Youths doing volunteer work during the summer. Image by: Missionary stories

New York, NY, January 16, 2008 -- An announcement that the United Methodist mission agency is resuming a summer intern program has led to a considerable number of inquiries about how congregations or church-related institutions can become sites for intern placements.
See also Global Ministries Resumes Summer Intern Program.

"This is a wonderful turn of events," said the Rev. Suzanne Field-Rabb, who is responsible for young adult ministries in the mission personnel office of the General Board of Global Ministries. "Since we did not have the intern program for the better part of a decade, and since we are reopening the program quickly, I was concerned that young adult United Methodists would not realize the wonderful opportunity they are being offered for a short term mission experience this summer. However, the response is wonderful both from youth and from excited Summer Intern placement sites."

Information on the application process for becoming an intern site is available online at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/about/us/mp/documents/ and from the office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries of the Mission Personnel Unit of the mission agency.

The summer mission internships are for young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 who have finished at least one year of higher education. Ideal placements combine the work of the church with elements of social justice.

Placement sites are expected to provide room and board and costs related to the arrangement for eight weeks in June and July. The mission board provides a weekly stipend of $100, for a total of $1000, including one week of training and one of debriefing. It also pays travel costs to and from the site.

Summer Interns are not expected to live at their work site and all living arrangements and provisions for meals will be evaluated in advance.

Applications for placements are due by April 1. The forms ask about reasons for requesting an intern, the specific program or project in mind, plans for supervision, and capacity of the local organization to provide housing, meals and transportation between lodging and the work place. A concise job description is required.

"Successful placement sites must have some connection with United Methodist ministries," according to Field-Rabb. "A congregation can apply for someone to help with an existing ministry. A United Methodist agency, foundation, community center, or college can apply as long as it has some ministry that works on behalf of others in the social justice arena."

Questions not answered by the online information should be addressed to the Rev. Suzanne Field-Rabb or her staff at Mission Personnel, 475 Riverside Drive, Room 320, New York, NY 10115, phone 212-870-3660. Email may be addressed to Alycia J. Capone at acapone@gbgm-umc.org.

Download the Summer Intern Placement Site Application:
Word (5 pp, 43 K) PDF (5 pp, 33 K)

	See Also... Topic: Missionaries |  United Methodist Church |  Youth |  Geographic Region: United States |  Source: Mission Personnel
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Date posted: Jan 16, 2008