The Awakening at Emmanuel College

It couldn’t be said any better: When you put 12 uniquely created strangers with different personalities, likes and dislikes in a room together with four really excited leaders, it can be a little uncomfortable at first, but after their first night together, The Awakening’s Emmanuel College interns bonded like family. 

As the youth and college department of IPHC World Missions Ministries, we couldn’t have been more excited for our traditional internship to begin, for the first time ever, at Emmanuel College at the start of the 2018 Fall semester under the leadership of Josh and Ashlee Hafner and Jon and Erica Campbell. 

The internship, mirroring the one based in Oklahoma for students attending or living in close proximity to Southwestern Christian University, focuses on one-on-one discipleship, practical ministry training and cultivating healthy relationships, all while offering various ministry opportunities including two ministry training days per semester, monthly family nights for interns and leaders to grow in communion with one-another, and drop-in sessions aimed to provide learning opportunities from various ministry leaders. 

As the internship began, our interns entrusted our leaders with a relationship of discipleship and accountability. Throughout the semester, relationships continued to be formed not only between the interns and the leaders, but amongst the interns as well as they walked alongside each other in pursuit of God.

According to Josh and Ashley, the interns experienced something they’d never experienced before at their very first Ministry Training Day (MTD) covering prayer and prophecy with long-time partners of The Awakening Lou and Rebecca Shirey. After that, most gatherings grew to include a time of prayer and prophetic encouragement initiated by the interns.

As the semester continued with family nights and a MTD with Seth and Madeline Nix, our Emmanuel interns continued to be poured into; even pouring into each other.

“We have seen new friendships blossom and flourish, and they have always been so timely for each intern,” Josh and Ashlee shared. “I love how God knows each intern and what they each need so well that in a moment He can create a connection between two people that is sacred and will last a long time.” 

With the constant echo on the importance of being sensitive to hearing God’s voice, our first semester at Emmanuel College has provided a season of growth for those who are so willing to say “YES!” to God when He calls.

“We want to see the students that come through this internship equipped with the tools and skills they need to carry out their God-given assignments (that they may or may not be aware of just yet),” Josh and Ashley said of the semesters to come. “God’s best might look different for each of them. Whether that looks like long-term missions, short-term missions, local missions, ministry in the church or ministry in the marketplace, we as a team can’t wait to see the students graduate from Emmanuel and walk out their destinies.”