Meet our intern team! We are excited to have 10 amazing interns join us in ministry and study this year. Our intern team has been all over the country and out of it so here's a little glimpse of what they have been up to the last few months.
Kids Camp Ministry
Kid’s camps have become a huge asset to our program and a highlight for many of our team members. Our goal with these camps is to provide local churches with an opportunity to invest in their church body while also reaching their community for Christ. When we partner with churches, we seek to train the youth groups and get members in the church involved in the running of camp as much as possible.
Our ultimate goal for these camps is to provide a platform for our interns to be trained and equipped with practical ministry skills. A lot of time and effort is invested into each intern, and it is amazing to see the growth that takes place in them by the end of the year. This year we have run three camps around New Zealand. We will be finishing off our camp season at the end of September with The Orchard in Te Puke.
Interns Abroad
Avi and Aimee, two of our 2nd year interns, were a part of the leadership team on Youth Reachout this year. They were a great asset to our team and their previous mission experience in Fiji was evident to see. Our time in Fiji has two focusses; firstly, to serve and support the Word of Life Fiji team through running various outreaches and camps. Secondly, to disciple and equip our students in personal growth and ministry skills. Both Avi and Aimee each taught a seminar, mentored two students and were the speakers at different events.
Internship Placements
As part of the internship program 3rd year and 4th year interns must complete a placement in a local church or ministry as a way to gain a greater understanding of ministry and the local church.
Something new and exciting we have been anticipating this year is our first ever 4th year international placement. Our hope is that this experience will provide our 4th years with an opportunity to be trained and developed in ministry while being in an international cross-cultural context. For this placement, Ricky our 4th year, chose to serve with the Word of Life in Uganda, Africa. In order to ensure a smooth transition and proper set up, two of our intern managers traveled overseas with him. Ricky’s placement is soon coming to an end. He will be back in New Zealand at the start of October. A better look at what Ricky has been up to will be coming soon.
An awesome opportunity we have implemented for our 3rd year interns is a 2-3 month placement in a local church. We have partnered with specific churches to provide opportunities for our interns to understand what ministry looks like in a church context. During their placement they will serve in different areas of the church and shadow different ministry leaders. Our desire is to not only equip our interns with different ministry experiences but to also open their eyes to where God might be calling them in the future. This year we partnered with Crossroads Church in Palmerston North, where we sent our 3rd year intern, Sarah for her placement. Sarah has been thoroughly enjoying her time learning and growing in a new atmosphere. Her placement will be finishing up at the end of September.
If you want to know more about the Word of Life internship you can see more info here, or keep up to date with the interns on their Instagram @wolinterns.nz
