St. Andrew s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi, Minnesota, offers an exciting leadership development opportunity for young adults to utilize and grow in gifts for leadership, ministry, and service with children and youth. We invite your interest and your application! For summer 2017, St. Andrew s will select four interns (one for children s ministry, three for youth ministry) to participate in this amazing, life-changing leadership experience. Alongside St. Andrew s staff, interns design and implement creative summer programs that provide opportunities for young people to engage with their faith, learn and grow in community, and ultimately be transformed through encounters with God and within Christian community. More specifically, summer interns have the opportunity to: Experience the daily rhythms, joys, and challenges of a large, active congregation. Exercise gifts, talents, and passions for ministry leadership, specifically in working with children and youth. Design and implement creative ministries for children or youth, including camps and retreats, mission trips, worship experiences, Bible studies, small group gatherings, fellowship events, and more. Accompany young people on their journey of faith. Deepen one s own faith in Jesus Christ within a team environment and a faith community. Engage in intentional exploration of God s call to ministry/service with children and youth. Explore the organizational dynamics of a Lutheran megachurch. Participate in conversations with supervisors to evaluate and reflect on the internship experience for the purpose of learning and growth. St. Andrew s is a vibrant, growing congregation of 9,400 members in Mahtomedi, Minnesota, a small suburban community northeast of St. Paul. The church is guided by its mission statement to Proclaim Jesus Christ, Live in Christ, Serve. St. Andrew s is regarded for its active worship life, community outreach, and robust children, youth, and family ministry program. Approximately 2,400 people attend worship services each weekend. The Rev. Mike Carlson serves as lead pastor of a six-person pastoral leadership team. Over 100 individuals serve on the church s staff (approx. 60 are regular part-time or full-time employees). The Children, Youth, and Family Ministry Team is comprised of 10 staff positions, coordinating ministries from birth through young adults, plus a summer intern team.
More than 500 children are registered in our children s Christian education program and Vacation Bible School (VBS) draws 500 children and more than 150 volunteers. Our youth ministry programs include 6th-8th Grade Confirmation (325 youth participants and 60 small group leaders), an active high school leadership program (approx. 80 youth in leadership roles), and a variety of fellowship events and retreats. The summer children s and youth ministry program is active, with a variety of camp and retreat experiences, mission trips, Bible studies, small group gatherings, and family events. Many, if not all, of the summer s events are supported by the summer intern team. Summer internships begin Monday morning, May 22, and end on Tuesday afternoon, August 15, with optional participation in an out-of-town retreat August 18-23. (Flexibility of the start and end dates may be afforded based on college academic schedules.) Approximately 40-50 work hours are expected each week, generally flexible depending on the demands of the week s programs or off-site trips. Interns can expect to work a variety of long and short days, early mornings and late evenings, weekdays and weekends again, depending on the demands of scheduled programs. During weeks without off-site obligations, interns will have one full day off, generally Fridays, as well as select Saturdays. Interns are provided an additional seven work days off during the summer, to be taken at the intern s choosing when determined in advanced and approved by the supervisor. Days off cannot be in conflict with essential programming. Children s Ministry Intern must work dates include: June 19-23: Vacation Bible School June 25: VBS Sunday July 18-20: Arts Camp Aug. 6-11: Youth Camp at Camp Wapo Aug. 15-17: Sports Camp Youth Ministry Interns must work dates include: June 12-16: Confirmation Camp June 16-18: Camp Leader Weekend June 19-23: Vacation Bible School July (dates TBD): High School Mission Trip Aug. 4-7: Graduating Senior Retreat Aug. 14-15: Summer Celebration Worship Optional Aug. 18-23: Apostles Islands Retreat Note: Not all interns will participate in all off-site trips and retreats. Responsibilities will be assigned by the supervisor based on staffing needs of individual events. Interns receive a $3,250 stipend for the 12-1/2 week commitment, payable every other Friday, less tax withholdings.
