The Impact of an FCA Internship

Why did you want to be an intern?

Emily: A friend of mine did it the year before and told me about it. The more she kept telling me, the more interested I was. She talked about how special the relationships were with the kids – how they poured into each other, and the sports camp stuff was so fun and good relationships were built there. Combining sports and Jesus and the many parallels between faith and sports modeled how a career ministry could be.

Gina: A year ago I was planning to spend my summer in Montana at a ranch. Then Covid. The opportunity was lost. And then I had to start job hunting, but a lot of places were shutting down and not hiring. I was discouraged and confused about what I was going to do that summer. I remembered when I was in high school, I went to FCA’s Leadership Camp and that was my favorite thing. I thought I would apply to become a huddle leader for that week of camp. That led me to the Minnesota FCA website and then I saw the intern thing. I was excited to spend my summer in such a rewarding way.

What were the biggest highlights for you?

Emily: The in-between moments. We had great talks in our weekly meetings with the high school students and at the state FCA office. Also, the other interns were so much fun. Every time we were together was so much fun. After our last meeting, we all played Spikeball for an hour. It’s so fun to be with people who love Jesus as much as you do and are fun, athletic people who you can ask tough questions of.

Gina: The biggest thing that was so, so good was the group of high schoolers that I got to work with. They were all eager to learn and be mentored and would lean into what I had to say, and they were really excited about being FCA leaders. Other highlights: the other interns, being active, building relationships, digging into getting to know people, and be a mentor but also gaining a lot from those relationships as well.

How are you different today because you did the FCA Internship?

Emily: I had never led a small group before. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me figure out how to lead without it being weird. It translated a ton into my own walk in how I read the Word and how to trust the Spirit and allow God to do work through me. It was super humbling but super rewarding and fun. I knew the internship wasn’t going to help in the end with PA stuff when I could have been doing something to help with my resume. I knew I needed it for my own walk, but in the end, I actually got a PA connection!

Gina: This summer was a such a cool opportunity for me to grow in my faith because I had these girls I had to meet up with each week and invest in. I felt a strong responsibility and desire to be poured into by the Lord because I wouldn’t be able to do it without Him. I felt so eager to read my Bible. The girls would have good questions, and I would want to go home and just study. I was really excited about my spiritual journey. Also, the mentors that poured into us - every week they would leave me blown away with something new to think about or reflect on or a new way of seeing things. It pushed me in ways I hadn’t been pushed before. It made me a better, more authentic leader.

Why should others consider an internship?

Emily: It was honestly the best summer of my life, and I’ve had some great summers. The magnitude of the impact that it had speaks volumes, and it was fun. FCA didn’t feel like a job. It was my fun time. It was fun but meaningful. I knew I was digging into my spiritual life and doing what God has called us as Christians to do. I honestly think there isn’t a better thing to do with our summers than what God is calling you to.

Gina: If they love Jesus and love people, especially high school and younger kids, it’s literally so perfect. You get to spend a lot of time enjoying outside and building relationships, and then you also get to grow in your faith and share the gospel in practical ways. You get to play games and have fun. It’s also so cool the dynamic you get in the range of people you get to interact with. You have older people pouring into you, you’re on the same level as other college students in the same stage of life, you get to pour into high school students who are just younger than you, and then you get to interact with even younger kids at the camps. That felt like I was constantly learning and being poured into but also had the opportunity to mentor others.

Interested in learning more? Contact Tim Elrod at telrod@fca.org.

Ready to apply? Click the link below!