The Intern Scheme is for local churches who are passionate about seeing every member grow in wise conversations.
How it works
The Intern Scheme works best in churches where the leadership are committed to and excited about equipping the body of Christ to love one another well. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, the Intern Scheme is tailored to the needs and character of the local context.
In order to apply, individuals who have completed the Biblical Counselling UK Certificate Programme and demonstrate gifting in biblical counselling should work with their church leadership to identify clear goals that enable the whole church to grow in wise conversations. The Scheme provides a framework to support the individual’s ongoing development and enables them to be a catalyst for growth in wise counsel across the whole church family.
All Interns will receive the same benefits across the two years of the Scheme:
- A Biblical Counselling UK mentor to facilitate their growth in monthly 1:1 meetings
- Monthly training meetings on a variety of topics (online)
- Monthly peer group (online)
- In-person training meetings three times per year
- Two whole-group meetings (lnterns, Mentors and Local Leaders) per year to provide additional input and support (online)
- Feedback in the form of mid and end-of-year reports
Year One
Interns (in collaboration with their church leaders) will develop and carry out plans that help foster richer and wiser pastoral care right across the church family. While the specific plans will vary depending on church context and individual gifting, this may include activities such as running a Real Change course, small group leader training, leading a seminar on an area of common struggle (e.g. anger or anxiety), or supporting church leadership in developing the pastoral care structures of the church. Depending on experience and context, Interns may also gain further experience in conversational ministry, with opportunities ranging from “kitchen table” ministry, discipleship of individuals to more structured conversations about specific struggles.
Year Two
Here the cohort will divide, with each intern following one of two parallel tracks:
Church Growth Track
Interns will collaborate with their wider church leadership to identify a particular area of conversational ministry within church life to develop. They will research, create and implement a ministry proposal plan. Areas that interns may focus on include: small group development, pastoral care structures, premarital & marriage refresher material, evangelism & outreach, and so on.
Alongside this main focus, interns will still engage in other activities such as running a Real Change course and meeting with people for more informal discipleship conversations.
Counselling Track
Interns should expect to spend a majority of their time in the second year engaging in more formal pastoral conversations alongside activities that foster rich conversational ministry across their whole church (such as running Real Change or a seminar). Interns will work alongside their church leadership to structure this conversational ministry wisely and establish clear channels of accountability.
Any activities carried out by the Intern will remain under the authority and supervision of the local church, and we ask that churches provide a Local Leader who can deliver the day-to-day accountability and support to help the Intern flourish in their role.
Our beliefs
We subscribe to the Biblical Counseling Coalition’s Doctrinal and Confessional Statements. All Interns and their churches must sign their agreement with these statements.
Apply
Applications for September 2024 are now closed. Our next intake will be for September 2025, with applications opening in January 2025.
Downloads
*The application pack will be available 3 months before applications open.
The documents opposite are sample forms and information and will be updated before our next round of applications open.
*The application pack will be available 3 months before applications open.
The documents below are sample forms and information and will be updated before our next round of applications open.
find out more about the
Intern Alumni
The two years of the Intern Scheme equips individuals for lifelong ministry in the local church and the local church for long-term growth in pastoral care. Discover the different ways Intern Alumni are using their experience and training beyond the Intern Scheme.
