What Makes an Internship Unforgettable (Hint: It’s You)

By Lisa Birle 

I’m often asked what the secret sauce is for our internship program. 

What makes our internship experience at Saddleback so special? What’s the most important program element that has the greatest impact on an intern’s life and leadership? It’s easy for our minds to go to thoughtful leadership development strategies, carefully planned training curriculum, or the special projects delegated to interns each semester. But, spoiler alert: it’s none of those things. 

The most meaningful and transformative part of the internship experience, according to our interns, is the relationships they’ve built with their direct supervisors. That’s right – it’s you.

We encourage and equip interns to connect with staff at all levels and to think beyond their team and even their campus. But the single most important relationship they have is with their supervisor. It’s not me, not our lead pastor, not their intern bestie. Whether they’re called a supervisor, mentor, coach, or team lead, they are the intern’s person.This is the one element that most shapes the internship and determines if they’ve had a positive experience. Why? Because this relationship provides the context for the intern’s development, discipleship, and literally everything else.

You can give an intern meaningful projects, significant ownership, solid training, and the best resources (all good and important things). But if they aren’t provided a caring, intentional, available supervisor, the impact of their internship will fall short every time. The feedback we consistently receive from interns about the profound impact their supervisors have on them shapes both the design of our program and the way we equip our supervisors. Here are a few key behaviors that define an effective intern supervisor:

1. They’re authentic leaders, not perfect leaders. You can either impress people or influence them, but you can’t do both. You can impress through a persona, but you influence through being personal. Effective leaders are authentic leaders. Our supervisors share their leadership journeys, life lessons, and ministry experience with appropriate transparency and allow for interns to ask them questions as they share life with each other. Paul modeled this when he wrote, “We were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our own lives as well.”  (1 Thess. 2:8) 
2. They care about interns as people, not producers. Yes, interns are here to contribute to the team. But if they just got a few things done and finished their internship without knowing God better and looking more like Him, we missed the mark. A caring supervisor asks questions not only about the internship experience but about their intern’s passions, dreams, interests, and goals. In other words, they take a genuine interest in the intern’s life. This communicates to them that their holistic development is important, not just producing results. (By the way, the most productive interns are always the ones who are invested in spiritually and personally, not just given tasks and to-do lists!) The Bible shares how the Good Shepherd leads his sheep. John 10:14 says, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” A good supervisor knows and cares for their intern.
3. They encourage, encourage, encourage. I believe this word should always be said three times in a row! Interns exist in a space of tension – they’re continually being asked to do things they’ve never done before, they’re learning new skills, and they’re being pushed out of their comfort zones. Supervisors understand this tension and are aware of the mixture of reactions and emotional responses it can create like insecurity, excitement, doubt, and confidence (maybe even all in the same day!). They know that growth rarely feels comfortable and provide interns with continual assurance and steady guidance as they try new things, make mistakes, and adjust in a season of stretching.
4. They model a growing relationship with Jesus. We often hear from interns, who are typically busy college students, how easy it is to substitute knowing God with doing things for God. They are sometimes tempted to think that their spiritual growth will be automatic because they’re at church all day. Anyone in ministry knows how easy it is for busyness to put time with God on the backburner. Our supervisors consider how to integrate scripture into conversations, take time to pray together, and fuel their intern with God’s truth. Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ…” (1 Cor. 11:1) We all need real-life leaders in our lives to model to us what following Christ looks like. This is the biggest gift we can give interns.
5. They have fun with their interns. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine…” We have a sense of urgency to our mission, but while we are focused, we’re also having fun. This may sound frivolous or something there isn’t time for, but effective supervisors cultivate a culture of fun and contagious joy with their interns. They genuinely enjoy time together as a team. They take God seriously, but they don’t take themselves too seriously. Laughing together and creating memories with an intern helps them feel relaxed and fosters a trusting relationship for development to happen.

Make sure that the staff at your church who are supervising interns are available, consistent, and intentional with building a personal relationship with their intern. Their primary responsibility as a supervisor is their intern’s holistic growth. Consider what type of expectations your staff need communicated to them and what training they need to receive before their intern arrives. Encourage them to consider these questions as their intern assimilates into their role. The goal is to help interns first build relationships with their supervisors, then with their team and staff:

• Am I physically around, meeting, present, seen by, and with my intern? Is my intern my priority?
• Is there margin in my calendar for unscheduled, unexpected conversations to happen with my intern? Am I interruptible to provide answers in time-sensitive situations?
• How many pings does it take for my intern to hear back from me? Does my intern know the best way to reach me and generally know where I am?
• Do I keep my commitments to regularly scheduled meetings with my intern? Am I consistent with how I provide time and attention to my intern?
• Do I only spend time together with my intern when an issue arises, or am I encouraging and allowing regular time for meaningful connection and conversation?
• Are interns connecting with other team members and learning about their roles? Are they experiencing what teamwork and collaboration look like?
• Do interns feel known, valued, and part of our staff family? Are they included in staff and team meetings, e-mail communications, and team activities?
•  Who are other people on staff I can introduce interns to? 

One of the best parts of an internship is the access that interns have to your amazing staff. Your staff should be seen as a resource to your intern. We serve them well by helping them cultivate relationships, especially when they aren’t from our church and don’t know anyone! When fostering a relationship is a priority with your intern, you’ll see them form relationships that will continue far beyond their time interning. The impact that interns have on your staff will also be encouraging and sharpening. When relational connections become a priority, interns not only feel known and valued but walk away with lasting friendships and mentorships that continue to shape their future.