Missions Interns

For many CC Saving Grace Missions Interns, 2023 is the year that they finally get to go. When we started the School of Missions in 2019 we couldn’t predict that there would be a massive hiccup in our sending plan…Covid. But God knew. And He has always had a plan in all of it. When Covid hit we actually had workers on the field that were evacuated by the government and had to come off of the field immediately. Since then, we have been waiting for borders to re-open in the 10/40 window so that those who feel called can be sent. 

This year we have 10 of our interns planning to move and live full time in the 10/40 window. These are exciting times, and we would love your prayers for all of these precious world changers. After the first year of the School of Missions, five of our seven students expressed a desire for further training. We had a basic framework for a missions internship, but a lot of what we have today for the students developed during that first year. All five of those first interns will be full-time workers on the field this year! The internship is designed for those who feel called to full-time missions. So every year since that first year we have given students who feel called to full-time overseas missions the opportunity to join the internship program. 

The internship is a one-year commitment and includes training in the Word, in practical ministry, and in leadership, all in a local church context. We try to give them opportunities to serve in just about every ministry. We want to give them an overall understanding of what it means to plant a church, and so we seek to expose them to as many ministries as possible so that they have a fuller understanding of what it takes to run these different ministries. We also give them opportunities to lead different ministries. Some have helped run our Children’s Ministry, some have led Life Groups, and some have been personal assistants to our pastors. We can confidently say that they have seen the inner workings of the church and that they understand what it takes to plant a church.

Equipping in the Word

Another huge part of the internship is that they have class every Wednesday for three and a half hours. The Missions Internship Class is where they get a lot of their missions training as Pastor Trent teaches through the book of Acts. They also are taught by missionaries who come home on furlough here as well. Each student is required to prepare a 15-minute message from a book of the Bible weekly. Then they share that teaching in front of a pastor who graciously critiques them in their content and delivery. Students agree that this is one of most challenging and best parts of the class. When they are done with that book of the Bible, they are very familiar with it. This gives them confidence in their Bible literacy as well as prepares them for future ministries where they will be teaching. The growth we see in their teachings is evident. Besides class on Wednesdays, they serve at church on Sundays, attend a Life Group and have a class on Monday nights with Pastor Rob who is teaching them through a book about being a missionary. Some of them also hold a job, which means they are very busy while going through the program.

What Does it Take for Them to be Ready to GO?

When a student discovers where they are called to go, they begin to pray through that with the pastors and fellow students. When there is confirmation, the student begins to make plans to move full-time to the field. A large part of the process is gathering partners. What this means is they begin to look for friends and family who may want to be a part of their sending team, whether that’s through finances or prayer or both. We believe it’s extremely important for each of them to have a care team that meets regularly to pray for them and be the liaison between them and the church and their supporters. Communication is such a huge part of the success of their mission, and having a care team is an essential part of that. As the interns begin to move towards transitioning to the mission field, they will meet with people regularly to share their vision and give people the opportunity to partner with them in their venture of faith. 

They also spend time learning about the country they feel called to, researching the cost of living there, looking into language school, finding places to rent, and researching the state of the church in that area. All students who have confirmed where they feel called to go will make plans for a “Vision Trip,” a trip in which they go to that destination country with a team, including a pastor, to “spy out” the land and pray.

At Saving Grace World Missions, starting the intern program has been the perfect next step for School of Missions graduates, and we are so honored to be a part of each of these students’ lives. We look forward to this next summer’s School of Missions and we hope to receive more interns who feel called to GO! It is a great privilege to be a part of their journey and we look forward to seeing many people mobilized to reach the most unreached people of the earth!