Internship

Weekly Update – October 16th, 2025 

In 2019, First Baptist Church began a partnership with Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MBTS) to host interns through their Timothy Track program.  This program is designed for first year master’s level students to have “in-the-field” ministry training in the context of the local church. Since that first year, we have had 4 men who have completed the program with our fifth who started back in August.

The internship is left open to the specific church to decide what their intern will learn and do. First Baptist Church’s internship is designed for men who are trying to discern their calling and gifting for pastoral ministry. To help in this discernment, our church has taken it upon itself to fulfill three major goals for each of our interns:

First, our goal is to develop in the intern a ‘theological and ecclesiological vision’ for future ministry.

Second, our goal is to provide the intern with opportunities and feedback for the development and discernment of ministerial skills and gifting.

Third, our goal is to encourage our intern’s growth in personal holiness, integrity in his relationships, and in God-honoring sacrificial love for his family through the time in the internship.

We believe that God alone will work out these goals in our interns’ lives. Nevertheless, we will try to incorporate numerous intern tasks to try to accomplish our three major goals, including weekly intern meetings, reading and writing assignments, preaching and teaching opportunities, shadowing’ elders in pastoral ministry, serving in select ministries throughout the year, sitting in on elder meetings, and participation in conferences and events. We believe that this church-based, elder-led program will help to supplement seminary and Bible college training.

Our hope is that as these men complete the program that not only will they be further prepared for ministry, in whatever context the Lord leads them, but that the vision that our church has for ministry might go with them. This means that in addition to discipling one another towards greater ministry within the church, through our internship program, we have the opportunity to disciple men who might lead others outside of our church to greater ministry as well.

Much of this vision came about as we hosted our first intern, Daniel Good.  He came from Colorado after having finished his undergraduate degree at the University of Wyoming. Since his completion of our internship and his graduation from MBTS, he has pastored in two different contexts, both in Illinois. He is now married to Hope and is involved in church revitalization with Cornerstone Church, right outside the University of Illinois.

Well, Daniel and Hope will be with us this weekend.  He is going to give us an update and then preach for us from 2^nd Corinthians 5:16-21.  During the service we will take time to also pray for him and his ministry in Illinois. In many ways, hearing what he and Hope are doing in ministry will encourage you as you hear how the Lord is working in other places. On the other hand, it should also encourage you as you see a bit of the fruit of the investment our church has had in men who serve in ministry.  Therefore, make it a point to be here on Sunday and encourage Daniel and Hope as they join us.

Serving Him with You,

Pastor Michael Nelson