About Our Internships
Seminaries are a gift to the church in so many ways, but so much of what pastors and church leaders need to know about serving the church can’t be learned in a lab.
We believe the education of future pastors requires real church experience.
Our pastoral internship program seeks to expose aspiring pastors to the typical ebb and flow of local church ministry and to equip them with a pastoral, ecclesiological grid for the to care for the people of God.
What does the Bible say about how a church should be organized? Is church membership biblical? What is the connection between baptism, communion, and church membership? God’s Word isn’t silent on these matters. Interns will read the works of great pastors and theologians from the past and respond in a number of ways (e.g. papers of response, debates, and weekly discussions with pastors and other interns on their papers).
As interns experience the life of the church and dialogue in their studies on the church, they'll discover that we believe that God’s church is his primary instrument in this stage in redemptive history for heralding the good news of Jesus Christ. They'll find a biblical model for building the church—not dictated by the latest cultural waves, fads, or mere pragmatism—but rather according to what God’s Word says about how God’s people ought to live life together in the local church.
Internship Structure and Work
We offer the internship program to six men once a year and occurs between the end of August and the end of May. We prefer applicants to have completed their undergraduate degree, but we've had a variety of folks serve from recent graduates to senior pastors. We don't expect to have clarity as to whether or not everyone who completes the internship will be fit for ministry or that we confirm that they ought to pursue vocational ministry. We believe that takes more time in a local church. We also don’t seek to build our church on interns (teaching publicly, leading small groups, etc.). The bulk of the interns time will be spent reading over 1,000 pages of text, writing multiple weekly papers, and discussing those papers. We also offer a preaching practicum where interns will get feedback on their teaching at the end of the internship.
Who Is Eligible?
We welcome applications from men who are aiming at pastoral ministry and who are able to affirm the TBC statements of faith and fellowship. Interns are not required to live on campus. If applying for an internship through Phoenix Seminary's Ministry Apprenticeship Alliance, interns do not necessarily need to be members of Trinity Bible Church.
Ministry Apprenticeship Alliance
Students may receive seminary credit from our internship through Phoenix Seminary. This internship is for those who may or may not be members of Trinity Bible Church. In order to be a part of this track the student must apply and be accepted to Phoenix Seminary and pay tuition for the credits received. This is an excellent way to gain ministry experience and receive credit. Click here for details.
Sample class syllabi are available here: MA501 | MA502
Residency
For those accepted into the residency internship, housing is normally provided for single men. In addition, expenses related to the internship will be covered by the church (not including health care.) Housing is in close proximity to the church, therefore, no vehicle is necessary during the program (though parking is provided for those with a car). In addition to the internship study workload, these students are expected to serve in a greater capacity by helping to maintain and oversee the church facilities.
See expectations and policy.
Expectations
In addition to the reading and writing assignments mentioned above, the intern’s week includes attendance at staff meetings, service reviews, elders meetings, all public services of the church, intern discussions, weddings, wedding rehearsals, funerals, intern accountability and supervision times, conferences, and any spontaneous meetings that arise in the course of a week. Interns can expect to serve once a week in general office administration. Additionally, we ask interns to schedule one-on-one lunches with a church elder, deacon, and staff member. Interns also meet with a variety of new and old members of the church. These meetings provide the interns with an opportunity to learn about various aspects of the church’s history and life. Interns become members of TBC during the time of their internship in order to best fold them into the life of the congregation. Lastly, we ask each intern to be an active member of a Community Group.
Is This Internship For You?
If you would like to take part in our internship, we encourage you to submit the application in the next step. (We can not guarantee acceptance.)