Recently Rhonda and I stayed at a new hotel while meeting with a pastoral search committee in a rural community. The hotel was amazing in every way. The sleek modern look, the fourth-floor restaurant and the outstanding customer service made me wonder how it ever happened in a rural community. Curiosity got the best of me and I finally asked one of the servers about the hotels story. “Oh, we are part of a collaborative partnership with Colorado Mesa University. The school offers a degree in the hospitality industry and the hotel gives students a way to make money, learn the industry and get on-the-job training”, he said. Every person from the lobby desk, housekeeping, the reservation center and the restaurant were students mastering their trade. What if that happened in rural churches?
What if Bible Colleges and churches collaborated together creating rural internships? The right individual assisting the right church in the right areas of ministry could help the church realize the benefit in discipleship and growth. The church can explore the possibilities of the following categories of intern focus:
• Children’s ministry intern. An intern who creates new outreaches to children and young families.
• Worship intern. An intern who leads worship, raises up another worship leader, and builds/strengthens a worship team.
• Youth/outreach intern. An intern who reaches out to teens in the community and builds new outreach channels that meet community needs.
• Media intern. An intern who assists the church in implementing media and training volunteers in sound, media, live feed, website, social media (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) and other forms of technological applications.
• General ministry intern. An intern who assists the pastor as an associate and works in all areas of the church’s ministries.
What if the Network, a Bible School, a rural church and an intern were part of a powerful win/win relationship? These kinds of powerful partnerships offer the following benefits to the Network:
• Mentoring. This partnership could provide seasoned situational mentoring and experience to emerging leaders with an interest in rural ministry.
• Assistance. This partnership could provide rural pastors with additional pastoral support, team chemistry, and the infusion of new energy and ideas.
• Collaboration. This partnership could help the Network partner with Bible colleges in fulfilling their mission, preparing effective leaders, and establishing localized representation in Colorado and Utah.
• Bull pen. This kind of partnership has the potential of providing a pool of trained and culturally aware ministers who are familiar with the RMMN and available to assume pastoral positions in rural churches.
• Strengthening. This partnership could strengthen local churches and expand their ministry potential in rural communities of the RMMN.
What if collaboration was as important as the classroom? Imagine a future in our Network where EVERY year:
• Rural pastors are provided a ministerial intern for one full year to train and mentor in the real-life classroom of rural ministry.
• Weary rural pastors receive help, encouragement, and rest the way ministers with staffs do in urban and suburban contexts.
• Bible college graduates are mentored, given hands-on training, and have a positive experience ministering in the RMMN.
• The RMMN establishes relationships with young, gifted, and emerging leaders who feel called to rural ministry.
• The RMMN rural churches are turned into practical classrooms as our Network partners with Trinity Bible College in the development of rural ministers and ministry.
It’s got me wondering if an anomaly of excellence in our rural communities would cause inquiring minds to ask our us to tell our story?