Internships

Every studies in ministry student is required to complete an internship.

Ideally, this year-long internship is the culminating activity of the program, which you'll take concurrently with a year-long capstone seminar, having completed all other minor coursework.

DETAILS

The internship is a closely supervised practical experience in a church, para-church ministry, community organization or other relevant setting. This experience involves six to 12 hours each week of supervised involvement with the ministry or organization for a full academic year (14 weeks per semester).

Students receive two to four credits a semester for this internship. The decision about how many credits an internship will be is based on conversations with the minor's director and coordinator of mentoring and internships, your track and ministry interests, and your other academic requirements.

You'll be placed in an internship that matches, as much as possible, the type of ministry to which you are discerning a call. The internship should enable you to gain a clear understanding of the expectations, responsibilities and challenges involved in the type of ministry you're considering and the specific organization where you're interning.

In special circumstances, you may request to do an internship over the summer rather than during the academic year. In this case, the capstone seminar of the minor would be taken during the academic year that immediately follows the summer internship. This internship can be done outside of Holland, either domestically or internationally. Requests are considered and arrangements are made on a case-by-case basis, in conversation with the director of the minor and the coordinator of mentoring and internships.

INTERNSHIP SITES

This is a partial list of previous site placements. Future placements are not limited to these organizations.

3-Sixty
A Child's Voice
Audio scripture Ministries
Barnabas Ministries
Beacon of Hope
Beechwood RCA
Bethany Christian Services
Boys and Girls Club
The Bridge
Bridge Street House of Prayer*
Calvary CRC
Center for Women in Transition
Central Wesleyan Church
Christ Memorial Church
Clear Vision
Community Action House
Community First Association
Community Mental Health
Compassion Heart Ministries
Community RCA Zeeland
Department of Human Services - Michigan Youth Opportunity*
Ecclesia Church
Eighth Day Farm
Engedi church
Escape Ministries
Every Orphan's Hope* (Zambia)
Faith CRC Holland
Faith RCA Zeeland
Fellowship RCA Holland
First RCA Zeeland
First RCA Holland
First United Methodist
Good Samaritan Ministries
Heights of Hope
Holland Free Health Clinic
Holland Hospital
Holland Rescue Mission
Hope Campus Ministries
Hope Haven*
Hospice of Holland/Hudsonville
I.N. Network
Japanese Ministries
Justice for Our Neighbors/First Methodist
Lakeshore Pregnancy Center
Lakeshore Latino Outreach
Lakeshore Vineyard Church
LeadOut
LifeQuest (church)
Mercer Island Presbyterian* (WA state)
Moran Park Church
Mosaic Ministries
Neighbors Plus
New Community Fourth RCA
Northland (church)* (Florida)
Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church
Pittsburgh Project
Providence CRC
RCA Disability Concerns/CLC Network
Ready for School
Real life Fellowship
Ridgepoint Church Holland
Second RCA Zeeland
St. Francis Catholic Parish - student ministries worship team
Team Effort
The River Church*
Third Reformed Church
Trinity Lutheran Church
Troy Assembly of God*
Turning Point School of Dance
Upward Bound
Urban Rock
Vineyard Cincinnati
West Michigan Youth for Christ
Without Walls Vineyard
Ward Church
Young life Holland
Young Life/Ottawa
Zion Lutheran

*Non-local sites

SUPERVISORS

If you're an internship supervisor or considering the opportunity of supervising a student, the following documents may be of assistance:

Internship Guidelines:
Learning Covenant
Overview of Ministry Minor
Time Sheet Instructions
Hope Calendars:

Orientation Lunch

Supervisors will gather in mid-August for lunch to learn details regarding their time with students throughout the upcoming year.

Feedback/Evaluation Forms

Forms are due toward the end of each semester or summer term. You will receive a link to the form along with the submission deadline by email. Please contact vanputtenp@hope.edu if you are unable to locate your email containing the online form link.

STUDENTS IN THE MINOR

Before you register for your ministry internship, our department will host an orientation session where you will complete all forms required for the program and the Registrar's Office.

Students taking an internship for academic credit at Hope College should review Boerigter Center's internship information.

Feedback/Evaluation Forms

If you have feedback forms that are due, you will receive a link to the form along with the submission deadline by email. Please contact vanputtenp@hope.edu if you are unable to locate your email containing the online form link.

I loved my internship. I did mine over the summer due to being a social work major, and pushed myself out of my box by moving to Pensacola, Florida, for a summer without knowing a single soul. It stretched me in ways I didn't know were possible, created lifelong friends and, at one point, produced a job opportunity (that I didn't take — but still, incredible!).
—Kierstynn Foster ’16