INTERNSHIP
The Renovate Pastoral Internship is the deepest form of discipleship we offer reserved only for men sensing a call to pastoral ministry. Our goal is to show you a true picture of day-to-day ministry life and to provide guidance and clarity for any man feeling a possible call to pastor. We will dive deep into who the Bible says may lead the church as well as how to know if you are called and qualified. You will also have the privilege of reading some of the best books ever written for those preparing for pastoral ministry and to discuss these books in a dialogical learning environment. Our next internship available for application begins 9/11/2024 and ends 6/11/2025.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The internship is offered to a small group of men once a year, running from Fall to May the following year. No prior education, seminary degree, or ministry experience is required to apply. This is both for those who never have taken steps to discover a calling, as well as for men who've pastored in the past and are looking for a fresh biblical approach to ministry. Our goal is less to decide whether a man is "called to the ministry" but more to ensure he knows what the qualifications and calling are. At the end of the internship we will share our honest thoughts are that man and his future calling. The completion of the internship is NOT a guarantee of a job or that you are called to ministry. For this reason, men should not expect the internship to lead to immediate ministry opportunities or a guarantee that the end will result in a “yes you are called.” Whether a man is called to pastoral ministry or not, we do believe the internship will be a life-changing experience.
Most of the intern's time will be spent in reading. There are about 5,000 pages total of reading, about 40 papers, as well as 9 meetings where the books and papers will be discussed and questions may be asked to grow. The book topics include:
Spiritual qualifications
Difficulties in ministry
Spiritual Leadership
Counseling
Discipleship
Evangelism
Ordinances
Preaching
Hermeneutics
Theology
A pastor will read each of the interns’ papers each month. The interns and pastors will regularly meet to discuss the papers.
On top of the reading and writing assignments, the intern will be expected to observe Elder Meetings, weekly Sunday worship services, and pre-service prayer times. The intern can expect a few spontaneous meetings and possible requests to assist pastors on certain projects.
We highly encourage interns to schedule one-on-one lunches or coffee with church elders and staff, allowing for various wisdom and counsel. All interns must commit to and uphold the Membership Covenant of Renovate during the internship.
ELIGIBILITY
We will accept applications from men feeling a stirring to pastoral ministry of any kind. Each man must purchase his own books. However, anyone may request financial help although this is not guaranteed for all. Each man must also attend a meeting prior to the start of the internship to go over expectations and they must be willing to meet all expectations to be accepted. Final approval of applications and financial aid will be decided by a pastor.
IS THIS FOR YOU?
We encourage you to apply if you believe there may be any possibility of a calling to pastoral ministry. We cannot guarantee acceptance but will do our best to ensure the program is suitable for those who are accepted. All acceptance decisions will be announced two weeks before the semester begins. Our next internship begins on 9/11/2024. If you have a question we haven't answered here, please email info@renovatechurch.org