18 October 2018
Ten young people have been officially welcomed to the Methodist Church to begin their year as ONE
Programme interns. The internships are funded by the Church and offer young people aged 21-26 years old the opportunity to receive training and mentoring for a year whilst exploring their faith in a variety of roles around the Connexion, within the Church and with partner organisations.
The internships help equip the participants to be empowered and encouraged in discipleship, vocation and leadership.
A Commissioning Service and reception took place at Methodist Church House, London, with friends and family attending. The service was led by the Revd Canon Gareth J Powell, Secretary of the Methodist Conference.
The interns are placed in a range of organisations: Action for Children, the House of Lords, the House of Commons, the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT), Universities UK, AII We Can, the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome (MEOR), St George’s House, Windsor Castle and the Central Finance Board.
Will Fremont-Barnes, from London, has been placed with the Joint Public Issues Team, the House of Commons and the Methodist Church Conference Office. He reflected on what he hopes to achieve in his year: “I am particularly interested in thinking about faith and politics and how they inform one another and how we think about the issues of the day from a Christian perspective and what that looks like.”
Zoe Carruthers, from Coleraine, Northern Ireland, has been placed with All We Can in a communications role. Her passion for helping people shaped her degree in international development. She feels that the year will teach her valuable skills: “It is really good to have professional support and mentoring. The year will give me the opportunity to grow spiritually as well as professionally and you don’t usually get that opportunity with work placements.”
Rachel Sheppard, from Walsall, West Midlands, will spend her year in Italy with the Methodist Ecumenical Office Rome (MEOR). She commented: “I’m looking forward to being somewhere new in a different community, language, culture and place. I am excited by the people I meet, being professionally challenged and learning new skills.”
Ruth Yardy, from Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, will be working with Action for Children in its Policy and Development team. She is interested in the mix of Christian development, spiritual growth and the experience of working in a real life office: “Coming out of university and having this as my first job is an amazing experience. I know whatever happens, the experiences will equip me with the tools that I will use in the future.”
Jude Trenier, coordinator for ONE Intern programme, said: “It’s a privilege to be part of the team who, for a whole year, walk alongside the young adults in the ONE Intern community as they take strides forward in exploring their faith and vocation. It’s definitely a year of challenges as well as opportunities professionally, personally and spiritually.
“Most of all, it’s a year for young adults to go deeper with God and her his voice on what their calling is, while working in roles within highly regarded organisations.
“It’s an internship unlike any other.”