Youth Ministry Internship

OUR MISSION
Brookside Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a Jesus-centered church committed to building Jesus-centered homes through healthy relationships resulting in Gospel-saturated communities.

VISION & PURPOSE OF ROLE
The Summer Youth Intern serves alongside the youth ministry team to create meaningful, Christ-centered experiences for students during the summer months. This internship provides hands-on ministry experience through weekly gatherings, outreach events, and relationship building, while helping the intern explore personal gifts and a potential calling to ministry. The role blends energy and initiative with mentored guidance to foster both spiritual and professional growth.

ROLE SUMMARY
This position gives individuals an opportunity to gain practical youth ministry experience under the guidance of experienced leaders. The intern will contribute to planning, leading, and supporting weekly youth gatherings, service projects, and outreach activities while building meaningful relationships with students and volunteer leaders.

Job Type: Hourly // Average Hours/Week: 10–15 // Duration: Summer (approx. 10–12 weeks)
Reports To: Youth Pastor

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• PROGRAM PLANNING & LEADERSHIP
  • Assist in planning and leading weekly youth gatherings, Bible studies, and special events
  • Contribute creative ideas for programming, themes, and communication strategies
  • Help organize and support service projects and outreach activities

• RELATIONSHIP BUILDING & MENTORSHIP
  • Build authentic, healthy relationships with students and volunteer leaders
  • Create welcoming, engaging environments where students feel valued and included
  • Mentor students and provide a positive, Christ-centered example
• OPERATIONS & COMMUNICATION
  • Assist with logistics, setup, teardown, and preparation of materials
  • Support communication efforts including social media updates and event promotion
  • Provide behind-the-scenes support to keep ministry operations running smoothly

SPIRITUAL & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Acknowledge Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior
• Demonstrate personal maturity and godliness, growing in conformity to the image of Christ
• Agreement of the Brookside Church Statement of Faith
• Commitment to Brookside Church Staff Codes (Addendum A*)
• Exhibits a heart of compassion. Is trustworthy and a humble servant leader.
• Maintains a healthy balance between ministry and family

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• High school diploma or current enrollment in a college or university program
• A genuine heart for youth and a desire to invest in the next generation
• Prior involvement in youth ministry, camp leadership, or volunteer work preferred
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills

COMPETENCIES

• Relational – Energetic, positive, and eager to connect with students. Builds rapport easily and communicates effectively across age groups.
• Initiative – Reliable, flexible, and willing to take ownership of tasks. Proactively identifies ways to contribute and serve.
• Collaborative – Team-oriented and open to feedback. Works well within a ministry team environment and values input from others
• Growth-Minded – Motivated to grow spiritually and professionally. Eager to learn, reflect, and develop ministry leadership skills.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES & DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

• Gain practical, hands-on experience in youth ministry leadership and programming
• Develop confidence in planning, facilitating, and evaluating ministry activities
• Strengthen relationship-building and student mentorship skills
• Contribute meaningfully to a team-driven ministry environment
• Explore personal gifts, deepen faith, and discern potential calling toward ministry

MENTORSHIP
The Summer Youth Intern will receive regular one-on-one mentorship from the Youth Pastor, including weekly check-ins focused on spiritual growth, skill development, and ministry reflection. The intern will participate in staff devotionals and have access to ministry leadership resources.


Brookside Church Staff Codes
* Addendum A

We Love Building others up.
We give each other the benefit of the doubt. We look for the good in each other. When I don’t understand what you’re doing, I let trust fill in the gaps.

We Love breaking status quo.
We choose to dream and be visionaries, looking forward to the future God has for us. And we ruthlessly eliminate every form of comfortable complacency.

We Love Healthy Conflict.
We keep short accounts with each other. If I am hurt or offended, you and I are going to talk about it or let it go, but we will not let it linger.

We love being vulnerable.
We choose to honor each other and give grace to each other’s shortcomings or failures. We choose to be real and authentic with each other, even if we must push through difficulty.