So you’ve got someone who you think could be a great LEADER – they’ve got all the right LEADERSHIP QUALITIES….but how do you help them get from raw talent, latent spiritual gifts, great potential….to skilled, able leader? An INTERNSHIP is a hands-on way of learning, practicing, and refining the skills they will need to grow into a great leader.
So, how do you do a great internship?
Great internships are INTENTIONAL. Like Paul with Timothy, you journey together with your intern, and are intentional about practicing the leadership skills they will need. They will walk with you, learning from your example at first, and then trying it on their own with your guidance, until they are finally able to do each skill independently.
What kind of internship do you need?
The goals of each internship will look different depending on what skills the intern needs to acquire and practice - eg. worship leading, preaching, planning and leading children's programming, etc!
Internships should also vary in length and have different levels of autonomy and responsibility depending on the experience level of the intern and the goals of the internship.
The document linked below has some great guidelines and suggestions for different types of internships
How do you discern a good intern?
The documents linked below can help you determine the right candidate for your internship. The Internship Qualities document has a list of qualities to look for as you discern a person for an internship:
The two templates below are yours to use and adapt if you need an application form or reference form for your internship.
How do you supervise or mentor your intern well?
Setting goals is the most important aspect of supervising well. Setting clear, obtainable goals, with clear deadlines and action steps of how they will be met is the best way to measure whether you've achieved what you're aiming at! In your weekly meetings with your intern you can then evaluate these goals, and your feedback and encouragement can become more focused and be even more helpful to your intern.
The Intentionality Tool linked to below is a fantastic resource for helping you sit down with your intern and create goals for the internship. Another great tool is the One on One Template, which you can use to focus your meetings with your intern.
How can we help you?
We want to hear from you and walk alongside you as you develop leaders. We have resources available for:
Contact
We want to be available to serve you as YOU need - so feel free to contact us and let us know how we can best serve you!
We hope the tools and resources on this site are helpful as you set up your internship. If there is a tool that you feel is missing, or an important link we should add, let us know!
Contact
Leadership Development if you have any questions or comments.
