Purpose of Intern Program



Illinois Great Rivers ConferenceIntern Program2021 Handbook for Interns and MentorsPurpose of Intern ProgramThe Illinois Great Rivers Conference Intern Program is designed to provide opportunities for Christian young adults to explore their unique calls to ministry and to experience those ministries first hand. The focus of the program is on vocational discernment and on the spiritual and leadership development of the intern. It is understood that ministry takes a variety of forms - ordained and lay; deacon, elder, local pastor, or some other title; in the church, in the world, or some combination of the two. Nature of Internships Internships may be served in locations such as local churches, cooperative parishes, church-related agencies, conference campsites, campus ministries/Wesley Foundations, or ministry sites in which the church reaches out to impact the unique needs of a local community. Potential mentors and church/ministry leaders should consult “Host Church/Ministry Qualifications” below for further details regarding requirements. Potential interns should see “Potential Internship Sites” below for further guidance on where you might serve.Internships are typically served either during the summer or during the school year. Prospective interns, mentors, and host churches/ministries are encouraged to apply by the deadlines as explained under “Application and Placement Process” below. See that section for more information.Summer internships are typically eight to ten weeks in length, beginning in May or June and ending in July or August. Arrangements may be made for either shorter or longer internships upon consultation with the potential intern and mentor and with the consent of the Intern Program Coordinator. Interns who are serving at churches other than their own will receive priority consideration for longer internships due to the need for relationship-building at the beginning of such internships. Full-time summer internships are expected to require an average of 40 hours per week. Summer internships may be designed to be full-time, ? time, ? time, or ? time.School-year internships are typically 32-36 weeks in length, beginning in August or September and running through the academic year. Arrangements may be made for either shorter or longer internships upon consultation with the potential intern and mentor and with the consent of the Intern Program Coordinator. Full-time school-year internships are expected to require an average of 10 hours per week. School-year internships may be designated to be full-time or ? time (5 hours/week).Orientation and other requirements must be met for both summer and school-year internships. A stipend is provided by the IGRC to the church/ministry for payment to each intern. For 2021, the stipend for a full-time, eight-week internship is projected to be $3520. Longer, shorter or less-than-full-time internships will be prorated proportionally. For summer internships, the stipend funds are typically paid to the church/ministry in four equal payments beginning in May and distributed throughout the summer. For academic year internships, stipend funds are typically paid out to the church/ministry in two equal payments in August and December. See “Employment Issues” below for further information regarding intern pay.Intern Qualifications Interns should be young adults who are seeking to discover and follow God’s call. It is understood that God calls us into many different vocations, and interns may be considering lay or ordained vocations, either in the church or in the world. Therefore, while some interns may be engaged in some stage of the candidacy process for ordination, this is not a requirement for placement. It is absolutely fine for interns to complete their internship and find that they are called to remain laity. The most important thing is for interns (and their mentors) to keep an open mind and listen for God’s direction. On the other hand, many former interns have gone on to seminary and to ordination. Students who are seriously considering ordained ministry will have opportunities to learn more about the ordination process and will be connected to those who can help with next steps where appropriate.Interns should be members and active participants in an IGRC church and/or active participants in a United Methodist Wesley Foundation or campus ministry within the bounds of the IGRC. One of the references required as a part of the intern’s application file should be from a United Methodist pastor or campus minister/chaplain who can attest to the applicant’s growth in faith and active participation. Demonstrated leadership in the local church and/or Wesley Foundation/campus ministry is a plus.Preference will be given to applicants who will have completed at least one year (two semesters) of college by the beginning of the internship, and who will still have at least one semester of course work remaining following the internship and prior to graduation. Interns serving during the academic year may be in their final year of college study when they serve. High school seniors who will graduate prior to the start of the Intern Program, high school graduates who have taken one or more years to work or travel and have not yet begun college, college graduates, second-career adults, and seminary students may apply, but should be prepared to explain why their particular situation merits consideration for an internship. Internships are not typically designed to meet the requirements for academic or field education credit, though interns are welcome to negotiate this with their mentor(s) and the appropriate officials from their college or university as appropriate.Interns are responsible to provide their own transportation (where applicable). Interns must adhere to high moral and ethical standards of behavior throughout their internship. While interns are engaging in ministry activities or interacting with members or those served by the host church/ministry, they should never be under the influence of alcohol or any illegal substance nor impaired by any legal substance to the degree that it interferes with their work. Violations of this paragraph may result in disciplinary actions up to and including the discontinuation of the internship.Mentor Qualifications Mentors should be mature spiritual leaders with a solid background in The United Methodist Church. Mentors may not be a member