Internship Testimonies

Doing the yearly internship has forever changed my life and relationship with the Lord. The funny thing is, I never planned on doing the internship, because “it didn’t fit in my schedule.” However, when the Lord called me to do the internship, that was the easiest "yes" I have ever made. As my time as an intern took place I grew in so many ways that I didn’t know I needed to. I learned who Jesus really was and how important it is to have a genuine relationship with him is. Due to my new found love for the Lord, I was healed from extreme social anxiety. I gained a family/community that uplifts me and encourages me still to this day. I grew a true love for people. I discovered my gifts and how to use them. I gained a deeper knowledge of the Bible. Most importantly, I walked out with a true love for Jesus, and just in that alone my life is forever changed. Therefore, if you have any tug on your heart to do the internship, listen for God’s call to say yes.

When I signed up for the internship, I chose the worship avenue. Not only has it given me knowledge and hands-on experience within worship, but it has also grown my heart and love for it. When I gave the Lord my "yes" just for one season, He paved the way for multiple seasons following the internship, and growth doesn't just stop when the internship is over. I am taking what I have learned and applying it and even adding to it. The internship is amazing in so many ways. It pushes you out of your comfort zone, which is a blessing because I probably wouldn't do that on my own. It deepens your relationship with the Lord as well as deepens your relationship with other fellow believers. The internship loves you where you are at, but praise the Lord it doesn't leave you where you are at!

Saying yes to the internship was life changing! Through the classes I gained so much knowledge. Getting to better understand the person of Jesus. It was also great to hear from such wise and knowledgeable individuals, learning wonderful things that I can take with me no matter where I go in life. I loved getting to spend time with my Ministry Time mentor as they helped me grow in the places where I needed growth. I also enjoyed Getting to learn how things operate behind the scenes. Throughout the internship I found a community I didn’t know I needed. Community that treated me like I was family. The staff at community of faith always made me feel welcomed and valued. I also gained friendships with the other interns who encouraged me to grow and always pointed me back to the truth of God’s Word. Loving me even in hard situations. Finding mentors to help me continue to grow even outside of this internship. I’m truly grateful to have had the opportunity to do the internship at Community of Faith, helping me build a rock solid foundation before stepping into my next season of life.

Through the internship, the pastors and my peers challenged me to grow spiritually and
as a leader. I also had the opportunity to see firsthand the amount of work required in ministry and have gained a deeper level of respect for those at Community of Faith. God gives us the abilities to work and further His Kingdom, but it takes obedience and effort on our part to put to use those gifts. I formed Godly relationships, gained mentors, and strengthened my spiritual disciplines
throughout the internship. I was also sharpened in my communication and leadership skills as the internship provided ample opportunities for team building, problem solving, and critical thinking. My time with the church helped me solidify a foundation to build upon as I implement
the things I learned in my everyday life. I am thankful for the opportunity to see how God is using Community of Faith in small communities to connect people to the person of Jesus.

My life has literally been changed because of Christ working through this experience. Going into the internship, I was a little nervous because I was about to spend most of the summer with 10 people that I didn't even know. However the Lord is so good because we became so close the first week and kept getting closer throughout the summer. The atmosphere at Community of Faith is so impactful. You are surrounded by like minded people who are encouraging and always pointing you back to the person of Jesus. I’ve grown in so many different ways because of this experience. I was pushed out of my comfort zone and as much as I didn’t want to, I see now how impactful it actually was. All this to say, you might regret not doing the internship!

I honestly had no idea what the Lord was going to do in my time of internship, but I can see how he changed my perspective and showed his love through me and to me.
I was scared on the way there my first day, but after I got back to my car that day, I was praising the Lord that He put it on my heart to do it.
The internship helped me see God’s guidance and how he leads me. It helped me understand how I walk with Him and how I can seek Him in the fullest daily.

Going through this internship I got to meet new people and be in a community to serve others. I felt like God was calling me to do this internship and as it started, I got to learn what he has in-store for my life.  It was really cool to be in His presence and talk to God in the morning during our prayer time. God has shown me what it feels like to be in a community and what it looks like to make the sacrifice to serve others. This internship has helped me with public speaking which I never thought I could do, but now I have confidence and the strength to do so. I am blessed that I was in the internship and made friendships and also blessed getting the real life knowledge from the pastors. I feel so grateful that I was in this internship.

I think choosing to do the internship was single handedly one of the best decisions I have ever made. I genuinely had no idea what I was signing up for. Throughout the internship I was given a space to grow within myself and my relationship with the Lord. I was given encouragement and shown true Christ-like love. The environment of the internship is so unique and unlike anything I had ever experienced. You are surrounded by people who have a hunger to know Jesus and strive to be like him. I have seen a tremendous amount of growth within myself and others around me in every aspect. I would truly recommend the internship to anyone and everyone. I later realized I had signed myself up for a family, life long friends, and a community that is better than anything I ever could have imagined, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Being called to do the Internship was so clear to me. When all the doors opened up, I knew I was meant to do it. When I first committed to the internship, I was scared and I didn't know what I wanted to do within the internship, but God showed me almost instantly that I was supposed to do kids ministry and put it deeply on my heart.
During the internship I absolutely loved my mentor and I learned so much from her and enjoyed my time working with her. I also enjoyed getting to know the staff members and connecting with everyone there including the other interns. I liked how I got to do hands-on ministry work in the kids ministry. The sacrifice it took to do the internship taught me a lot of things, but most importantly it taught me how to be available to people when I'm needed and to just always be obedient and serve the lord. I’m so grateful I got to do this internship and incredibly grateful for all the connections and lifelong friendships I've made within it.

Coming into the internship, I was really looking to grow my relationship with the Lord
and to surround myself with a group of believers that I could go deep with. The Lord was so faithful as He provided me with that and so much more! I was able to experience deep growth in my relationship with the Lord through the classes that we had with the pastors. It was so neat to learn from and be challenged by the staff. The Lord also provided me with such an amazing
community! All of the interns challenged each other by going deep together in the Word and
being vulnerable with each other. I have truly made lifelong friends that I know will push me
closer to the Lord. I walked away from the internship with such a longing to continue spending intentional time with the Lord and listening for the Holy Spirit’s voice in my life. Ultimately, Christ showed me the love that He has for me as He is always faithful when we walk in His calling.

I had the opportunity to join the summer internship as a production intern. This experience has been life changing. I had so much fun working with the other interns, having classes with the pastors, playing games with the staff, and so much more. My favorite part of this 10 week internship was the classes, and just having a set time to be with our mentors and pastors to learn from them and ask questions. It is so beneficial to anyone seeking clarity and understanding. I have learned so much throughout the last 10 weeks from this whole experience!

Throughout the internship, I got to hit pause on the distracting things in life and truly invest in my relationship with the Lord. With this I got to learn at a deeper level who the Lord is and His importance in comparison to everything else. I learned more about the sacrifice that God made by sending his Son to die on the cross, which helped me understand love at a deeper level. I was in an environment that sharpened me into who God wanted me to be as a Christian. The leaders, pastors, and other interns were great resources for my spiritual growth. The leaders showed me that I am not alone and the other interns helped me gain new perspectives about the faith, which I’m so appreciative of.
I only knew a few people from COF when I entered the internship, however the Lord taught me how important a community of believers is in shaping your life and your faith. Because of the Lord through the 10-week-long internship, I am a new person and I have a hunger to keep growing in my faith and to serve in this body of believers!