Fourteen young adults recently completed their summer internship through Connexion, the Michigan Conference’s new program centered on formation and discernment.
JAMES DEATON
Content Editor
This summer, 14 young adults participated in the inaugural class of Connexion, the Michigan Conference’s new young adult intern program. Connexion is the latest incarnation in a long line of rich formational programming initiated by our conference.
The eight-week internship is for post-high school young adults from ages 18 to 27. It is a grassroots program that mutually benefits young adults and United Methodist ministry sites and nurtures young adults with gifts and graces in their own communities. Rooted in Wesleyan theology, Connexion builds weekly gatherings for interns to meet one another and ministry site leaders, offering spiritual development, discernment opportunities, and support.
Young adults served at different ministry sites throughout Michigan, including several EngageMI ministry partners. Examples of nonprofits included Swords into Plowshares Peace Center and Gallery, which has ties to Central UMC, and Cass Community Social Services in Detroit. Some interns assisted campus ministries like Motor City Wesley and United Campus Christian Fellowship in Grand Rapids. Others served with local churches, assisting with faith formation at Clarkston UMC, Detroit: Centro Familiar Cristiano UMC’s summer children’s program, Sugar Crash, and Kalamazoo: Sunnyside UMC’s community garden.
Elizabeth Jowski, lead intern for Connexion, feels the pilot year went well based on her own experience and conversations with other interns. Interns often talked about the sense of community they found at their ministry sites and within the program as a whole.
The program also challenged them to engage their ministry settings fully. “For many interns,” said Jowski, “it opened their eyes to the needs of the world, how they can intersect with those needs, and what they can do to help. I heard most often that the interns wished they had more time, which don’t we all!”
Rev. Elizabeth Hurd, pastor of West Bloomfield UMC and chair of the Board of Young People’s Ministries, echoed this statement about the revelatory power of in-the-trenches ministry she heard from interns and ministry site leaders she talked to this summer.
“Interns predominantly in church settings,” noted Hurd, “were surprised by the behind-the-scenes reality of church life, such as how decisions are made or responsibilities are designated. Interns working with nonprofits were surprised at some of the needs they were meeting. For instance, one intern donated some items they no longer had use for to their site and was surprised that some people were excited by items they thought of as junk. One thing that I heard consistently was that the summer opened our interns’ eyes to things they hadn’t considered or deeply thought about before.”
Connexion is different from other intern programs created by the Michigan Conference (Mission Intern, EncounterMICall, and Ministry Exploration) in two primary ways. For one, it has a more grassroots feel in that churches or ministry sites partner with young adults to identify and help them reach their goals. Rather than being matched with a site with a predetermined work plan, each internship was flexible and customized to the young adult’s needs. This also meant the focus was on a broader call to vocation, more than just those called to ordained ministry.
Elizabeth Jowski mentioned how some interns talked about how the Connexion experience strengthened their call to social work, teaching, or health care. Elizabeth Hurd spoke with one intern who worked in faith formation ministries at her church. “She wants to be a teacher,” said Hurd, “and working with children and youth this summer deepened her calling to education.”
Hurd also explained that some of the interns are just out of their first year of high school or college, and their internship helped them discern more options for their future and how they can integrate ministry and service to God into their day-to-day lives. She continued, “We did have one intern who wasn’t a professing Christian express interest in exploring churches and Christianity during the summer. So, for some interns, spiritual discernment came along with vocational discernment.”
One of the areas of growth in this new program is the desire to be more focused on the young adult’s discernment rather than just getting specific work done at the site. Sometimes, it’s a tricky balance for ministry leaders to find. “I think we’re still figuring out how to have a better partnership between interns and sites so that the internship is less site-driven and more of a partnership,” noted Elizabeth Hurd.
The other unique feature of Connexion compared to previous programs is the intentional weekly gatherings for interns. Elizabeth Jowski reported that these Tuesday night meetings went well overall. The interns enjoyed seeing one another throughout the duration of the program and hearing what other interns were doing. Jowski also received some constructive feedback from some interns about the length and pace of the meetings, and conference leadership will be adjusting the structure and flow of those gatherings for next summer’s class.
Elizabeth Hurd also noted that the program will continue to evolve. In particular, she would like to see these weekly gatherings emphasized more. Only some interns prioritized them each week, seeing them as an option rather than part of the internship.
Connexion is one of several new initiatives the Michigan Conference Board of Young People’s Ministries is launching in 2024 based on the feedback they received from recent young adult listening sessions. The Board of Young People’s Ministries and conference staff worked together to bring forward the best parts of the previous intern programs and listen carefully to what young adults need and are asking for today.
The listening sessions highlighted four current priorities for young adults: meaning-making spaces, inclusive spaces, Wesleyan theology, and peer relationships.
Connexion touches on these four priorities. The program emphasizes connection to God through regular spiritual practices, connection to the community through a service- and justice-focused role, and connection to each other through weekly peer group meetings. It also emphasizes the connectional aspects of The United Methodist Church as ministry sites cultivate a culture of welcome and vocational discernment for young adults sorting through their call, whether it is as laity, deacon, elder, or another form of professional ministry.
Elizabeth Jowski said, “I heard a lot of young adults, who had either grown up Christian in or out of Methodist spaces or even not interacted much with Christianity at all, talk about the affirming and inclusive spaces that also made them feel like they were making a difference.” She was part of conversations with interns about how wonderful it was to find and contribute to inclusive spaces with people their age, encouraging them to look deeper into Christianity.
Elizabeth Hurd spoke about the importance of creating discernment programs like Connexion, centered on Christ, scripture, and the church’s teachings but open to those not part of the church. “As we know,” she explained, “religious affiliation among young people is at an all-time low. Gen Z simply doesn’t associate with the church at the same level as other generations. By being open to those who aren’t part of the church, we put ourselves in the vulnerable position of hearing challenges for how the church can be better, give ourselves opportunities to see the church through the eyes of someone outside of the church, and also learn how to connect with the least churched generation in authentic ways.”
Leaders within the Michigan Conference will continue to evaluate Connexion to improve the program for next year. Elizabeth Jowski calls this first year a success but is excited to see where it grows in the future. “I’m also excited to see where the interns will be in the future. I hope more young adults and ministry sites will learn about this program and join in on the fun!”
Elizabeth Hurd also reiterated that Connexion was an overall success. “We will continue,” she concluded, “to refine the program so it better meets the needs of young people. Anyone who wants to join us in building spaces for young people to discern, grow, and connect with God should keep a look out for next summer!”
Last Updated on September 9, 2024