of the intern’s family, and they must be at least five years older than the intern they oversee (except in the circumstance of a second-career intern). Each intern may have one mentor, two mentors, or, in some cases, a mentor team. In all cases, at least one mentor per intern must be a clergy member of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference (elder, deacon, local pastor, or associate member). Where there are two or more mentors, the second and any additional mentor(s) may be either clergy or laity. In some cases, such as community-based ministry, the lay mentor may serve as the primary mentor. However, a clergy mentor should also be directly involved with the intern throughout the internship. All clergy mentors must provide a recommendation from their District Superintendent, who will help determine whether the timing is right for that clergy person and/or his or her church or ministry to host an intern.Mentors must recognize that having an intern actually INCREASES your workload in most cases. Mentors should not consider interns merely as free labor, and they must interpret the purpose of the Intern Program to other staff and members of the church or ministry setting. At least one mentor should be available to work with the intern throughout each intern work day of the internship. If one mentor will be away for vacation, continuing education, or any other reason during the internship, a second mentor should be available throughout this absence and the intern should not be expected to “cover” for a sick or vacationing mentor. If the clergy mentor is a part-time pastor, it would be best either to request a part-time intern or to connect the intern with one or more laity with whom the intern could work during the time when the pastor is not available.Mentors are expected to meet weekly with the intern to evaluate the progress of the intern and to provide leadership in program development and implementation, spiritual guidance, and counsel in regards to all aspects of the ministry. Mentors are also expected to maintain contact with the host family (where applicable) and provide counsel should problems arise. In circumstances where the pastor is the only mentor and also functions as the intern’s work supervisor, it might be advisable for churches/ministries to consider designating one or more individuals to share the mentoring role without the complication of being the intern’s “boss.” If you have questions about this possibility, please contact the Intern Program Coordinator.Host Church/Ministry Qualifications Host churches/ministries should understand the purpose of the intern program and be prepared to offer interns a variety of experiences to help them discern God’s call. Churches should consider this as an opportunity to engage in outreach ministry as they help to prepare a young adult for ministry in the broader church.The Intern Program is funded through the apportionment giving of IGRC churches. Therefore, where the host setting is a local church, charge, or parish, they should have paid their apportionments in full the previous year (unless there are extenuating circumstances, which should be explained in a separate document during the application process).The host church/ministry is expected to receive the stipend funds from the conference and pay them out to the intern on a schedule comparable to that of other lay employees (where applicable). The host church/ministry is also responsible to withhold taxes and to pay the employer share of taxes. See “Employment Issues” below for further information. In the vast majority of cases, local churches are expected to count the stipend funds received as income for their year-end reporting. (One exception to this would be a church serving as a “home base” for an intern who is actually serving at a district or conference level and not providing any direct services to the host church.) While the funds are designated specifically for salary, the local church receives the benefit of an extra employee for the duration of the internship, and should therefore count the stipend funds as income and the salary paid out as an expense. Charges of more than one church should divide up this income and expense as it seems fair to the charge, most likely based on the time the intern spends serving each church. If a church in such a charge is not benefitting in any way from the intern’s work, that church should not be held responsible for any of the income or expense; therefore, the percentage may be different from the percentage of the pastor’s salary paid by each church. In general, this paragraph does not apply to ministries other than local churches, because such ministries are not required to make the same sort of year-end report.HousingThe host church/ministry is responsible to secure housing for the intern (at no charge to the intern) for the duration of the internship, unless the intern lives close enough to commute from home. The definition of “close enough to commute” should be worked out between the mentor and intern. In general, if the intern lives in the community where the church is located, he/she probably lives “close enough to commute,” whereas if he/she lives in another community, he/she probably needs to be provided with housing. This might be a room in the home of a member of the congregation, or other arrangements appropriate to the setting. Host church/ministry leaders and mentors should keep in mind that most interns, as college students, are not accustomed to living entirely on their own as they typically live either at home or in dormitories or other settings with other students. Churches/ministries who desire to place an intern in settings such as a vacant (but furnished) apartment or a home where the host family is not expecting to be present during the entire internship should consult with the intern (once placed) to determine the appropriateness of the desired arrangements. Interns should not be expected to share a bedroom with the children of the family; separate bathroom facilities are preferred but not required. Laundry facilities and at least two meals per day should also be provided when the intern is not living at home. (Evening meals can be a wonderful opportunity for other families in the congregation to host the intern and get better acquainted.) Because their time should be focused on ministry and discernment, interns should not be required to provide child