Thriving Congregations is based at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, AR, which is a PC(USA)-affiliated college.
The University is eager to establish or strengthen connections with our PC(USA) congregations and their communities, and one way of doing that is through our Thriving Connections program, which makes it possible for the excellent students of the University to live and work as student interns in those congregations and communities
Hosting interns is an involved–but rewarding!–endeavor, and does require preparation and work in advance.
If you are interested in being considered for hosting interns, or if you’d like to find out more about it, and what is required, please contact Rev. Sara Anne Berger at [email protected]
A test version of this program was already launched in the summer of 2024, and was successful, and will be continued–with adaptations and developments–in the summer 2025.
There may be opportunities to host a student intern via Thriving Connections, separate from involvement with the educational track of the Thriving Congregations program. Those decisions will be made at the discretion of the program directors and in one-to-one conversations with individual congregations.
If your congregation has completed the educational track of the Thriving Congregations Program, you may be encouraged to apply to host student interns, as part of your learning and re-imagining ways to be connected to your community, and for them to be a part of your implementation of a plan or idea in your community
The purpose of the internships is for students to live in your community, (perhaps, and ideally, with church members) and be a part of your church for a summer, and in doing so, learn about your church and the community you are a part of. They’ll do this by being involved in:
- Worship
- Christian education and spiritual formation activities
- Church gatherings, meetings, and events
- Through the connections you'll bring to them with the community
- And people you will introduce to them, in your community
They’ll volunteer in your community and reflect on the value of the church to the place where you are, and call attention to connections and possibilities your community offers your congregation.
Together, you will assess and think about your church and its community connections, and you’ll all reflect on your vocation as people of God.