Internship Requirements & Guidelines

for Pastoral Ministries Majors

The internship program of Columbus Baptist School of Ministry is designed to incorporate the academic learning into practical application of the classroom experience.  The program is provided to the student as a means to learn from daily ministry experience.


I.Accountability


Each intern is directly responsible to the pastor, or to a leader designated by the pastor.  The intern is to also listen and learn from all members of the existing staff.  As an intern, the student is considered to be an integral part of the church staff.   However, the senior staff has experience and insight that can prove to be invaluable to the intern in training.


II.Responsibilities


The internship is for on-the-job ministry training.  As stated previously, each intern is considered a member of the church staff.  Therefore, each intern is expected to read, sign and abide by the Staff Requirements document of Lighthouse Baptist Church.   The intern is responsible to follow the directions and instructions of the pastor and whomever he appoints.


A.Visitation


Each intern is expected to be a vital part of the outreach ministry of the church.  This includes full participation in the following:


1.Weekly church-wide visitation.

2.Weekly bus visitation.

3.Personal visitation.


B.Personal Evangelism and Ministry


1.A minimum distribution of twenty-five tracts per week.

2.Must be in a minimum of two member’s homes per week.

3.Must assist in visiting the weekly guest who visit Lighthouse.

4.Must go door-to-door and knock on at least twenty doors per week.


C.Assistant to the Pastor


As an intern, the student is to be an assistant to the pastor.  Therefore, the intern must be available and willing to fulfill any and all responsibilities assigned to him/her.  This means that each intern is expected to answer his/her cell phone whenever the pastor or church staff calls.


III.Ministry Involvement


Being involved in the ministry means being involved with people.  The Staff Requirements of LBC outline the proper attitude that a staff member must have.  In addition to those, there are some practices that must be demonstrated in the intern’s interaction with the members.  Please understand that people can be offended and hurt, without any evil intent by the one with whom they are offended.  The following guidelines are from lessons learned from the “school of experience.”


A.Always try to say “Yes” when asked a favor by a member.


Do not try to communicate that you will do it, but that they are really infringing on your time.  Always have a pleasant disposition and follow through with your commitment.


B.Do not engage in any business dealings with a member while you are an intern.


This means you should refrain from buying, selling, bartering, trading or any such action with any member.  It has been the pastor’s experience that such practices provide an open door for Satan to get into the fellowship.  If you find yourself in an unavoidable business situation, then make sure that the member gets the best end of the transaction.  Take any lose upon yourself.  This also means that you do not charge any fee for any service rendered to a member.  Please feel free to discuss any exceptions with the pastor for approval prior to the involvement with the member.


C.Do acts of kindness or volunteerism anonymously.


The Lord will reward such action.  Too often a member will feel obligated to the donor, if they know who he/she is.  If you have any questions about something you feel led to do, please discuss with pastor.  This includes the act of giving a member a gift.  Do it anonymously.  Satan has often used the failure in this area to create jealousy in the church.


D.Interact with all members, and not just those with whom you feel closer to.


Do not speak and interact with only a few people.  In other words, communicate that you are here for all of the people.


E.Be careful in borrowing personal property from a member.


If you must do so, it must be for a short and fixed time.  The item must be returned to the member in the same, or better shape that you received it in.  If it breaks while you possess it, it will be your responsibility to replace it.


IV.Work Schedule


Each intern is expected to report to work no later than 1:00pm each day, Monday through Friday.   Since the intern is training for leadership, it is expected that he/she will report on time each day.  The workday has no ending time.  It is ministry.  Therefore, the intern must be willing to work until the job is done each day.  No vacations, trips or other absences may be planned without prior approval of the pastor.


Each intern must be one of the first to arrive at all services and functions, and the last to leave.  (For more details on service arrival times, please see the Staff Requirements document).


Successfully Completing the Internship


In order to receive full credit for the internship training, the student must complete the internship with a minimum score of eighty (80).  The student is expected to fulfill all requirements set forth in this document and any additional requirements as established by the administration.  Each infraction of a requirement or expectation will receive a reduction from the final grade of one-half (½) point.  If enough reductions are accumulated to reduce the final grade below the score of eighty (80), the internship will be incomplete and must be repeated.  It is important to understand that the administration will not be constantly monitoring and looking for infractions.  If the attitude of the student is proper and represents the decorum of the college and church, then the application of any penalty will be minimal.


Disclaimer:  Please note that the pastor may provide exceptions or changes as needed.  It is his desire for your internship to be an exciting time of ministry and learning.  If any situation arises that is a conflict with any of the above stated policies, please discuss with the pastor.

Each student must complete an internship.  Missions students must serve their internship on a foreign field with an approved veteran missionary.  Pastoral or Church Ministries students serve under their local-church pastor.  The following requirements will vary for student serving on a foreign field.