care, mow lawns, or perform other chores in exchange for their housing. However, it is entirely appropriate to expect the intern to clean up after himself/herself and obey “house rules,” and interns should leave the room in which they stay in at least as good condition as when they arrived. In most cases, mentors should avoid housing interns in their home. Doing so can create fuzzy boundaries and often leaves the intern feeling as if he or she never truly has any time “off” from the internship.Serving as a host family is a ministry in itself. Mentors and church/ministry leaders should exercise caution when selecting a host family to ensure that the experience will be as positive as possible. Responsible adults who can serve as “surrogate parents” and provide a healthy example of a Christian lifestyle would be an ideal choice. The mentor(s), intern and host family should meet, ideally prior to the beginning of the internship, to discuss expectations related to housing to avoid any misunderstandings or unreasonable expectations. While interns living in host housing may choose to go home to visit their family during scheduled time off, interns should also bear in mind the value in staying in the community from time to time to participate in local and church events not directly connected with the internship responsibilities.Application and Placement Process Application forms for interns, mentors and host sites are made available each fall on the IGRC website at interns. There are usually two application periods:The first is considered a “priority” deadline, and is typically in mid-January. Both potential interns and potential host sites are encouraged to complete the application process by this deadline in order to receive consideration for early placement. This early placement allows for additional time for planning and preparation, particularly when interns are placed in a church or ministry with which they had no previous connection. Those whose applications are complete (with all recommendations and supporting material received) by the priority deadline will be prayerfully considered in late January and should hear a response by the beginning of February. That response may be a placement offer, it may be a rejection (usually only due to disqualification), or it might be an invitation to wait until more applications are received by the final deadline (in situations where an appropriate match is not yet available). Applicants should NOT rely on conference staff to contact them with warnings about missing application file materials ahead of this priority deadline; however, applicants with questions are welcome to contact the office to determine whether everything is in place.The final due date for applications is typically in early March. (Specific deadlines and further information is available on the website.) Those whose files are incomplete as of the priority deadline, and those who begin the application process after that deadline, will be considered for positions for which funding is still available after the earlier round of placements.Some years, when funding allows, there is also a third application period during the summer for school-year internships. Prospective interns, mentors, and host churches/ministries are urged not to rely on this application period, as all available internships might be awarded after the final deadline in March.While potential interns and potential host sites may apply together (for instance, in a case in which a local church wishes to provide an internship opportunity for a college student who attends that particular church during the academic year), both potential interns and potential host sites are also encouraged to apply separately, without a particular match in mind, particularly for summer internships. Prospective interns are encouraged to consider that engaging in ministry in a different community, away from the supports and distractions of family and friends, might get them “out of their comfort zone” and produce a more powerful experience than would be possible while staying close to home.Potential interns should prayerfully consider what form(s) of ministry God might be calling them into as they complete their application. Leaders of potential host churches/ministries should prayerfully consider what sort of experiences they can reasonably offer to an intern to help in discernment. The Intern Program Coordinator will evaluate each application received by the deadline, select interns that best suit the criteria for the Intern Program and assign them to the church/ministry that seems to be the best fit for both intern and ministry based on the information provided in the application forms received. Honesty in the application is a significant help to the placement process.Interns who have served in previous years may apply to serve again if they are still discerning God’s call. In such cases, it would be most helpful to include a description of the previous internship in the faith story submitted in the application, and to indicate that internship’s impact on your vocational discernment and what further discernment is desired. In the interest of providing a unique experience that will help with discernment, interns will not be assigned to serve in the same placement twice. Prospective interns and mentors with questions during the application process are welcome to contact the Intern Program Coordinator. The conference is committed to providing interns with a quality experience in order that they may be able to give their full attention to God’s call in their ministry. Potential Internship Sites Internships may be served in a variety of sites. Many internships are served in local churches, with some of those being served in charges or cooperative parishes including more than one church. It can be particularly helpful if an intern serves in a setting quite different from the church in which he or she grew up. For instance, an intern who grew up attending a small, rural church can often benefit from serving in a larger church with a number of staff members and programs, while an intern who grew up in an urban or suburban setting can benefit from experiencing the very different pace of a small-town or rural congregation. It can also be very helpful, particularly for interns considering ordained, itinerant ministry (in which you serve where the Bishop appoints you), to experience serving in a different geographic area