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"Interns"
Post-High School Training Programs In The Local ChurchIt seems like it's all the rage. Young people graduate from high school and don't necessarily want to go straight to college. But they do want a quality experience as they transition into young adulthood. Many of them ask their Pastor or Youth Pastor for ideas. They don't want to leave home. They would like to have a good experience in their own local church. So Pastors are designing special "discipleship" or "internship" programs for their young people.
Why are local church discipleship/training programs becoming increasing popular?
The need for ministry and leadership training in a local church context. Many pastors are discouraged with the annual "brain drain" from the youth group. The best and the brightest graduate from high school and go away to attend the college of their choice. Then when it comes time to find a qualified leader the Pastor is forced to look outside of the local church. Wouldn't it be better to train those who have grown up in the local church?
The need to minister more effectively to young people in a post-high school transition. Some young people go away from home and succeed elsewhere while others founder and don't do well anywhere. Why? This question has been studied by many youth leaders and they have all drawn similar conclusions. Graduation from high school launches a young person into a rather traumatic transition into young adulthood. The main reason why it is so traumatic is the fact that their entire social structure, almost all their relational connections, change. As a result, the first step in the young adult transition is creating a new social structure, new relational connections. And those connections will significantly determine the nature and quality of their young adulthood. What better place to make this transition than in the local church among excellent Christian friends and mentors! Offering a meaningful option to recent high school graduates could allow them the opportunity to blossom into mature, stable, effective young adults.
Varying learning styles and patterns. Today's young people don't seem to have the same motivation as previous generations to sit in a seat and take notes hour after hour. Today's young people are "high tech" and "high touch." They insist on hands-on experience, not just verbal theories. And they value relationships above all. Local church training must take all these factors into account.
Systematic Instruction. What would training be without teaching? Any local church training program needs systematic teaching in the area of Bible and doctrine, personal development, ministry skills, etc. Systematic instruction can be offered on two levels:
Discipleship Level. The focus can be on personal growth and foundational issues. The need to develop personal disciplines and strong character, developing a servant's heart, having a daily time in prayer and the Word, are emphasized.
College Level. Some local churches find a way to offer systematic college-level instruction. Complete courses are offered in needed areas. The benefit of offering instruction on this level is the awarding of college credits that can be transferred into other programs after the discipleship program. It also allows the local church to begin a part-time or even eventually a full-time Bible school program.
This is why C.L.T.I. began its Extension Course program. Complete course materials, including class notes and tapes, a Score Key, text books, administrative forms, etc., are made available to local church programs and teachers. We work with the teacher in teaching the material and grading the work. We then award academic credit to the students who successfully complete the Extension Course.
Many local church programs like to begin with the Basic Doctrine I course (to be followed up with Basic Doctrine II). This gives students a firm foundation in their understanding of Bible doctrine. It's much more difficult to be "blown about by every wind of doctrine" if they've had this teaching. The Old Testament Survey and New Testament Survey courses give the student an excellent exposure to the Bible as a whole. To gain understanding in how to study the Bible themselves the Personal Bible Study course is very helpful, along with the follow-up course, Bible Research. Present Day Truths gives an excellent vision for the church and for service in the church.
A consistent daily prayer life can be developed by taking the Devotional Life course. Holy Spirit teaches the student the Spirit-filled life, the gifts of the Spirit, etc. Personal Evangelism can help them develop their ability to effectively share their faith.
When there are a small number of young people being trained in the local church it's sometimes preferable to encourage them to take individual Correspondence Courses, or even form a small group and take a correspondence course together as a Study Group. A Study Group can be easily coordinated by a designated leader. The members of the group can keep each other motivated and on track.
If a more mature individual is being "apprenticed," specific individual correspondence courses can be recommended. If the apprentice or "intern" already has a good foundation of instruction, more advanced courses might be suggested. The Covenants course gives a systematic overview of biblical theology. The Acts class teaches the pattern and dynamic of the New Testament church. For excellent Old Testament courses you might recommend Pentateuch or Old Testament History I.
You can't beat the Local Church course for giving practical instruction about how the local church actually operates. For leadership training the Leadership I course is unbeatable. For those called to pastoral ministry the Introduction to Counseling is an excellent first step. To train a young leader in the vision of the local church, Frank Damazio's Vision Management is the best.
Practical Ministry. Young adults need real-life, hands-on experiences. To get the most out of their training experience they need meaningful, practical ministry opportunities. This can happen in a couple of ways:
Group Service. If there is a relatively small group being trained they can serve in the church as a group. They might all serve in the youth department. Or they might all take on a project in the children's ministries. One of the most meaningful group activities is a short-term missions project.
Supervised Projects. For older trainees individually designed ministry projects can be very helpful. These should be designed in cooperation with the one being trained. If they are wanting a ministry project in the music ministry a specific project should be developed for them, including the duration of the project, areas of responsibility, schedule, etc. Careful reporting, accountability and evaluation are very important aspects of these kinds of projects.
Mentoring Relationships. When asked what the most important element of any educational experience is, most young people today will answer, "Relationships." What convinces them to listen to someone is the conviction that they really care about them. Therefore, some kind of meaningful relationship is very important to any local church training program. Those relationships can occur on a number of levels:
Group Mentoring. It's possible to spend personal time with a small group of trainees. Time spent discussing practical concerns and praying with them, sharing your life with them, is very important.
Peer Mentoring. Breaking the group of trainees into prayer groups and accountability groups is valuable. Take time to evaluate the groups and get feed-back from those participating.
Project Mentoring. If a specific ministry project is being designed for an individual, be sure to have one person act as the coach, for instruction, supervision and accountability. Mentoring will occur between these two people (and perhaps others related to the project) for the duration of the project.
Personal Mentoring. It can also be valuable to facilitate a personal relationship with one of the trainees and an older individual who can speak into his/her life.
Emphasis on post-high school discipleship. This is usually a one-year program for those who have just graduated from high school. It is a foundational, discipleship program. Most of the components involve the entire group: classes, group service projects, group mentoring, etc. This is an excellent way to facilitate a young person's transition into young adulthood. One of the best examples of this approach is Masters Commission.
Emphasis on systematic instruction. The specific, college-level courses being offered are the focus of this training. The other components may be present in a large measure but almost half may involve classroom time, homework, etc. Local church Bible college programs such as Portland Bible College are an excellent example of this approach.
Emphasis on mentoring and leadership training. Older young adults who have a foundational level of discipleship and training, who have a pretty good idea about how they are gifted and called, can greatly benefit from personal projects and personal mentoring. They would be involved in true Internships or Apprenticeships.
View the Power Point presentation
Resources
Timothy Program City Bible Church in Portland, Oregon is conducting a discipleship program. Here is a copy of their informational literature.
Mission & Purpose Components Systematic Bible Teaching Ministry Opportunity Missions Introduction Application Internships: Joshua Generation School A study group from the Spring 2000 Educational Ministries of the Church class at Portland Bible College did an extensive research project on local church internship programs. These are college sophomores from various parts of the U.S. Here are the papers they submitted.
Purpose & Structure Foundation/Prayer Ministry Instruction Mentoring Leadership
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