Create, design, and implement children s or youth ministry summer programs as assigned by supervisors. This may include, but is not limited to, camps and retreats, Vacation Bible School, mission trips, worship experiences, Bible studies, leadership training events, small group gatherings, fellowship events, and family events. Lead and/or attend and actively participate in children s or youth events. Engage in regular contact work approx. 8-10 hours per week through attending programs, meeting with youth, telephone contacts, etc. Mentor and disciple children and youth through support, prayer, encouragement, etc. Invite and encourage participation of children and youth in scheduled programs. Recruit adult and youth leaders for programs and events. Ensure safety of children and youth participants and maintain appropriate conduct with children, youth, adults, and staff. Attend intern team and Youth Ministry Team meetings as scheduled. Attend weekly St. Andrew s church staff meetings when on site. Schedule routine check-ins and evaluation meetings with supervisor. Other duties as required by this internship experience or as assigned. We understand that no applicant may possess all of the qualifications or experiences listed below. If you feel that you meet a significant portion of these qualities, you are certainly encouraged to apply. A personal commitment to Jesus Christ with a willingness and ability to appropriately articulate and share one s personal faith share with others, especially children and youth. At least one full year out of high school. Foundational knowledge of, and appreciation for, Lutheran theology, beliefs, and practices. Creativity and flexibility, especially as it applies to designing and implementing children s or youth ministry programs. Strong oral and written communication skills. Strong organizational, administrative, and time management skills. Strong interpersonal and relational skills with both adults and youth. Experience in small group leadership, leading group conversations, and facilitating activities with children or youth. Musical talents and music leadership abilities a bonus! Able to take directions, assume responsibility, and complete tasks with minimal supervision. Willingness to work as part of a team. Willingness to take direction and receive feedback from supervisors, with a desire to learn and grow. Must be able to work weekends, evenings, and extended periods of time. Preference may be given to applicants with education or experience in children s or youth ministry, education, child or youth development, social services, camping, or recreation. Possess a valid driver s license. Reside within 15 miles of St. Andrew s. Interns from outside this area may be placed in local host homes upon request.
Interns are supervised by Mark Jackson, Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministry, who selects the intern team, assigns overall responsibilities, coordinates training, conducts evaluation and reflection opportunities, and manages organizational issues (such as scheduling). On a day-to-day basis, the Children s Ministry Intern receives direction from Erika Hiland, 4th & 5th Grade Children s Minister, and the Youth Ministry Interns report to Josh Carlson, Middle School Youth Minister, and Kelly Olson, High School and Young Adult Minister. In addition, mentoring for interns is provided by the entire Children, Youth, and Family Ministry Team, as well as St. Andrew s extended staff and pastors. Interns thus have the unique opportunity to connect, learn, and grow within a professional leadership team. To apply for this leadership opportunity, submit an application packet that includes the following four items: 1. Internship Application Cover Page (attached), including contact information for two references. 2. Resume: A detailed resume (no more than two pages) that outlines your education, experience, and leadership involvement. 3. Faith Story: A written summary (no more than one page) of your faith journey. 4. Qualifications Summary: A written description (no more than one page) of the extent to which you meet the qualifications of the internship program (see Qualifications section). Send application materials (together at one time, PDF documents preferred) via email to mjackson@saintandrews.org. Alternatively, send materials via U.S. Mail to Mark Jackson, St. Andrew s Lutheran Church, 900 Stillwater Road, Mahtomedi, MN 55115. Selected candidates will be invited to participate in an interview, conducted in person, over the telephone, or via distance video (e.g., FaceTime, Google Hangout, Skype). The preferred application deadline is March 15, 2017, though positions will remain open until filled. All applicants will be notified regarding the status of their application. If you have any questions about the application process, contact Mark Jackson at 651.762.9146 or mjackson@saintandrews.org. St. Andrew s is committed to working with interns who have the opportunity to adapt requirements of the internship experience toward a college practicum or internship requirement. This includes, but is not limited to, developing learning objectives, integrating book study, designing and implementing special projects, conducting periodic evaluations, and completing course evaluation documents. Interns are supervised by Mark Jackson, who previously served as Professor of Children, Youth & Family Studies at Trinity Lutheran College near Seattle, who has extensive experience in mentoring and advising students pursuing careers in youth and family ministry, social services, counseling, education, and nonprofit program leadership.
Name: Current address: Permanent address (if different than above): Birthdate: Home Church and City (if applicable): References: Provide information for two individuals we can contact for a recommendation in support of your application for this internship experience. (For members of St. Andrew s, please provide references who are outside the congregation.) Reference #1 - Name: Relationship to you: Reference #2 - Name: Relationship to you: Send this Application Cover Page with your resume, faith story, and qualifications summary (together at one time, PDF documents preferred) via email to mjackson@saintandrews.org. Alternatively, send materials via U.S. Mail to Mark Jackson, St. Andrew s Lutheran Church, 900 Stillwater Road, Mahtomedi, MN 55115. If you have any questions about the application process, contact Mark Jackson at 651.762.9146 or mjackson@saintandrews.org.