of the conference.Some internships are served in the intern’s home congregation. At times, this arrangement can be very helpful, particularly as a first step for an intern who might not otherwise have considered a ministry-related vocation or for interns who need to stay close to home out of personal or family necessity. Consideration should be given to the ability of church members to accept an interns serving in their own congregation as responsible members of the pastoral or program staff of the church. Some benefits of this sort of arrangement include long-standing relationships with those being served by the intern, as well as the potential for ongoing ministry when the conference internship ends.Internships can also be served in settings beyond the local church. In the past, interns have served at IGRC campsites, and this might be an ideal opportunity for someone discerning a call to camping ministry, children’s ministry, or youth ministry. Such internships go beyond what is expected of paid or volunteer seasonal camp staff and might require service at more than one campsite. Previous experience as a summer camping staff member is preferred for these interns. Those interested in serving as camp counselors rather than as interns should contact the office of the IGRC Camping and Retreat Ministry for further information about available opportunities. Opportunities may also be available at the conference level within various other ministries of the conference, including the Intern Program itself. Other interns have served in summer programs for children living in poverty, providing food and a safe environment for children during times when they are out of school for the summer. Intern applicants who have a specific interest in ministry with a certain age group or a certain type of educational, care-giving, social justice, or community-based ministry are encouraged to describe as fully as possible your interests, and the Intern Coordinator will make every effort to match you with a mentor who can help you explore your call to this form of ministry.OrientationMandatory orientation will be provided in the spring prior to the start of the Intern Program for interns serving in the summer. Orientation for school year interns will take place either at the same time or separately in late summer or early fall. Because camping interns are required to attend the longer training required of all seasonal camp staff, their Intern Program orientation may take place during that training session. Orientation may be offered online, face-to-face, or in some combination of the two. Further details regarding orientation are available on the website. Orientation is required for both mentors and interns. Failure to complete the required orientation process may result in the discontinuation of the internship. Orientation will include opportunities for both interns and mentors to network with other interns and mentors and will provide vital information necessary for a successful internship. Orientation will also include equipping in strengths-based team ministry and an opportunity for interns and mentors to set mutually agreeable goals for the internship experience. Specific information regarding orientation will be provided to each intern and mentor once accepted into the Intern Program. There is no charge for the orientation training or materials.Employment Issues All stipend funds provided by IGRC to the local church/ministry are to be paid to the intern as salary. Even though internships are designated as full-time, ? time, etc. based on an average number of hours per week, interns are not hourly employees and should not be paid based on hours worked (i.e., they should not be turning in a time sheet, nor should they be docked pay for a shorter work week or paid extra for a longer one). It is understood that actual hours worked each week may vary based on ministry needs and other circumstances. If the intern or mentor feels that the hours actually worked each week are either excessive or insufficient, the intern and mentor should meet to discuss and rectify the situation. Care should be taken to establish goals for the internship that are reasonable for the amount of time available, with neither too little nor too much expected.The local church/ministry is responsible for providing all appropriate tax paperwork, and should withhold taxes as would be done for any other lay employee. The church/ministry is responsible for paying the employer’s share of taxes. While this is a financial obligation on the local church/ministry, it should be negligible in comparison to the stipend funds provided. Any reimbursement for mileage or other expenses related to employment is the responsibility and paid at the discretion of the local church/ministry. If the church/ministry decides to provide the intern with a “love gift” at the end of the internship, the amount of the gift should also be included on the intern’s tax statement. Such gifts are neither required nor expected. In some instances, churches/ministries may choose to extend the length of the internship at the expense of the church/ministry, or to match or otherwise increase the stipend funds provided by the conference. While this is certainly acceptable, it does not change or reduce the obligation to abide by the policies of the Intern Program as explained in this handbook.The IGRC will conduct a background check on each intern, and will not place interns who do not satisfactorily pass the check. Questions pertaining to the background checks should be directed to the Finance and Administration office at the United Methodist Center.Once they are placed and begin their internship, interns become employees of the host church/ministry. Issues relating to sick or personal time, vacations, hours worked, and other such personnel issues should be worked out between the intern and the host church/ministry. For instance, if an intern wishes to take time off around a holiday or to go on a family vacation, or if an intern needs to take time off due to medical issues, it will be up to the host church/ministry and the intern to determine whether to extend the length of the internship to allow the pre-arranged number of weeks to be completed, to extend grace and pay the intern as if the work was completed, or to shorten the internship and reduce the pay proportionately. If serious conflicts arise, please contact the Intern Program Coordinator. If