What’s it like to live in New York City? You can find out if you do one of our paid missions internships this summer!
Paid missions internships are hard to find, but we offer missions internships with partial or full scholarships to help you engage in cross cultural ministry among Unreached People Groups in NYC.
Our summer interns come in with all kinds of ideas about what it might be like to do ministry in America’s largest city,1 but many say they were happily surprised by how open people in NYC are to engaging in conversations about God!
Grace, one of our International Project missions interns, said that a summer internship challenged her preconceived ideas about Unreached People Groups. She gained a whole new perspective of ministering to lost people through her summer.
“My understanding of outreach and evangelism has changed a lot [because of the experience]” she said. Through the course of her summer in New York City, Grace gained valuable communication skills, as well as an understanding of how to relate to people from a variety of different cultures—all important tools that will serve her well in her future career and relationships.
Doing a missions internship can be challenging, surprising, and exciting—you never know how God might use you to minister to people and see them come to know Jesus!
In this article, you will learn why paid missions internships are valuable, the questions you need to ask, and how to get the on the ground experience you need to fulfill God’s calling for your life.
Why Paid Missions Internships?
Missions internships offer valuable discipleship, evangelism, and church planting experience for college students and seminarians with a call to pursue ministry cross culturally.
But finding paid missions internships may be the only realistic opportunity for some.
Internship opportunities can be life changing avenues for God to work in your life and help you discover the path and plan He has for you!
We want everyone to have the opportunity for internship experience whether or not you currently have the resources, connections, and ability to fundraise your own support.
That’s why we are offering a limited number of slots for paid missions internships and partial scholarships because we don’t want finances to be a barrier for anyone considering a call to cross cultural ministry.
Experience Life on the Mission Field
As a full time summer intern with International Project, you can experience life on the mission field while serving alongside mission teams, receiving mentoring from experienced church planters, and maybe even helping mentor our high school short term teams that come to do mission trips in the summer.
If you are considering missionary work, it is essential that you get real life experience on the mission field. It is different from serving in the local church.
Cross cultural ministry has unique challenges. It’s vital to prepare for them.
Paid Missions Internships: What to Ask
As you consider paid missions internships, you’ll want to ask the Christian ministry, sending agency, or non profit organization you want to serve with these questions. These are important FAQs you will want to research for your missions internship.
What Is the Organization’s Statement of Faith?
Do you hold the same convictions and philosophy of doing ministry? Not every organization will have this information readily available on their website.
You can see International Project’s Philosophy of Ministry here and What We Believe here.
Make sure that you ask questions about anything that is unclear. And be sure to not assume that they have the same convictions that you have.
For example, ask about their policies around Sabbath and rhythms of rest. You’ll want to match with a ministry that prioritizes your spiritual health in addition to the work that you do.
Is the Internship Full Time or Part Time?
Will you be expected to have another job while you are interning in order to cover your living expenses?
Here at International Project, whether you have a paid missions internship, a partial scholarship, or you fundraise, you are expected to serve with us full time to get the full immersive experience. We do not recommend trying to work an additional job.
Your summer internship is a season to discern God’s vocation for you and we want your full attention on that.
What Type of Outreach Will You Be Doing in the Internship Program?
Consider what you want to do long term!
What are you interested in?
- Youth or children’s ministry
- Ministry to unhoused populations
- Helping to combat human trafficking
An International Project, you’ll get experience in:
- Church planting
- Discipleship
- Street evangelism
- Teaching English classes
- Leading Discovery Bible Studies
During your summer internship with International Project, you’ll get exposure to dozens of Unreached People Groups around New York City.
Where Are You Serving?
Maybe you are looking to serve overseas for a missions internship—to spend time in a country in Africa, South America, or in Asia.
Unfortunately, these types of short term mission trips are often not paid internships and will require fundraising or to pay your own way.
A paid missions internship in the USA is a great cross cultural opportunity that will still allow you to work with international communities, even without a passport!
During a Summer Internship with International Project, you’ll also have the opportunity to learn ethnography and understand specific cultural practices that can help you connect more effectively with international communities living in the city.
You’ll try ethnic foods, learn new customs, and experience the excitement of living and learning in a multicultural neighborhood alongside other interns from around the USA.
Can I Adapt My Internship for College Credit?
College credit might be a deciding factor about where you choose to do your missions internship. Does your institution require a certain amount of work hours or 1 on 1 mentoring? Maybe you are required to do a research project or thesis?
At International Project, we can work with you to determine what your college or seminary program requires for a missions internship to receive credit.
Please ask us about how we can adapt your ministry experience so you can fulfill the requirements you need!
Will There Be Mentoring?
It’s important to not only have on the ground experience, but to also have time to process and debrief your internship program with a caring mentor.
That’s why at International Project you will be part of a team in which your leader makes dedicated time to focus on you. Adjusting to new cultures in the midst of ministry can be rigorous.
We want you to learn about yourself and identify your growth areas so that you are well prepared for whatever God calls you to.
What about Meals, Housing, and Transportation?
How will you pay for food, accommodation, and transportation during your summer missions internship?
We offer 2 types of scholarships for our interns—full or partial scholarships. A full scholarship includes your housing, public transportation in NYC, plus a stipend that will cover your meals. For partial scholarships, you will need to do some fundraising or pay yourself to cover these living expenses for the summer.
Even if the scholarships are taken, we do accept applicants who want to fundraise for the summer or who are able to pay their own way.
Hands on Experience with a Paid Missions Internship
As part of our paid missions internships, you will be able to get out of the classroom and gain immersive experience ministering in one of the world’s most diverse and exciting cities.
Serve on one of our teams this summer so you can get experience with:
- Church planting
- Raising up indigenous leaders
- Cross cultural evangelism
- Discipleship
- And more!
You will engage with unreached people and share the hope of Jesus with them—many of them have never even heard the Gospel in their home countries! What an exciting opportunity!
Pray about Interning with International Project
Do you think that you would be a great Summer Intern with us?
Prayerfully consider if God wants you to do an internship with us in New York City!
We’d love to meet you so we can learn more about you to see if you’d be a good fit.
If you’re ready to learn more about paid missions internships through International Project, you can start the application process on our website!
Simply fill out the inquiry form here to get more information and begin talking with us!
Sources
1 Lankevich, George. “New York City”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Sep. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-City. Accessed 7 September 2024.
