In this year’s May Minute-Man Call, NCEM featured our internship program. Our general director, Walter Selke, said that, “Summer missionary programs were a big drawing card into missions during the 70s, 80s, and part of the 90s. Young people were introduced to missions, and then some would feel the call and follow through with a full-time career move towards missions. By the 2000s, very few missions were running a summer missions program. We have missed this opportunity to introduce people to the ministry of NCEM.
“Today, many Bible schools want their students to have internships. These internships often last six months to a year. They are structured differently than our old summer ministry but give the students wonderful exposure to full-time ministry.”
NCEM has had the privilege of having interns come alongside different areas of ministry, including camps, Tribal Trails, and the headquarters office, to get a taste and hands-on experience of NCEM missionary work.
Some current and recent interns shared their experiences and how they have been affected by interning with NCEM.
What are the responsibilities, jobs, and ministries keeping our interns busy?
Merrill reading a story to some children
Merrill interned at Arrowhead Native Bible Center in New Brunswick and was busy with “a variety of different tasks depending on the day, including general care of the facilities, book studies, language acquisition, and travelling to churches, reserves, and cities for various errands and meetings.” He was also involved in starting a Kids’ Club on a local reserve. In response to Covid-19 last year, Merrill also “helped run a virtual camp experience through our Facebook page, filming and editing dozens of videos and running livestreams to interact with the youth during our chapel times.”
Sophia and Sarah work at Big River Bible Camp and have been busy serving over the winter months in many different areas. They have been active in Awana Clubs, both in person and helping with this year’s online Awana. The local youth group has also allowed Sarah and Sophia to have hands-on ministry leadership experience through helping with and leading different activities and even running a semi-regular youth girls’ night.
Sarah helping kids memorize their AWANA Scripture verse
Both Sarah and Sophia have also had hands-on experience helping weekly at the NCEM headquarters office. Whether it be running NCEM’s bookstore, doing closed captioning for Tribal Trails, helping with mail, or being involved in editing work for the new Next Generation program for Tribal Trails, both interns have been building their ministry experience and skills.
Janelle working on a sign for PRBC’s bikeathon
At Pine Ridge Bible Camp, Janelle and Marcie get involved in many different areas. They help prepare for crews who are building the camp’s new dining hall; this has included cleaning, getting houses ready, and making meals. Marcie is also currently heading up the kitchen department. Construction of the new dining hall has even given Pine Ridge’s interns a chance to get their hands dirty with a few jobs there.
Both Marcie and Janelle work on keeping the camp’s social media pages up-to-date and reaching out. Janelle also worked on filming and editing for the online Kid’s Club that Pine Ridge Bible Camp had posted to Facebook and YouTube.
How are the camp interns serving this summer?
This year, as our camps are striving to reach out in an unusual year using different programming methods, the interns have also prepared to be actively serving this summer. At Pine Ridge, Janelle is part of the camp’s day camp outreach to their local communities. She is helping lead the planned activities. Marcie is tackling the invaluable role of keeping all these busy people fed as she heads up the food side of day camps. Sarah is taking leadership head-on as she leads activities as a program director, and Sophia is living out Jesus’ love as a cabin leader and in other support roles for the summer.
What are our interns gaining personally, in their faith, and their ministry experience?
When we asked Merrill how he had grown from his internship experience, he explained that, “Interpersonal relationships and team building in general, are paramount to having a functional Gospel-centred experience and success in ministry. The internship has certainly been a time of learning the ins and outs of how to develop a meaningful group dynamic!” Merrill has continued from his internship into full-time ministry with NCEM, and during this past year, the Lord has enabled him to plan for future ministry opportunities.
Janelle explained that, although it can sometimes be easier to see how you have grown when you can look back after more time, she has seen growth in her faith and ministry life. One thing her internship experience has helped show her is that missionaries are human too. While she has been interning as a missionary, she says that God has been showing her to be “faithful in what I’m called to do, not worrying about the things that I am not in control of.”
Marcie with home-baked goods to share!
After more than a year of internship experience, Marcie has seen that even with all the slowdowns that Covid-19 has caused, God is still working. “He is still doing things. Even with no camp [last year], there are still opportunities…COVID hasn’t shut God down!”
Sophia describes what it has been like to be a part of the camp circle and see the “behind-the-scenes running of and preparing for camp.” Being a part of the camp community has shown “how the body of Christ is like a great big family.” The flexibility that camp ministry demands can also be stretching, but Sophia has been learning to take things as they come.
Before going into ministry as an intern, Sarah said, “I had the knowledge that God is faithful and that God will provide, but I hadn’t been in an experience where I had to put my faith into practice. Moving during Covid, not knowing if I would be able to go home, and trusting God to provide – I have had to really trust in God through this internship.”
While the summer missionary program may not be structured how it was years ago, NCEM has been blessed in recent years to see God leading in internships. These interns are being given an opportunity to taste missionary life and work.
Sophia filming an AWANA Scripture memorization video
While reflecting on her time of service, one intern said, “I had never before thought of going into ministry, but now ministry is a career choice I have realized I might want to do. Before, I didn’t have a direction, but now I know ministry could be a direction.”
We are thankful for God’s work through internships and pray that He will continue sending these servants to grow in experience, training, and love for the Lord and be more equipped to go out into His harvest. •