the internship as scheduled is shortened for any reason, any funds received by the church and not paid out to the intern or withheld for taxes should be refunded to IGRC. It is recommended that churches provide Worker’s Compensation coverage for their interns. For churches who provide Worker’s Comp. through the Church Mutual plan and are billed by the conference, this involves adding the intern to the employee audit that is submitted by the church to the conference. If interns are injured on the job and not insured by their church may find their only option to obtain recovery is to sue the church – not a situation any of us would desire.Goal SettingClarity around goals is critical for a successful internship. Fuzzy goals or goals that are not shared by everyone involved lead to misunderstanding and frustration. Clear goals facilitate communication with everyone in the church/ministry regarding the role and expectations of the intern. Developing mutually agreeable goals is one component of the orientation process. Goals should be specific to the discernment and learning needs of the intern, and should be reasonably well-suited for the ministry setting. Time should be allotted on a regular basis to review goals and progress toward them. At times, interns and mentors may discern that goals need to be modified or changed entirely. For instance, an intern may discover that a particular ministry task is not within their area of giftedness, or they may discover that what was initially thought to be a minor side-note to the internship becomes their focus and passion. It is absolutely acceptable to modify goals throughout the internship for reasons such as these, as long as mentor and intern work together on the modifying process. It may also turn out that a particular goal is impossible to reach due to a lack of volunteer support or other factors within the church/ministry or community. Failure to reach a specific goal does not necessarily indicate an unsuccessful internship. The focus must remain on discernment and God’s call for the intern.Annual, Jurisdictional, and General Conference Attendance at the Annual Conference session is encouraged for summer interns, though not required. In cases in which an intern serving during the summer is a member of the Annual Conference, whether elected by their congregation, as a young adult member-at-large from their district, or for some other reason, they must be allowed to attend and this time should not be counted as vacation time. Mileage and any other expenses associated with attendance will not be provided by the Intern Program and are the responsibility of the intern, unless they are being paid in some other way (such as by their home church or host congregation). Annual Conference attendance provides interns with a broader view of the connectional nature of The United Methodist Church, along with an opportunity to meet other young adult members and collect information about seminaries and/or ministries in which they might wish to become involved. If an intern will not be attending the entire conference, visiting for a single day might be a beneficial alternative.In cases in which an intern is elected to the Jurisdictional and/or General Conference delegation and will be serving their internship during the dates when one or both of these conferences are held, the intern must be allowed to attend and this time, including reasonable travel time, should not be counted as vacation time. If it is mutually agreeable to the intern and the church/ministry, it is certainly permissible to extend the internship by the amount of time “lost” to General or Jurisdictional Conference attendance, but this is neither required nor expected by the Intern Program.Ongoing Connections One significant goal of the Intern Program is to connect interns with other young adults who are also discerning God’s call and with relevant ministry leaders beyond their internship setting. Interns are encouraged to participate in one or more social media group(s) just for each year’s class of interns. Interns will also be offered opportunities during the Intern Program to connect with former interns serving in an area of ministry similar to the intern’s interests, with the conference Vocational Discernment Facilitator, and/or with others who might be helpful to the intern’s discernment process. Connections may happen face-to-face and/or electronically. More information will be provided during orientation.Evaluations A midterm evaluation and a final evaluation are required of both the intern and the mentor(s). Intern and mentor(s) should each fill out their own form, and should then meet to discuss the forms prior to submitting them to the Intern Program Coordinator. The midterm evaluation provides an opportunity to measure progress toward goals and to make any needed adjustments. The final evaluation provides an opportunity to reflect on the entire internship and to look ahead to future goals. Both evaluations also provide essential feedback to the Intern Program Coordinator to guide planning for the program for future years. Evaluation forms may be downloaded from the conference website at interns. While the “soft” due dates for summer interns’ evaluation forms are July 1 and August 1 and for school-year interns are in early December and early May (at the end of each semester), these dates may be adjusted based on the start and end date of the internship. In addition, the Intern Program Coordinator will work with each intern and mentor to arrange a site visit, during which the coordinator will ideally see the intern involved in ministry tasks as well as meet with the intern individually. The Intern Program Coordinator may also meet with the mentor(s) individually and/or and the intern and mentor together if needed. This is an opportunity for further discernment and for self-reflection about the internship experience. If a face-to-face visit is impractical, visits may also happen electronically (such as by Zoom).Intern Program CoordinatorThe Intern Program Coordinator is Rev. Dr. Beth Fender, Coordinator of Discipleship and New Streams for the Illinois Great Rivers Conference. She may be reached at 217-529-2611 (office) or by email at bfender@. Administrative support is provided by Brenda Harris, who may be reached by phone at 217-529-3007 (office) or by email at bharris@. ................
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