Not all learning takes place in the classroom. Internships provide an opportunity for Fresno Pacific University and Tabor College students interested in vocational ministry to explore their calling and to gain real-world experience. The Christian Leader talked with four young adults currently serving local Mennonite Brethren churches about their leadership experience with the local church and while attending college. We asked what advice they have for local churches that want to nurture the next generation of leaders and for the young people who will step into those leadership roles. The interviews were done through email and are edited for length.
Jillian Balakian, Reedley (California) MB Church, will be a senior at Fresno Pacific University, majoring in music with a minor in Christian ministry leadership. She has served as a student chaplain and chapel worship leader, been in ensemble choirs and is involved in leading mission/outreach opportunities. She has been a volunteer at Mountain View Church, Fresno, California, where she also had an internship in the summer of 2024. This summer she is employed as an apprentice at Mountain View. Balakian plans to work in local or global church ministry when she graduates.
Describe your leadership opportunities prior to college.
My family showed me what serving in church and opening your home in hospitality looked like. Service and hospitality were modeled for me at a young age by my parents. I helped serve at events in high school, attended youth group and went on a few mission trips.
Describe your call to ministry.
I felt called to serve in ministry on campus, and a mission/outreach position was open at FPU. I knew God was calling me into this role because I received miracle after miracle with housing, scholarships and opportunities when it came to this job.
At the time I was serving and leading worship at a Southern Baptist church plant. Leading worship at this church plant and at other churches allowed my confidence to grow.
Being given a student chaplain role at FPU made me fully depend on Jesus.
Tell us more about your work in mission/outreach.
This involves a mixture of local and global outreach. Locally, I help facilitate church outreach, mission fundraisers and an after-school program for kids. Leading a mission trip to Thailand was the most impactful and encouraging thing I have been part of at FPU. It was especially encouraging to see students involved in local outreach continue in mission work in Thailand.
What are other college highlights?
The Christian friends I made and grew with spiritually are a definite highlight. Student leadership is always fun. I get to pour into students spiritually and be poured into at the same time. My sophomore year, chapel was also a highlight because I led worship alongside my friends.
What have you learned from your leadership experiences at FPU?
I’ve learned how to lead out of a servant’s heart, whether in outreach or having conversations when it may not be an ideal time for me. I’ve learned—but not mastered—that Jesus calls us to serve who we’re leading and to lead out of humility.
Describe your internship at Mountain View Church.
I applied on a whim for an internship at Mountain View for the summer of 2024, and it was the best summer I ever had. I worked as a worship intern and helped with outreach. I felt encouraged and affirmed in my calling. I was very hands-on, so I learned what it means to work full-time in church. This internship was important to me because I found a new church family and a place to regularly serve where I felt I belonged. Mountain View affirmed me in my leadership, grew me in my faith and giftings, and gave me experience in leading through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
What would you encourage a young person to do in preparation for ministry?
Serving as an intern at your local church is the most encouraging and helpful thing you can do to prepare for a full-time ministry job. Connecting with short-term missions can also train you locally and globally. For example, Multiply and Mountain View are collaborating with the Elijah Program so young people can intern at Mountain View, then serve in outreach non-locally. This is the best way to see your strengths and things to work on as you prepare for full-time ministry.
Sebastian Mireles is a 2024 Tabor College graduate who majored in business administration with an emphasis in management and marketing. Thanks to his participation in youth ministry and a summer internship, today Mireles is the full-time youth pastor at Bethesda Church in Huron, South Dakota.
Describe your involvement in your home church while in high school.
My home church is Redeemer Bible Church of The Valley, in Alamo, Texas, which meets at the school that I attended, Macedonian Christian Academy. Because of this, I was blessed with the opportunity to serve at both school and church. For church, I was on our worship team, served in the nursery, helped with many vacation Bible schools and was a part of our youth group. At school, I led several discipleship groups and served on our chapel worship team.
Who are the people in your home church that influenced your faith journey?
Santiago Curling was my pastor, Bible teacher, school administrator and basketball coach. He had a unique role in my life, wearing all these hats, but influenced me most by demonstrating a daily walk with Christ. He showed me a life of submission to Jesus isn’t just a Sunday thing or a school thing or a family thing. His consistency of obedience to God’s Word and love and compassion for others, despite all the hats he wore, set the example for me of what a man after God’s own heart lives like.
Jake Sosebee was a friend, mentor and youth leader. He took me under his wing, intentionally having conversations with me about Christian living, ministry and my future. He treated me as an equal and fellow brother in Christ despite the age difference. To this day I point to him when thinking about godly men that God has placed in my life.
How did your plans change while you were in college?
