. However, no one is running around fetching coffee or organizing filing cabinets. No one is given all the busy work so the full-time staff can stay focused on “real ministry.” We’ve decided to think about interns and internships a bit differently. Instead of having interns, we created the Watermark Institute, a different way to equip and disciple the leaders of tomorrow.
In the Watermark Institute, participants are treated like full members of the Watermark Community Church staff from day one. They do meaningful ministry alongside church leaders who have been doing it for years. Every bit of the Institute, from the theology and apologetics classes held every week to the constant opportunities for pastoral ministry, is designed to help participants deploy their gifts and grow in the faith. They are not doing the grunt work, but the real work of ministry. They are asked to dive fully into the staff culture, participate in pastoral care, plan ministry, all the while keeping up with their studies.
So why don’t we have interns? It’s not because we don’t want to invest in the future generation or give young people ministry experience—it’s because we do. And we think that intentionally making a real investment in them—focusing on what we can do for them rather than what they can do for us—is a better way of accomplishing that goal.
Internships should be a way to champion young leaders and equip them for the reality of ministry. If that means full-time staff need to take on their share of grunt work, plus spending time training and pouring into the next generation, then so be it. It is part of the work of making disciples (Matthew 28:19-20), entrusting faithful men (2 Timothy 2:2), and equipping the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12). It is worth it, because the next generation of church leaders is worth it.
Are you interested in attending the Watermark Institute, or know someone who might be? The Watermark Institute is designed to strengthen churches everywhere by investing in their future leaders—people like you. The Institute allows you to gain hands-on ministry experience and in-depth biblical instruction within a community of like-minded Christ followers.