Global Ministries announces 2012-2013 Global Mission Interns
Global Ministries (Disciples of Christ and United Church of Christ) has announced its team of 2012-2013 Global Mission Interns (GMI), selecting six young adults from across the U.S. to witness their faith and God's call in their lives.
"The GMI program is great for the participant to exercise academic training in a global sense, to focus on what comes next after graduation, and sometimes to reorient goals," said Jan Aerie, UCC executive for mission education and interpretation. "For both the UCC and Disciples congregations, the fact that these young adults are sharing their daily experiences through blogging then discussing their newfound global perspectives when they return is powerful for both the Church and the GMI."
Here are the six new Global Mission interns:
Amy Lester, a member of First Christian Church, Baton Rouge, La., will serve with the Reformed Church in Hungary where she will work to facilitate international communications, tutor in English, and receive and guide international guests including the Youth-Festival of the Reformed Church, among other duties.
Ashley Holst, a member of Zion United Church of Christ, Marion, Ill., will serve as a Global Mission Intern in the Dominican Republic with Proyecto Caminante. She will work with street children in Caminante's Outreach Ministry.
Matthew Fehse, a member of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Redding, Calif., will serve with the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), where he will work with the human rights desk.
Nicole Betteridge, member of Decorah United Church of Christ, Decorah, Iowa, will serve as a Global Mission Intern with the Lao Evangelical Church in Laos. She will teach English with the Lao Evangelical Church and volunteer with the Children's Development Centers.
Sydney Collins, member of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, Memphis, Tenn., will serve as a Global Mission Intern with the Church of Christ in Thailand. She will teach English in one of the schools in Bangkok that belongs to the Church of Christ in Thailand.
Each intern will serve a one-year term with the possibility of an extension beginning Oct. 1.
Candidates are recent college graduates or students who will be graduating soon and have a relationship to the church, with preference given to members of the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Additional requirements include a willingness to receive the gifts of the church partners and to share their gifts in an intentional process of service, and live at a subsistence level to help meet needs worldwide.
Each participant goes through a highly competitive application process, including two rounds of interviews. They then participate in a thorough training and orientation. The Global Mission intern program is funded through the One Great Hour of Sharing (UCC) and Week of Compassion (Disciples) offering, and funds go toward covering each intern's living expenses for the duration of the program.
More information about the Global Mission Intern program.