This summer, seven students embarked on an epic adventure. They did not set sail across the seven seas or backpack through Europe. No, these young leaders went on a more interior journey. They took a deep dive into the ins and outs of church leadership through GNJ’s Cultivate Internship.
Some came because they wanted to grow in their faith and connect more deeply with their church community. Others came because they wanted to experience God’s presence. A few came with a clear sense of call, hoping to gain direct pastoral experience.
Cultivate is part of the Mosaic program, aimed at developing young leaders. “The goal,” says the Rev. Kate Monahan, “is to help students of all ages connect to God, discover their purpose, and provide them with experience and leadership development so they can go and change the world.”
Through weekly check-ins with their supervisors on-site and facilitated conversations led by pastors and conference staff, students engaged in spiritual practices, explored their purpose, and supported each other through the joys and challenges of launching new ministries.
Scott Clifton, Jr. of DeBows UMC in Jackson had already sensed God’s calling on his life. “I was raised UMC. I grew up going to church. In high school, I started doing things on my own and finding my path. In my sophomore year, I found that I have a call to become an elder.”
Each internship experience was tailored to the needs of the intern and the church. Clifton came to the internship with extensive preaching and church leadership experience. Rev. Jesse Ruch of Marlton UMC designed a pastoral boot camp for him.
Rev. Ruch took him on pastoral care visits and had Clifton shadow him in the office. They also sat down and carefully dissected Clifton’s sermon so that he could learn and grow. That intentionality helped Clifton develop as a preacher. Shadowing Rev. Ruch taught Clifton that ministry is often about interruptions. “I learned to expect the unexpected.”
While Clifton came with a solid sense of purpose and a clear call, others came seeking a deeper connection with God and the church. Lexi Maese joined the program because her former youth leader saw the opportunity and invited her to apply. It was just what Maese needed.
She shared, “During COVID, there weren’t a lot of opportunities for young adults and youth to participate in activities, so I kind of fell out of my faith journey. I would do online church but didn’t really feel as connected… I was out of the church for a bit. One day, Bethany Carl, my supervisor, texted me and told me that there was an internship that the conference was doing, and she thought I would be a good candidate for it. When I got back to NJ over the summer and actually started working for the internship, I felt so valued and connected to my church family.”
The opportunity to lead in a new way reconnected Maese with the faith community of her youth. She led Medford UMC in hosting a Queer Youth Day of Prayer, and she supported the VBS, mission trip, and backpack ministries.
Through it all—the highs and lows, the ins and outs—the group had a solid foundation of support from their ministry supervisors, the Cultivate facilitators, and each other. At weekly check-ins, the interns shared their highs and lows: the places where they felt God’s presence and the places where they were experiencing roadblocks. The supportive community empowered the students to keep going and keep growing.
The internship helped Maese grow not just in her connection with God but also in her confidence.
“I feel like this internship gave me a purpose in a way. I was so lost these past few years. When I started doing this internship, I feel like God directed me back onto the path that I was supposed to be on. It’s been such an amazing growth journey, personally. I feel so much more confident in my leadership skills and my ability to advocate for myself.”
It wasn’t just the interns who grew. Rev. Nicole Maggs, pastor of Atlantic Highlands Navesink UMC, shared the positive impact facilitating the internship had on her: “It was a resurgence of hope; young people are still searching to discover what their call is—whether it is in the church or not—they are actively looking for what God has for them. It was really awesome to see young people searching for their purpose. It gave me a lot of hope.”
This was one of the first Cultivate cohorts, but it won’t be the last. If you or another young person in your life wants to discover their purpose, grow in their spirituality, and develop leadership skills, consider applying for the next round of Cultivate internships.