The world is full of urgent needs and exciting opportunities. If you want to make an eternal difference, but aren’t sure what to do or where to go next, the Serve NYC internship can help you start walking.
We invite eight young people each year (starting in March of 2025, this will change to four people each year as the internship is extending to 14 months long) to come gain confidence, experience, and skills through serving with our team in one of the world’s most diverse neighborhoods. As you pour time, energy, and love into the people of our community, you will form relationships that leave lasting imprints on your heart. Activities include a variety of outreach, volunteer, personal growth, and domestic responsibilities.
- Volunteer at local organizations
- Read challenging books
- Join the MTC staff and assist with domestics
- Grow in evangelism and seek out outreach opportunities
- Learn about discipleship and meet with a mentor
- Teach or tutor English
- Participate in a multi-cultural anabaptist church.
Stretch Your Comfort Zone
These months are not about your comforts or conveniences – expect God to expand your heart and skills. The internship includes a six-week term of Long Term Orientation, cross-cultural experiences, accountability and mentoring, time management and spiritual growth assignments, leadership and team experience, and more.
Start Walking Now
We host two intern teams each year (this will change to one team a year in 2025). You will rent a small apartment with another intern and stay for seven to nine months. Our neighborhood of Elmhurst could be the place where God sets you on a course that will change your life. The walk sign is on!
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I sign up for the summer or winter term?
The summer internship is shorter, lasting about 7 months. Summer in the city is more intense; people spend a lot of time outside, so there are many opportunities to connect with children and families; many youth groups, LTO students, and visitors pass through the MTC; and more is happening with church outreach and children’s ministry. If you enjoy a fast-paced lifestyle with lots of things to do, the summer internship may be right for you!
The winter internship lasts about 9 months, and there is more time for personal study and development. Relationships go deeper through spending time in people’s homes or meeting them for coffee or tea. There are many opportunities for ministry, but winter interns may need to take more initiative to follow through on them. If you approach life with a quiet, laid-back approach, you might appreciate the winter internship more.
What exactly would I be doing as an intern?
Interns participate in an intense orientation for the first week of their time here to get to know their team and acclimate to city life. For the next six weeks, they are full-time students at our LTO training. Following LTO, the interns join the MTC team in a support role and plug into the local church and the community through ministry and volunteer opportunities. The intern team meets weekly with the intern director for input, discussion, and prayer. They finish out their time here by serving as support staff for another LTO.
Intern responsibilities include:
- Participating in MTC team meetings and discussions
- Assisting with WOW groups and one LTO
- Building upkeep and cleaning or cooking duties
- Leading kids’ clubs and assisting with VBS in the summer
- Assisting with church and team outreach in the community
- Volunteering at English centers
- Offering practical help to MTC families and other workers in NYC
- Meeting with a mentor and completing personal development assignments
- Setting monthly goals for outreach and personal growth
How much does the internship cost?
The largest expense for our interns – as for all of us here – is rent. Interns share a small apartment with a roommate and each pay $550 a month, as well as covering their own personal living expenses. We encourage budgeting $1000 monthly for the time that you are here. In addition, interns pay a one-time fee of $100 for materials and roughly $825 to attend LTO.
We encourage interns to save money before beginning their term, and sometimes their home churches and families offer financial support, but we do not intend a lack of finances to discourage potential interns from applying. If God wants you to be here, He is able to provide for your financial needs.
Who should sign up for the internship?
We encourage young people ages 18 and older with a heart for missions to apply. We prioritize those with definite plans for cross-cultural service and those with a long-term interest in church planting and missions.
We invite two young men and two young women to join each intern team. Married couples should inquire before applying.