A practical “hands-on” approach to ministry helps students apply fresh insights gained from study in their local church life or contemporary ministry setting.
Our Internship Program:
- Offers an avenue for you to get equipped for Christian Ministry
- Allows you to put your faith and abilities into practice by being involved in something significant and worthwhile.
- Provides a number of different study program options
- Presents an opportunity to earn dual qualifications
- Increases your employment opportunities
- Increases your missionary opportunities
How does it work?
Students will be involved in five different areas of practical ministry, with an option of a mission
experience:
Mentored Practical Ministry Experience through Practical Tasks / Observation:
The student will work under the supervision of a mentor in the capacity as a special assistant to a local Apostolic Church for a recommended total of 240 hours. This experience will give the student (under the supervision of a mentor) the opportunity to demonstrate a linkage between the information learned and practical application of knowledge from the course into a ministry environment. This also allows students to observe a senior minister’s role in a local church.
Note: A student may work for one or more Apostolic Churches to accomplish this requirement.
Field Research/Trips:
The student will visit four different Christian organisations. These field trips are designed to enhance the student’s practical knowledge of organisations, and to allow the student to compare and evaluate different services and ministries available to the local church.
Short-Term Supervised Field Research Projects:
The supervised field research project will require the student to be involved in two one-week work experiences with a Christian organization (e.g. Scripture Union). This experience will give the student the opportunity to identify, report on, analyse and formulate their conclusion on policies and leadership procedures in organisations outside the realm of the Apostolic Church Australia. This experience will also give the student (under the supervision of a mentor) the opportunity to demonstrate a linkage between the information learned and practical application of knowledge from the course into a ministry environment.
ChildSafe Safety Management System:
The ChildSafe System provides training for each person who works with children and young people in programs administrated by the Apostolic Church Australia. The training program will consist of two one-day training sessions:
- The first session is designed to train the student in “Standards and Training Resources to assist people operating as Coordinators within the ChildSafe Safety Management System”.
- The second session is designed to train the student in “in “Standards and Training Resources to assist people operating as Team Leader within the ChildSafe Safety Management System”.
Apostolic Church Ministry Orientation Program:
This two-day orientation program is designed to introduce future candidates of the ministry to the history, mission, vision, church planting guidelines, community care programs, commitment to global missions, administration policies and procedures and leadership of the Apostolic Church Australia.
Spirit of Volunteerism and Servant Hood:
Churches, para-church organizations and charities rely upon the Spirit of Volunteerism and Servant Hood from its members to operate effectively. It is expected of all interns that they would not only continue in their present voluntary capacity within their church or organization but would in fact seek further opportunities to increase ministry experience and be an example of the servant hood of Christ.
Mission Option: Students have the opportunity to be part of a 10-day overseas mission trip with one of our Apostolic Churches (extra cost of approximately $2000). This experience will also give the student (under the supervision of a mentor) the opportunity to demonstrate a linkage between the information learned and practical application of knowledge from the course into a ministry environment and to observe first-hand the impact of the Apostolic Church Australia missions program.
How does it work for other courses?
Professional Development Portfolio
The above practical experience will assist the student in developing their own professional development portfolio. The items to be included in a portfolio can be comments by lecturers and mentors, a collection of a student's work that shows the student’s effort, progress, and achievement over time, the student's ability to set goals for personal development and their academic qualifications.
Graduate Mentoring Program:
Mentoring continues to consistently deliver a rich development and learning environment to the benefit of those being mentored and not-for-profit organisations. The Graduate Mentoring Program aims to help graduates of AAC to make the transition into ministry life as smoothly as possible by providing a support network, assisting the graduate to acquire new skills quickly, and a forum in which to ask questions and interact with experienced ministries. The program runs for one to two years. Participating students are linked with two mentors. Their first mentor will generally be their senior pastor (or supervisor if planting a church), and the second based on their shared interests, course of study, and area of specialty.