While I was in college, as I got more involved in youth ministry through counseling at summer Bible camps and interning at a church, my career goals changed. I knew that I would always be involved in ministry, whether vocational or not. As I grew in my relationship with the Lord and was finishing college, I realized that my calling was to full-time ministry rather than pursuing a career in business.
What are the highlights of your college experience?
My fondest memories of Tabor all stem from the close group of friends that I made. I found a group of guys that were in the same stage of life as me, had the same questions as me and desired to know and serve Jesus the same way I did. Because of these guys, I was able to learn about and experience the love of Christ in ways that changed my life. I truly experienced the words of Psalm 133:1 to the fullest, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!”
Describe your call to vocational ministry.
My call to ministry was heavily influenced by my time serving in the local church. During my college internship at Bethesda Church, I saw God’s calling on my life to serve the local church with the gifts he has given me. Tabor showed me the importance that the local church has in the life of a college student. My home church provided a foundation rooted in the gospel of Jesus so that when doubts and hard times arose, I was able to cling to the cross of Christ and its truth.
What did you learn from your leadership experiences?
Having a heart for people to be brought from death to life has been the main thing that I have taken from my different leadership experiences. At the end of the day, ministry isn’t the programming or bells and whistles. It is the people themselves. Seeing people experience the joy of full salvation found in Christ Jesus drives and sustains me in the highs and lows of ministry.
Describe your internship at Bethesda.
The homebase for my responsibilities was with youth, but I experienced all facets of ministry that Bethesda offers—worship, recovery ministry, leading a mission trip, teaching/preaching and many things behind the scenes. I came into the internship not knowing fully what my calling was, and I left with confirmation that my call was to full-time ministry. The experience was extremely valuable for me to know what I would be getting into if I was going to do ministry vocationally.
How can a young person prepare to work in a church setting?
My No. 1 encouragement is to not neglect personal holiness. Daily devotion to God in prayer, Bible reading and worship should be the No. 1 thing. Implement the daily spiritual disciplines found in Scripture into your daily routine. Don’t let your service exceed your worship.
What would you suggest a congregation do to encourage young people to be involved?
I would tell them to put their young people in positions of leadership and responsibility now. The reason I stayed connected to the local church during my college years was because I felt ownership and responsibility for being a steward of God’s church. I was pushed and trained by those who didn’t look down on me because of my age but rather urged me to step out and lead. I believe that a reason that students walk away from the local church once they get into their college years is because they never felt true ownership.
Lexi Milne serves children and young families at her home church, Zoar MB Church in Inman, Kan., as the children’s ministry director. Milne will be a senior at Tabor College where she is majoring in music education. While at Tabor, she has been involved in theater, cheer and choir, had an internship and was employed at the local dance studio.
How were you involved in your home church as a high school student?
I participated in youth group and Bible study. I also served in kids ministries and on the worship team. I loved doing my part to serve the body of Christ. I felt that I was part of something and had a sense of responsibility and accountability through the church.
While serving at Zoar I learned a lot about the body of Christ and how it operates corporately. Through serving one sees the needs of a church and is exposed to challenges of church ministries and leadership.
Who in your home church influenced your faith journey?
Andrew Wuerfful, my youth pastor at the time, had a huge influence on my faith journey. I remember walking into his office the first time and seeing a wall full of photos. There was a photo of every student on that wall.
Andrew deeply cared for each of his students, and he went out of his way to build relationships with each child. I saw the love of Jesus in him. Not only that, but his teaching challenged us spiritually, which was something a lot of us were hungering for.
What has been a highlight of your time at Tabor?
I chose to attend Tabor because of the community and opportunities. I was excited to be involved not only on campus but off campus as well. I was thrilled at the idea of still being able to do all my favorite things.
The highlight has been the friendships I’ve made and relationships I’ve built with families. I have a great community of friends that are so supportive of me and a few mentors that are like family.
Describe your call to ministry.
I have always been drawn to working with kids. I had the opportunity through local churches to volunteer at VBS and summer camps. While at Tabor, I was an intern at Hillsboro MB Church.
My internship at HMBC heavily played into my call to serve in children’s ministry. I loved interacting with the kids and seeing the depth of their understanding of who God is and what he has done for them. Kids have the capacity to receive the Holy Spirit and see God working in the world around them and it’s so fascinating seeing how they understand God in different ways than we do.
What did your internship involve?
At HMBC, I did whatever needed to be done—graphic design, parent communication, teaching lessons, brainstorming and planning events, leading worship and working in the sound booth. I also directed the kids Christmas program in 2024, which was a lot of fun.
What did you learn because of your internship?
I learned that ministry is hard. It’s hard teaching kids concepts that adults don’t understand, and it’s hard communicating the gravity of salvation without scaring kids. I also learned that children’s ministry workers are needed. Kids need accountability through the church, they need encouraging relationships in the church, they need friends in the church and someone has to foster these things or they won’t exist.
