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frequently asked questions
How do interns find placement after graduation?
A common question that we receive is, how does the intern get placed in a church after they have graduated from their internship? Oftentimes, they end up remaining in the church that they graduated from, but even when that does not happen, there are many needs across the world that they are able to fill.
does a mentor need training before being able to intern someone?
XL Ministries will provide the structure and guidance you’ll need to get started, and throughout the internship process there is a member of the XL Ministries leadership that will be monitoring the internship and available for you if you have any questions about what to do. It may mean that you may have to do some studying yourself just so you can catch up, which can even help to serve you in your own leadership.
can I still be a youth pastor intern, even if my church doesn't have a youth pastor to mentor me?
Yes, as long as the leadership of the church is able and willing to help you with the internship program. You’ll still need a church leader or elder to mentor you through the process and as long as you have someone to meet with you, review your materials, and guide you through the training process then you can still do an XL Ministries internship.
if I want to intern in something other than pastoral or missions, can I still be an intern?
Yes. Although XL Ministries only specifies internships in Pastoral, Youth Pastoral, and Missions, most of what is needed in your leadership service to the church is pastoral in nature. Even though your application may vary, you’ll find that the pastoral training easily relates to other area of church service.
do I need to go through the becoming a biblical leader on my own before I can mentor someone else?
No. The BBL workbook is self-contained and is designed such that someone without any prior knowledge or training can use it effectively as the mentor discipling someone else.
how much time during the week will the internship take?
It’s going to vary person to person, but it will probably take 6-8 hours a week for your own Bible and theology, reading the books, writing the papers, etc. It will take your mentor probably 1-2 hours a week.
what's the difference between becoming a biblical leader and becoming a biblical elder?
Becoming a Biblical Leader can be used generally within the church. It’s a tool that helps leaders within the church to learn how to function as church leaders, wherever they serve. Becoming a Biblical Elder is intended to take someone through the role and responsibilities of being an elder.
what do I, as a pastor, do when someone feels called to missions but I disagree?
Those are hard conversations to have. Sometimes someone may come up that has a heart for missions and they can communicate their heart for it, but unfortunately now just isn’t the time. And sometimes, missions just isn’t for them. Maybe more life experience or more training will help them, but those conversations are important to have to keep people from being set up for failure.
how long is the missions internship?
We believe that a missionary should be trained at the elder level. Our program is 2 years.
can I do an internship while I'm in seminary?
Yes, it can be done. It is a lot of work, but you’ll find the two will complement each other very well. There is a benefit to doing the internship at the same time as seminary because it helps to keep the intern's focus from being primarily academic. We want them to benefit from the academics, but never apart from the practical realities of life in church ministry. If someone is doing seminary, the assignments from XL Ministries will be slightly different than a non-seminary intern, because of the assignments the seminary will have them do. Having said that, they can be done separately or together.
can a husband and wife do an internship together?
Yes. The Missions Internship is set up to train both spouses. Since a commitment to missions, especially overseas, affects the whole family, it’s right and appropriate for both to be trained. The couple will be working together out on the mission field. It is important that both of them are trained well before entering the mission field.
would it be better to go into missions before we have kids, or wait until after they're grown?
There is no age limit on when you can take your family into missions. If this is what you believe God has for you to do, then you just trust God to protect your kids.
can women apply for the missions internship?
Yes. Women have a vital role that they can play as missionaries, whether single or married. God has used women on the missions field throughout the centuries and will continue to do so.
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