Considering a Call to Ministry? Apply for an Internship this Summer!

Are you a young adult, aged 18 to 25, considering a call to ordained ministry who is also available to serve in a ministry setting this summer? If so, we have a great opportunity for you to consider.

A Greater Northwest Area and YCI Partnership

The Greater Northwest Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church, an area that includes the Alaska, Oregon-Idaho, and Pacific Northwest Conferences, was awarded $100,000 last Spring to create internships in local churches and other ministry settings for young adults discerning a call to ordained ministry. The funds were received from the Young Clergy Initiative, a $7 million fund designed to “increase the number of young clergy among the jurisdictional conferences.”

The Ministry Internship Project (MIP) seeks to encourage a culture of call throughout the area by offering young adults, ages 18-25, the opportunity to experience first-hand ministry in the church and in the world.Since September, three interns have been a part of the project.

• Ryan Scott, a member of the Oregon-Idaho Conference has been serving at Valley & Mountain, a new faith community in Seattle, Washington.
• Rachael Phelps, a member of the Pacific Northwest Conference from Seattle, has been serving at Audubon Park UMC in Spokane, WA.
• Amanda Nicol, also from the PNW and originally from Spokane, has been serving at Gresham UMC in the OR-ID Conference.

The Plan for this Summer

During the Summer of 2015, the MIP will place up to five paid interns in ministry settings for 10 weeks during the summer of 2015. Ideally these internships will start on, or around, June 1 and conclude 10 weeks later on August 9th.  This summer internship provides a $5,000 stipend plus housing and health benefits supplied (if needed) through a partnership with the local ministry. While serving in a setting, interns will be responsible for their own meals, entertainment, personal items, and transportation costs not related to the internship.

We are asking United Methodists throughout the area to share this opportunity with young adults who have expressed interest in ordained ministry. We also hope they will join us in praying for the interns who are selected and consider how they can encourage and support future leaders for our church today.

Host sites are also needed. We are looking for faith communities that have a history of nurturing young adults as well as understanding call. These sites will need pastors, or ministry professionals, and laity who know how to encourage and mentor young adults and some funding to help with the housing and insurance requirements of the intern. Priority will be given to sites which can offer a rounded experience of ministry.

How to Apply

Intern and host site applications are available to download below and are due no later than April 20, 2015 for the Summer 2015 internships.

You should email completed applications to communications@pnwumc.org.  You can also mail applications to the following address:

Ministry Internship Project
Greater NW Episcopal Area
P.O. 13650
Des Moines, WA 98198

Interns selected to participate in the summer cohort will be notified by April 30, 2015. Host sites will be selected soon thereafter.

Questions

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Patrick Scriven at the Pacific Northwest Conference Office; pscriven@pnwumc.org, c: 206.304.9284 or David Reinholz; djreinholz@gmail.com, c: 360.821.9340.