Onesimus Workbook

48 • T HE O NESIMUS W ORKSHOP : W ELCOMING F ORMER P RISONERS INTO THE L IFE OF THE C HURCH

Interns should report to these supervisors who provide information on the character of the assignment, and give regular feedback as to the intern’s progress or areas of growth needed to be worked on. • “. . . which is designed to equip the intern in some specific task of church ministry and mission.” Church internships for emerging leaders should be targeted to equip the worker in a specific task that furthers the mission and purpose of the church or one of its ministries. Internships should not be “special” in the sense of creating some unique and unrelated role for the intern. Rather, the best church internships are connected specifically to training a worker to gain expertise and exposure to a task or assignment that the church currently embraces and supports, or is being created to enhance the church’s goals and priorities. A practical, well-defined, and carefully supervised internship for workers who have proven their worth is a great tool to equip believers who are former prisoners to gain the necessary knowledge, mentoring, and exposure to real life ministry experience. As a church intern we cannot merely provide that growing disciple with excellent training, we must also equip a worker who can, under the Spirit’s direction, become a valuable member of a healthy church’s effective team of ministers. Designing Leadership Development That Succeeds As in the case of all intern candidates, it will be critical that each applicant be carefully screened and vetted in order to ensure both their readiness to participate in your program, with the blessing and confirmation of your leaders. Great care and focus must be decided well in advance of the learning experience to guarantee its success. In other words, your ministry supervisors must take the time to map out a measurable and feasible ministry training plan, an overall intern schedule, and the kinds of learning projects the internship will include. In addition, time must be given to determine the substance of the internship, including ministry assignments, time for study and critical reflection, and whatever financial resources and staff support the internship will provide. Until these critical features have been carefully considered and decided, no internship program should be commenced! Jesus taught his disciples as ministry interns, selecting them to be with him and to send them out to preach (cf. Mark 3.14). Through association with the Master, observing his work and engaging him regarding the meaning and significance of his ministry, the disciples became the leaders of the Church. Through their interaction with Christ in the context of