Internships
Rural Church Development (RCD) is committed to helping raise up a generation of servant leadership that is equipped and desiring to engage their communities (big or small) with a winsome and powerful witness of Jesus Christ.
RCD’s summer intern program is designed to give college and post graduate-aged men and women an opportunity to grow in their ministry experience. NOTE: You do not have to be a student to apply! Are you investigating a call to full-time ministry? Are you curious about how to grow in ministry skills? Do you simply want to know yourself and others in a deeper and more engaging way so as to be a better Christ follower?
What you will receive:
In this internship you get to be an explorer. In any exploration the person not only learns about others and the culture in which they are inhabiting, but they learn much about themselves as well. Through learning how to engage, asking thoughtful questions, and listening to those living in a nearby community, the intern will grow in their understanding of the surrounding culture and their own heart’s longings and needs. What are people’s underlying cries and how can the gospel answer those cries? As an explorer you will have opportunities to put into practice investigative skills and document these stories throughout the internship.
What you will provide:
First and foremost, your very self. Your presence in people’s lives is incredibly important as the good news of Jesus calls you to be a blessing to those you encounter. Through learning how to listen to people, you will be an active presence to receive their stories and care for them. Through you, the gospel will be shared.
Along with your presence, you will be assisting Rural Church Development to spread the word of the ministry as a resource of gospel hope in the surrounding towns. This area is rural and lacks the resources that larger areas enjoy. Therefore the people are often overlooked and feel the negative stares and jeers of what are considered the more refined, educated, and the often pretentious “outsider.” ALL people are valued by God. We want them to know that!
Our internship is designed to help you, not only engage with people in a unique cultural setting, but develop a ministry mindset that is transferable to any culture.
Where is this internship?
Location is certainly not the primary reason to apply for an internship, but it doesn’t hurt that it’s in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. The North Georgia and Southeast Tennessee mountains are stunning. Clear streams and mountain views surround the area. Yeah . . . it’s really spectacular.