Why was an internship valuable to you?
It was real-world experience in ministry. You don’t know what ministry is like until you do ministry. I value the head knowledge that I (gained) but more than that, I value the relationships I built and the love of Jesus that I got to share. I am so grateful for my time at HMBC, and I highly recommend an internship.
What advice would you give a young person considering work in a church setting?
I would advise them to counsel at a Christian camp or find an internship in ministry. Get some field experience. It is also awesome to have a mentor in ministry if that’s something you see yourself doing in the future. Reach out and make connections.
If you were giving advice to a congregation about how to encourage young people to be involved in a local church as college students or when they’ve entered the work world, what would you say?
My advice for churches is to love. Go and talk to the young people. Tell them you’re glad they’re there. Invite them to lunch, build relationships with them, invite them into your life. Offer a college Bible study or a college mentor program. These are all ways that I have experienced or seen work; they are effective.
Aaron Snowder will be a junior at Fresno Pacific University, majoring in Christian ministry. He is currently working part-time as a worship leader at Mountain View Church Sunnyside, Fresno, California. He hopes to continue in worship ministry and eventually move into full-time church leadership, writing and producing worship music to serve the local church.
How were you involved in your home church while you were in high school?
I grew up at The Well Community Church in Fresno. I served regularly on the youth worship team, eventually stepping into leadership roles where I not only led worship but also helped younger students grow musically and spiritually. I was involved in youth events, small groups and service projects. This involvement taught me consistency, humility and how to lead both on and off stage. It laid the foundation for who I am as a worship leader today.
Who are the people in your home church that influenced your faith journey?
My youth pastor and worship leader both invested in me personally, offering guidance, encouragement and opportunities to lead. They modeled servant leadership, took time to disciple me and challenged me to step up even when I didn’t feel fully ready. Their willingness to walk alongside me shaped not just my skills, but my heart for ministry and people.
What is something more your home church could have done that would have encouraged you in your faith?
The Well provided so much, but one area that could have been even more impactful would have been creating more structured, intentional mentorship for those exploring ministry.
Describe your call to ministry.
My calling to worship ministry began at The Well, where I first discovered the joy and weight of leading others in worship. FPU has built on that by giving practical training and helping me grow in both leadership and character. Mountain View has given me opportunities to put all of that into practice in real time.
Why attend FPU?
I chose FPU because I wanted to be part of a Christ-centered community where I could deepen my faith, grow academically and stay connected to my local church and ministry. It’s been the perfect place to learn, grow and prepare for the calling God has placed on my life.
List some high points of your time at FPU.
Some of my favorite highlights at FPU have been campus worship nights, deep conversations in biblical literacy classes and the friendships I’ve formed. Those relationships have shaped my character and challenged me to become a better leader. Being part of a community of students who love Jesus and are pursuing ministry has been both encouraging and humbling.
Tell us about your internship experience.
I had the privilege of interning at Mountain View Church and am now on staff. My responsibilities included planning services, leading worship weekly, recruiting and training volunteers and working with the pastoral staff to help carry out the church’s vision for worship.
Through my internship and current role, I’ve learned how to manage a team, prepare both spiritually and practically for services, lead people through different seasons and navigate the challenges that come with ministry leadership. I’ve also learned that the greatest growth happens when you’re allowed to try, fail and learn from it with grace.
Why was an internship valuable to you?
The internship and now working part-time have given me real-world experience, helped me discover my strengths and weaknesses, and grown my confidence as a worship leader. I’ve learned that ministry is as much about relationships and mentorship as it is about music or planning.
How has attending FPU equipped you for your current involvement as the worship leader at Mountain View Sunnyside?
FPU is giving me a deeper understanding of theology, strengthening my communication and leadership skills and helping me develop character through both challenge and community. The friendships I’ve built and the mentors who have guided me have shaped not just my skills, but my heart for serving the local church.
What advice do you have for a young person interested in working in a church setting?
Start serving now. Don’t wait until you think you’re ready. Find a mentor, stay teachable and learn through doing. The best growth comes from being given real responsibility and learning how to navigate both success and failure with humility and perseverance.
What would you say to a congregation about how to encourage young people to be involved in a local church?
I would say: Get them on stage. Let them lead, even if they’re not perfect.
The greatest growth happens when churches allow young people to try, fail and learn. If the church is worried about perfection, there will be no room for growth. Encourage them, speak their language and meet them where they are.
Churches also need to learn to hire younger leaders and invest in them. Go to where young people are—whether that’s on social media, local schools or college campuses—and invite them into what God has for them.
This article has been posted by Christian Leader staff. The Christian Leader is the magazine of U.S. Mennonite Brethren.
