The Mission Intern Program of The Michigan Area is celebrating 20 years of encouragement to young adults spending their summer exploring servant ministry.
KAY DEMOSS
Senior Content Editor
"We were making cross necklaces and Raven said, 'What is a cross?' How do I answer this?" ~ Sarah Alexander
"'Mr. Paul! There's a dead bird! What are we going to do?' My first response was to say, 'We are going to have a funeral for it.'" ~ Paul Perez
"The work of the beloved community of the church was just spilling out there in southwest Detroit." ~ Carl Gladstone
Those are just a few of the memories shared by former Mission Interns serving in places like Detroit, Ypsilanti, and Port Huron since 1999. Born out of the United Methodist Bishops' Initiative on Children and Poverty, the Mission Intern program has been developing leadership among young United Methodists in Michigan for the past 20 years.
This eight-week summer program provides service opportunities -- in local churches and non-profits -- for post-high young adults. The aim is to provide supervised on-board training for interns that also makes a difference in the lives of children and youth in both rural and urban settings around the state. Congregations and agencies benefit because the interns' helping hands enable them to expand their ministry with their local communities.
Watch and listen to these five Michigan ministers, who got a boost for Christian service during their time as a Mission Intern:
- Rev. Sarah Alexander
- Rev. Paul Perez
- Rev. Dan Hart
- Church & Community Worker, Mary Gladstone-Highland
- Rev. Carl Gladstone
Interns serving with congregations will lead summer children’s programs. Non-profits offering assignments include Cass Community Social Services and God’s Country Cooperative Parish. At Cass Services in Detroit, interns will work with volunteer teams and organizing field trips for children living at Cass’ residences. At God’s Country Cooperative Parish in Newberry, interns coordinate volunteer teams providing home repair for local residents and lead a two-week swim class for area children.
Want to be part of a third decade of ministry and mission? Applications for the next class of Mission Interns will open next spring.
Happy 20th Anniversary, Mission Intern Program!
Last Updated on October 26, 2022