Photo by Eliott Reyna on Unsplash
How many times have you heard a famous singer say their background, their internship, was singing for their local church? Well, if that works for singers, why not technicians?
Churches are always looking for help. Sunday comes every week, without fail. There are always problems to be resolved, especially when it comes to church production. Often the church tries to hire its way out of the problem and may think, “If we had money, adding staff would fix our issues.”
That seems like a setup for a motivational discussion on volunteers, but instead, I want to try a new idea. What about interns? That's right, interns; a program where churches are an outreach to high schools and colleges.
Abraham Lincoln wrote that America is the last best hope of the Earth, but I believe this is the role of the church. Why should we be the tail that is always following the secular world's new ideas and definitions of what is engaging, young, and meaningful to today's culture?
Remember, excellence is not a cool rock show or perfect production execution. Excellence is a consistently good attitude, hard work, and a push for doing better the next time.
Churches have weekly technical productions that involve creativity, design, web, information technology, streaming, hard work, management interaction, and the reward of actually making an idea come to life. In today's world, many students are looking for experience in the arts. Everything now revolves around technology and design. More importantly, what we have to offer can unlock the heart and spark a passion for something that can draw people to Christ, while having fun in the process. An internship program will bring new, young, innovative helpers into your church's culture, and, in return, the church can offer everything they need to be better stewards of their God-given talents.
So you say to yourself, “Self, I understand that interns are a good idea, but our church doesn't have what it takes.” I totally disagree with this statement. How many times have you heard a famous singer say their background, their internship, was singing for their local church? It's what got them started. It helped them develop their talent and pushed them to try it in the secular world. Well, if that works for singers, why not technicians? Churches have the ability to dip people's toes in the water and pique their creative production interests.
Every person, whether the church is large or small, can benefit from an internship program. These programs build character and responsibility.
Ok, so now you are on board. Now you wonder, how do I do it? First, you need a plan.
Make sure you lay out a system that covers recruitment, short-term strategy, long-term vision, and leadership supervision. That last point of leadership is the most important. You want to have strong leaders in place that are not only teaching the interns but are making sure they stay on course with their spiritual journey. Remember an intern is probably going to be part of your church for just a few months. Even though your church probably has systems to help ensure a walk with Christ, no one can guarantee where they are in their walk with the Lord. That means we need to not only shepherd them through the production internship program, but as with any church ministry or outreach you need to have them aligned with people that will provide oversight and guidance. You need strong leaders that will throw a flag if they see behavior that needs correcting.
Your next step is to organize the teaching. Make sure you have a system that teaches the basics all the way up to what your church considers professional level. Leave room for failure, learning, and working with each person individually. Write down how your program is going to work --- a progression of steps and the goals for each step. Manage the process as one that respects each person; honors the heart of the church and promotes excellence. Remember, excellence is not a cool rock show or perfect production execution. Excellence is a consistently good attitude, hard work, and a push for doing better the next time.
Once you have an internship program, what is the end result? Well, the obvious result is the church has more help and the interns get to learn about production processes. You want to make sure the “help” doesn't become more work or an additional event itself. The church needs help that moves its objectives forward and ultimately eases the burden on staff. In return, the intern should have access to real-world experience that will provide hands-on training that helps with a degree, future job opportunities, and character building.
Every person, whether the church is large or small, can benefit from an internship program. These programs build character and responsibility. They help teenagers and young adults determine if this is a gift the Lord has blessed them with or if they need to look in a different direction. Many times when they do look in a different direction, it's a ministry of the church that provides them with the lighthouse to guide them through life. As they navigate their journey to find their calling, they are learning the basics of an exciting and rapidly changing tech field, helping your church with additional staff and adding an influx of new ideas. Internships also teach an important principle that is the foundation of church work: it's all about people. When people gather together and share ideas we grow as individuals, as a team, and as a church.
Starting an internship program may not be an easy road at first. You will make mistakes, but excellence comes by learning from your mistakes. The hard work you put into this program builds people who will better understand the mission of the church while they learn about the technologies that are shaping our world. At the same time, we can be teaching them that where two or three gather in God's name --- no matter if it's a small group, church, or a live production internship program --- God will be there with them (Matthew 18:20).
