Ministries Internships
Ministry internships bring classroom learning to life and are crucial in preparing students for meeting needs in the real world.
The Christian Ministries Department requires internships for the following majors:
- Intercultural Studies
- Ministry
- Nonprofit Leadership
- Pastoral Studies
- Youth and Emerging Adult Studies
By the time students from one of these majors graduates from Northwestern, they will have a minimum of 200 hours of experience at a ministry site. Through internships, Christian Ministries’ students gain valuable practice time as they participate in a ministry of their choice. Whether in a church or parachurch ministry, students are given opportunities to teach, lead, plan, and observe what being in ministry is all about. Each student has an on-site mentor who is committed to guiding, praying, encouraging, challenging, and doing whatever else is necessary for the student to flourish and grow in his or her skills, knowledge, and experience.
The program is designed for students to participate in internships throughout the Fall and Spring semester of their junior or senior year. Students can still take classes on campus while working in their internship—each section requires 100 hours of ministry involvement over the course of the semester. This enables them to take what they are learning in the classroom and immediately apply it into a ministry setting. Most of our internship sites are local, a great benefit to the community and our students. Students may also do internships during the summer if they meet course requirements. Summer internships can be local, out of state, or outside the U.S., and coursework is completed online.
Department Goal
We desire to help students grow in both knowledge and practice of Christian ministry with strong theological, theoretical, and interpersonal learning. Students will develop skills in both written and oral communication, counseling, evaluating, leading, mentoring, planning, problem solving, teaching-preaching, thinking biblically and critically, and relating holistically. Internships are a practical and important part of accomplishing this goal.
For more information about our internships, please contact the Christian Ministries Local Internship Coordinator, Mary Hawley at [email protected] or call (651) 631-5594.
