Redemption Church Christchurch elders and deacons, along with the church’s pastoral interns met yesterday in Bryndwr Chapel’s building. The four interns (pictured below) are shadowing the elders to learn more with the view to potentially serving as full-time elders/pastors in a church in the future.
Pastor Jason Winslade says the overall purpose of the internship is to encourage development in different aspects of pastoral ministry, with a view of not only helping their own church, but also with the potential for church planting, or church revitalisation in the future. Jason comments, “It gives them on-the-job experience, to test their calling to pastoral ministry”.
Liz Hodge, CCCNZ Scholarships Enabler, explains that “the interns are invited to gain experience in areas such as teaching and preaching, leading home Bible studies, counselling, working with Jason the pastor in planning the weekly worship gatherings, as well as administration, visitation and to be involved with evangelism and missions opportunities through the church”.
From left to right: Jordan Simmonds, Liz Hodge, Guillaume Bourdin, Sam Linton, Malcolm Menzies, Mark Quisquirin, Thomas Bourdin, Jerome Brown, Jason Winslade, Chris Hill.
Sam Linton says that one of the most beneficial things of the internship has been the discipleship aspect, while Thomas Bourdin is grateful for the opportunity to learn to serve in a local context. Thomas notes that the internship has given him a real taste of what serving as an elder or pastor is like but with no need to commit to three years of study, quit his job, or move overseas.
Liz remarks one of the strengths of the Redemption Church internship scheme is a model that could work in many churches. "The team at Redemption Church is able to grow together and encourage each other as they learn what it means to serve as an elder alongside the current elders, pastors and deacons".
