Pastoral Development Service Learning Program (Hawaii)

INTENSIVE SUMMER OR PART TIME YEAR LONG 2025 INTERNSHIP in Hawaii for Seminary, Bible, Divinity, Theological Studies, Social Work, or Non Profit Management students. Program begins June 1, 2025. Summer intensive run until August 17, 2025 and year long runs until May 24, 2026. Monthly stipend, health insurance, complimentary housing and utilities, complimentary transportation included.

Mission and Learning Objectives

Students will be living together in a Service Learning Community of ministry and social services peers seeking to develop their professional voice and leadership style in context of local church and chaplaincy environments. The communal mission for the students will be trifold: 1.) to imagine solutions for the declining mainline church, including developing a contemporary service under direction of the Pastor, Worship Leaders, and a Special Committee, 2.) to develop an existing chaplaincy with Hawaii’s largest homeless services organization, 3.) to analyze the context of Christianity in historically colonized settings and its impact on the future of the Christian faith in practice. This internship community is an exercise in preparation for the environment of ministerial job prospects in chaplaincy, local church pastorship, and international mission that students may face upon graduating from their theological institutions. Additionally, for students interested in international mission work, this is an enlightening environment to learn about Christianity in context of historically colonized populations. The learning objective of the community and its individual internships is to evaluate the connection between community chaplaincy, the local church, and international mission work, and imagine solutions relevant to students’ future ministry careers.

Goals of the Service Learning Community include:

• Developing the intern’s professional voice as a leader in the Church and Community;
• Analyzing the intersection of community spiritual care with local church ministry;
• Navigating the decline of the mainline Protestant church and its impact on Chaplaincy opportunities;
• Understanding Christianity and its contextual practice in historically colonized and multicultural environments.

Weekly time commitments expected of interns (35-40 hours a week summer, or 15 hours a week year long):

• Weekly reflection dinner with the Service Learning Community and Committee of Kailua Christian Church;
• Weekly workshop with rotation of guest Pastors;
• Researching church and and its effect on social service systems (reading materials provided);
• Researching the effects of Christian colonization on indigenous and vulnerable populations, in particular common populations in Hawaii (reading materials provided);
• Planning, advertising, and executing a Vacation Bible School (VBS) program for young families;
• Visiting and serving in a chaplaincy capacity at the Institute for Human Services (homeless shelters);
• Both missions at the church or the shelters should intentionally integrate knowledge of cultural practices into ministry work.
• All participants will be expected to attend traditional Sunday worship service weekly and provide a testimonial summary for the congregation about their progress on a rotating basis.
• All participants will be expected to attend at least 1 Council and/or Deacons meeting to help provide leadership insight. Students will be provided space at those meetings to ask questions about the processes involved in church leadership.
• All participants will be expected to preach for a worship service or teach a Christian Education class for the church once during their service.
• Participants will be expected to take at least 2 trainings on Hawaiian history, culture, and spirituality.
• Duties may be adjusted according to student interests.