Summer Intern Orientation

Rough notes on what we're sharing with our summer interns and staff tonight.

Summer Intern Orientation…

1. It’s about the Heart (C.H. Spurgeon quote)

“How diligently the calvary officer keeps his sabre clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember you are God's sword, His instrument – I trust, a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfection of the instrument will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses as much as likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God”.
The most important thing you can do this summer is care for your own heart.

• What are some ways you grow personally? You need both the table and the chair.
• Are you a writer? Take time to write what God is doing in your life and how he is using you.
• Attend “big church”
• God answers prayer
• Seek to experience God in the small things

2. It’s about the relationships
a. Build deep relationships with students you are naturally drawn towards
b. Use your “left hand” to build relationships with students who are a little more difficult to connect with. Actively pursue those who are on the peripheral.
c. Be creative and cheap with your activities.
d. Kidding around can get out of hand real fast and damage potential influence
e. Us your words to build up. Students rarely hear positive affirmation consistently.

3. It’s about wisdom
a. When in doubt be conservative
i. If there’s a question about what you’re doing the answer should typically be “don’t do it”. If you need to ask someone’s advice do it.
ii. Have deep relationships, but keep wise boundaries in those relationships.
1. Careful about driving someone of the opposite sex.
2. Careful about one on one time with opposite sex.
iii. Think about what you put on facebook
iv. Think about how you drive.
b. If you get into a conversation that seems to be over your pay scale, get help. (anything illegal, abuse, theological, intense battle with parents…)
c. Remember that you’re there generally as a partner with parents
d. Be very conscious about bringing parents in the loop. “Can I get a tattoo? Can I get this piercing? Can I go to this rated R movie? Those are questions only parents should answer.

Weekly Schedule
• Jump in and help
• Don’t be on the peripheral during activities. Model service and worship for the students. They learn more from what they see you do than what they hear you say.
• Find time to go to “big church”