Part-Time Concurrent Internship Opportunity at Nobleford CRC (Nobleford, AB)

Nobleford Christian Reformed Church, located in southern Alberta just north of Lethbridge, is seeking to hire a seminary student for a part-time position (40-60%) who is enrolled in the CRC candidacy program and who would like to engage in a concurrent internship. The ideal candidate will be in his first or second year of studies in an MDiv program. The student pastor will work alongside the council and lead pastor and be engaged in all areas of ministry, from preaching, teaching, pastoral care, church administration – all things that a full-time pastor would normally do. Nobleford CRC is located in a small thriving community close to a major centre and close to several affordable Christian schools. Please see the job description for more details about the position. If you wish to apply, please send a letter to [email protected], including a brief biography, work experience, and an explanation of how God has been leading you toward becoming a pastor in the CRCNA. 

Job Description

Purpose 

The purpose of this position is to provide mutual benefit to the church and the intern. The church will benefit from the intern’s presence, labour, spiritual gifts, and seminary training. The intern will benefit from the experience, mentoring, feedback, and guidance received in the context of the internship. The intern will benefit from hours of contextualized ministry, and the church will contribute to the formation of a person who feels a calling to ministry in the CRCNA. The highest hope is that this will bring glory to God and blessing to God’s people. 

Personal Qualifications and Expectations 

The intern is expected to be a baptized and professing member in good standing of the CRCNA, enrolled in a suitable seminary program leading towards ministerial candidacy in the CRCNA. The intern is expected to be a person of robust faith and sincere devotional practice. The intern is expected to pray with and for the congregation, and to take a leading role in its ministry and mission. 

Ministry-related work 

The Intern is expected to attend both of Nobleford CRC’s Sunday worship services at least three Sundays per month(1), and to engage in a wide range of ministry and ministry-related activities. Primary responsibilities will be in the areas of pastoral care and visitation, planning and leading worship, teaching and discipleship, youth ministry, small group ministry, evangelism, community outreach, and preaching(2). The intern will be given regular opportunities to comment on the nature of the expected duties. The church is committed to prioritizing the intern’s formation for ordained ministry and to providing relevant experience. 

1. It is recognized that for vacation, educational commitments and preaching opportunities the Intern will be away from Nobleford CRC.  When able to preach the Intern can accept limited numbers of opportunities, for his primary responsibility will be in Nobleford CRC.
2. Preaching would need to be done within the requirements of CRC church order. An intern who has licensure is welcome to exhort; otherwise, sermon content needs to be approved in advance by pastor and council.

Additional reflective work related to vocational formation 

The intern will be expected to do some reflective work beyond the actual performance of duties, such as reading and reporting on books and articles or evaluating worship services (to name some likely examples). This component of the internship is aimed more at the educational dimension of the internship and the vocational formation of the intern, rather than the performance of ministry duties per se. This will be done in consultation with the seminary’s Vocational Formation Office and the CRC’s Candidacy Director as needed. The church is committed to providing formational exercises, but not in a way that significantly adds to the burden of existing program requirements. 

Hours and compensation. 

The Intern and council will agree on the number of hours the Intern will be given each week, and his compensation will be calculated as a percentage of a 40-hour work week.  The compensation will be based on the compensation of a teacher at Providence Christian School, taking into account that a teacher’s salary is based on a 10-month work year.  The number of hours may be negotiated upwards or downwards by mutual agreement as circumstances require. 

Reporting and accountability 

The intern is ultimately accountable to Nobleford CRC’s council. Supervision in doctrine and life remains the primary responsibility of the intern’s home church, but Nobleford will supervise the intern in the performance of duties and will hold the intern accountable to Nobleford’s own standards of Christian faith and practice. The intern will be directly supervised by Nobleford’s Pastor Gary van Leeuwen, and will be expected to meet regularly with him (preferably once per week). The intern will receive written feedback every two months, reflecting on his experiences and learning opportunities.  The intern will be given the opportunity to respond to all written feedback.  The intern is expected to provide a written monthly report to council, as well as a final report at the end of the internship. The intern will be expected to attend all elders’ meetings and will be expected to attend at least part of each council meeting and is welcome to attend all church meetings.