When a Homebody Leaves Home

Each year, the Institute for Christian Thought and Practice sends ministry students who have just finished their junior year of college on a seven-month, full-time, full-semester college credit internship called PRIME. PRIME stands for “Practical Research and Immersion in Ministry Effectiveness.” Current students and alumni of our ministry degree programs agree: PRIME is life-changing.

I sat down with Avery Hills and asked, “In what ways did you grow while on PRIME?” She responded by saying,

“I grew a lot in my technical abilities like teaching, ProPresenter, and Canva, but I also grew as Avery. I was more independent, more outgoing, and more responsible. I got out of my comfort zone in some way almost every day, whether that be driving long distances, making friends, etc.”

Avery is a homebody, so traveling eight hours away from home was very challenging at the beginning of her internship. As she spent more time in full-time ministry, she saw her capabilities and how God shaped her professionally and spiritually. Avery has always made relationships a primary objective for her ministry goals. Forming relationships with students and staff members allowed her to become more outgoing, causing her to be pushed outside her comfort zone.

She said one of her favorite memories from PRIME started during high school camp and continued throughout the mission trips. During rec time, she joined about 40 students who squeezed into a conference room and worked on puzzles for hours. This activity, called “puzzle time,” caused one of the students to create the motto “Eat, Yap, Puzzle.” The relationships that were formed with students carried throughout the rest of her internship.

If you want to grow your ministry skills through a ministry leadership opportunity, the Institute of Christian Thought and Practice offers the PRIME internship to students studying youth ministries, special needs ministry, children’s ministry, missions, or worship leadership.

Learn More about PRIME at Huntington >