Internship: Frequently Asked Questions

1. may be an employee or volunteer, but has a budget to cover basic expenses
2. is assigned to a mentor for training and oversight
3. is working in a specific, strategic ministry
4. and is in ministry for 1-24 months.

How do I decide how long my internship should be?
There are many factors in this, including issues in the ministry, the mentor’s plans and situations in your life.  We are pretty flexible.  Talk with us about your situation.

How do I choose where to go?
You may want to explore ministry in a specific place or have an interest in a specific type of ministry.  Or you may simply want to be mentored in ministry.  We can work with you to match your gifts, skills and availability with a strategic need.  You can browse our opportunities database to see some of the types of ministry needs we have.  We encourage you to seek input from your church and family.  Ultimately the decision is yours.

Will I be expected to minister alone?
No.  As an intern, you will be joining a ministry team and be working with a mentor.  We encourage you to pray for another intern with whom you can serve.  If two of you go together, you will be able to help each other in many ways.

What does an intern do?
Interns have done everything from teaching English as a second language, to teaching MKs, to youth ministry, to…  While the activities vary, all are using their skills to accelerate the ministry of the long-term workers.  What ideas and skills do you bring?  God uses these to contribute to His work!

Most interns engage in contact making.  That is, you look for people with whom you can build authentic relationships and look for opportunities to share Christ.  Your goal is to move people into Bible reading so that they can directly encounter the Word and the God of the Word.

What are the qualifications?
You do not have to be a spiritual giant, but you do need to be sure of your own salvation and be walking and growing with the Lord.  You’ll need to be able to work with the team you are joining, adjust to all the cultural differences and follow leadership.  You’ll need flexibility and willingness to try new things.  We don’t expect perfection, just willingness and ability to take on the challenge.

Do I have to know the language to be an intern?
This depends on the type of internship you are doing.  Some places and types of ministry do require language ability.  Anything you can do to learn some language will help you function in the new culture and open doors as you reach out to people.  We’ll help you determine what is needed for your plan and goals.

Can I get credit in my degree program for an internship with Encompass?
We have seen this happen for a number of our interns.  Your school and program will need to be satisfied that your internship meets their requirements.  We’ll work with you to try to adjust your internship to meet the requirements. However, your internship must be shaped primarily by the strategic needs of the missionary team.

Does debt disqualify me?
No, not automatically.  You may be able to get school loans deferred while you are on an internship.  Some interns have found family or friends who made school loan payments as their contribution to the intern’s  ministries.  Occasionally, we have been able to increase support levels a bit to allow interns to make payments during their internships.  We recommend that you pay off all consumer debt.  Talk with us about your situation.

So where would I live?
Interns live in many different situations – with a national family, with a missionary family, or in their own apartment.  The mentor, who knows the culture, makes the arrangements, balancing your needs, cultural requirements, and what will best enable your ministry.  Bring some flexibility and you’ll do fine.  Your mentor knows that you are entering a new culture.  We work hard to shape your experience to stretch you but still be reasonable so that you can focus on people and ministry.

How are the logistics handled? (Do I have to get my own visas and tickets?)
We will make all these arrangements for you. We will research and then purchase your tickets.  If you do not have a passport yet we will help you obtain one.  If you are required to have a visa we will help you in that process.  We’ll work with you in each required step to make sure it fits your situation and the requirements of your mentor and ministry.

How are the finances handled?
You will have a support level set that will cover all of the expenses related to your ministry.  So, like all missionaries, you need to ask God for partners, people who will join you in ministry through prayer and finances. You are responsible to make sure all the needed money is arranged before you go.  Some people will send cash; others pledge regular gifts.  Either approach helps you get there.

Some interns, who are going for shorter time periods, minister as volunteers; that is, their support level covers all their expenses, but they do not receive a personal salary.  Others, especially those going for longer periods, become employees.  They receive a small salary from which they cover some expenses and their support level covers the rest of their expenses.

How long does it take to apply?
The application is several pages long and is designed to help you think through the issues of going into another culture.  In addition, we ask for personal references and a church reference, which asks your church to officially say, “We want to send this person under our authority into this ministry.”  Depending on the length or type of your internship, we may ask you to take some assessments.  These are not “pass or fail” tests but tools to help us better understand your skills and abilities.  The whole process can take about a month.  The earlier you get started, the better.  It’s not the application process that takes the majority of the time.  More time is involved in contacting your potential support team, waiting for people to respond and seeing God provide your needs.  You should allow a minimum of two and a half months after approval for this.

Is it really safe?
There is risk any time you travel overseas, particularly into developing countries.  There are health, security and travel risks.  You can take steps to minimize these risks.  We provide information from the U.S. Center for Disease Control on handling health risks.  We help you minimize risks during travel.  If there are serious safety issues developing in a particular location, we will cancel an internship up to the moment of departure.  We will not knowingly put any person in harm’s way.

While we do what we can, the real issue is God’s care for you.  It is true that the safest place on earth is the center of God’s will.  If God wants you to go, He has a plan for you that is perfect. He will take care of you and provide exactly what you need.  There is no guarantee of perfect safety, but there is an absolute, ironclad guarantee of God’s love and His care.

What about orientation or other preparation?
As soon as you are approved we begin sending you materials.  We ask that you read about cross-cultural ministry and the culture you will be in.  You may also work to develop some language ability.  You will work with your mentor and will probably have additional preparation requested by him or her.  We do not meet for orientation before you leave the United States.  Your mentor will orient you as you arrive at your ministry site.