Questions for Prospective Interns

This internship’s primary purpose is to inculcate profound Christian character in the life of our interns through the example of Jesus and in sharing life together in an intimate and diverse congregational context.  We will engage in pastoral formation adopting the ancient monastic vows of poverty, chastity and obedience during our time here.  The hope is that we will then bear the fruits of the Spirit, for Jesus said that “by their fruits ye shall know them,” and to move in the direction of becoming “high-risk, low-anxiety” leaders and trustworthy shepherds.

Ken Carder has identified three key characteristics of a Christian leader:

1. Leaders have knowledge – not merely intellectual knowledge, but a relational knowledge of God, as expressed in the Hebrew yada.
2. Leaders have character formed by grace.  Their identity is rooted in the imago Dei, and their vocation is formed by the missio Dei.
3. Leaders have skills and practices for building community in the knowledge of God over the long haul.  Being a witness takes time and requires sustenance beyond quick results or people’s praise.

The following questions are designed to be probing and affrontive, and are questions that we wrestle with daily at Church of All Nations.  There is no right or wrong answer, and no expectation as to the length.  Remember that vulnerability and non-defensiveness are key traits of a maturing leader.  May God’s grace be with you.

1. What are the sources of your insecurity?  What makes you anxious even now?
2. What is your view of God?  Many people believe that God is a “jerk,” meaning that they believe God to be unduly demanding, and only grudgingly providing for our needs.  This view is typically shaped by human authority figures, whether they be parents, pastors, teachers, etc.  Many “believe” in God, but few trust God with their lives.  What is your genuine emotional response to God (as opposed to a doctrinal response)?
3. Do you detect a “Christ complex” at work in you?  Our observation is that most Christians suffer from a messiah complex, this urge to save needy people, none more so than pastors.  Why do we feel the need to compete with God or supplement the work of Christ to “save” people or institutions?
4. How are we all complicit in the historical and structural sin of racism in America, what we at Church of All Nations have identified as the mega-idolatry in the meta-narrative of American history?  How do you struggle with this issue out of your particular racial and cultural location?
5. Why do you want to do an internship at CAN as opposed to something or somewhere else?
6. What is your hope for yourself and hope for the church?