About Howth and Malahide Church
Our congregation is gathered from a range of backgrounds. We have people from Australia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, Malawi, Malaysia, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, UK, and USA. (We are predominantly Irish and South African.)
Our church is not a ‘double charge’, but is simply in two locations - Malahide and Howth (i.e. We have one Session, one Committee, one website, one mission.)
We are a ‘Home Mission’ congregation, meaning that we depend on some financial support from the wider church family of PCI. Despite this (and with the generous help of PCI) we planted a church in Donabate in 2010 under the leadership of our previous minister Dr. Gary Miller.
We enjoy a great sense of unity in our fellowship, and are led by our minister plus 6 elders (- 3 Malahide / 3 Howth). We have recently elected three additional elders. The minister and intern are the only full-time church workers. We have no other staff. (Our current intern leaves this summer).
Apart from our services on Sunday (Malahide 10am / Howth 11:45am / and more recently our new outreach in Clongriffin at 5pm), our weekly church calendar involves only Small Groups, Youth Groups, and Parents & Toddlers.
We also have a growing Men’s Ministry, with monthly Breakfasts, and enjoyed our first ever overnight retreat in March with 30 men.
There is very little other evangelical witness on the north side of Dublin. And yet the population around us is massive. We are surrounded by such great opportunities for the gospel, not only in Malahide and Howth, but also in Clongriffin (which lies between Malahide and Howth).
We have also developed a link with the Delhi Bible Institute. Our minister has visited there with one other church member for the last two years, while the director of DBI came here last year.
We are a small but growing congregation, with a good spread of ages. We have 114 communicant members, 31 of whom were added over the last three years.
The Purpose of the Internship
There are two strategic reasons for this internship:
To provide excellent opportunities to learn, study, grow, and develop gifts for ministry. We want to train and equip interns for a future of gospel ministry, wherever God may lead them.
The new ‘Acts 29 Oak Hill Academy’ which has now been launched as ‘Crosslands’ will have a learning hub in Dublin (at Irish Church Missions on Bachelor’s Walk). This will enable all the interns at churches affiliated with the Dublin Gospel Partnership (such as our own) to receive quality theological training in context. Our current intern (Jack Fleming from Wellington Presbyterian Church: flemingjack1794@sky.com ) has been enjoying the pilot scheme for Crosslands this past year. He has attended each Wednesday morning during term, and has also had to spend time in study preparation each week. For more information: https://www.crosslands.training
The intern also meets weekly with the minister. As well as discussing ministry responsibilities / challenges, and praying together, they also read a book together, discussing a chapter each week. (This past year they have read, Jack Klumpenhower, ‘Show Them Jesus’ and also James K.A.Smith, ‘You Are What You Love’.)
Other training within PCI is also potentially available to the intern such as the introductory ‘Handling the Word’ course and the subsequent ‘Accredited Preacher’ course.
In March this year we also brought 10 of our own members through Module One of ‘Equipped to Preach the Word’ (from the Proclamation Trust). We covered the 8 units of the course over two full Saturdays.
The internship can provide a range of ministry experiences and opportunities, depending somewhat on the gift-set and future aspirations of the intern.
To develop the life and mission of our local church with the help of another full-time worker. We know from experience the missional benefit of having an intern.
The Shape of the Internship
The shape of the internship largely revolves around youth ministry, but not exclusively so. The position involves...
A close working relationship with the minister (e.g. weekly staff meetings, as mentioned above, and also typically a meal with the minister and his family twice a week).
Ability to study and prepare for ministry and also to engage in weekly theological training through Crosslands (as mentioned above).
Attendance at a weekly prayer meeting and also one of the church Small Groups.
Overall leadership and coordination of the Zone - a weekly after-schools club for 9-12 years olds. (Currently Fridays, 3:00-4:00pm. We have had 20 children this past year, most of whom have no real connection with the church.)
Participation as a leader in GIG - a teenage discipleship group. (Currently most Fridays 8:00-9:30pm. This is a small group of only about 5 teens.)
Coordination of Established (an outreach for teens that meets no more than monthly). Teaching your own RE lessons in Malahide Community School - ‘Transition Year’ , i.e. 15 year olds. (We have simply tried to introduce them to Jesus and the message of the Bible. There is no set curriculum - this is a massive open door for us! Typically it involves teaching one lesson twice a week for a block of 5 or 6 weeks. Over the year this is then repeated with more classes. Another secondary school in Portmarnock has also expressed interest in us doing the same there, but we simply don’t have the personnel to do all that we could.) Participation in Sunday worship, (for example: Children’s addresses / leading the service / leading in prayer / reading Scripture / reporting on ministry / book plugs)
Participation at Clongriffin ‘Pop-Up church’ outreach (Sunday afternoons)
Participation as a leader at Summer Soul Camp (last week in June)
Participation in ‘Going Bananas’ - our Holiday Bible Club (usually second week in August.)
There may also be potential opportunities to lead / teach / serve via... monthly Men’s Breakfasts, or GLAMS (Grannies, Ladies and Mums) Music group
Small Group or one-to-one Bible-studies
Occasional courses like Christianity Explored, Life Explored, Discipleship Explored, Gospel in Life, New Members Classes
and to receive some training and experience in preaching and pastoral visitation.
or to start / be involved in something completely new!
- For example, it was an intern who started an ‘email prayer circular’ in Howth to enable the congregation to share prayer points and pray for one another.
- Another intern began a new monthly teens outreach called ‘Established’.
- Another intern started a new ‘one-to-two’ discipleship group with two young guys who don’t
or can’t come to GIG. They read a book together and discuss. He is also planning a week in June called ‘Spark’ that will seek to mobilise young people for practical service in the community of Clongriffin. He will also be involved in a new football camp we have organised for Clongriffin this coming June, led by Ambassadors Football.)
The Practicalities of the Internship:
Holidays
With a busy internship holidays are essential! These are worked out flexibly around normal term times. The minister receives 6 weeks (incl stat days) per year, and the intern should expect the same.
Accommodation
For the last two years we have rented a nice room for the intern to live with a lovely family who are well used to lodgers (having had a lodger approx. ten years). The family consists of mum, dad, and three children who are senior school or uni. They are generally up and away very early each morning. They are not involved in our church at all.
Our current intern (and the one before) has spent little time with them, but gets on very well with them. The intern cooks independently, but often enjoys the hospitality of church members. The house is big, bright, clean, and was designed by the husband who is an architect.
We would love to buy property but are not yet in a position to do so. The idea of lodging may potentially be a turn off to some people, but the set-up for the intern has worked very well.
(If we were going to host a married couple, we would need to find an apartment to rent, which would be much more expensive.)
Funding
For the last three years, we have had a series of one-year volunteer interns for whom we have provided accommodation, all work expenses, and a very basic living allowance (€250 per month). We recognise that while this arrangement may be acceptable for just one year, it does not encourage someone to come for longer, and we have long seen the need for at least a two-year internship. As a Home Mission congregation we are not yet in a position to fully pay the Minister’s stipend, and therefore we are unable to employ another staff person unless we receive funding. However we are very hopeful that through particular grant applications, we could secure funding that would enable us to make a two-year internship viable. The intern may need to come with some support from his/her home church. Unfortunately we cannot be more specific at this time.
Transport
While a car is not absolutely essential, it is almost essential!
If you want more information then give Ali (the minister in charge) a should using the form below!
