Summer Fellowship Program
Discern your vocation. Deepen your faith. Discover how God is calling you into the world.
The Summer Fellowship Program invites you into an immersive ministry apprenticeship to explore faith, leadership and vocation. For 10-12 weeks in the summer, you'll learn alongside a mentoring ministry leader, become part of a vibrant faith community, develop leadership skills and deepen your faith as you discern where God is leading you next.
To make this experience accessible, student fellows also receive a $4,000 stipend and on-campus housing for the summer.
The application will open Oct. 26.
More than a summer internship
This is about more than work experience. A summer fellowship offers you the time, community, mentorship, experience and space to pay attention to where your faith, work, skills and interests intersect to form your vocation.
It invites you to explore the question "How is God inviting me to participate in the world?"
Over the summer, you'll get the chance to experience all the dimensions of life in a faith community. You will:
- Learn: Shadow an experienced ministry leader and see what faithful leadership looks like up close.
- Participate: Rotate through different areas of ministry like pastoral care, children's ministry, preaching and community outreach.
- Connect: Build relationships with people in the congregation through meals, coffee, small groups and everyday community life.
- Lead: Take ownership of a project or responsibility that serves the faith community.
With lots of support and feedback, you'll grow toward mastery of important ministry skills and responsibilities. And as your skills and confidence grow, you'll be invited to move from observer to participant to leader.
What kind of support will you receive?
Our program team will walk alongside you for every step of this program.
Before you leave campus, you'll participate in weekly training led by Office of Church Engagement (OCE) staff and local pastors alongside a small group of other summer fellowship students. Together, you'll explore:
- Identity: Who am I, and what kind of person am I becoming?
- Calling: Where might God be inviting me to participate?
- Storytelling: How do I understand and communicate my own story?
- Boundaries: How do healthy limits make sustainable leadership possible?
- Communication: How can I communicate with clarity, courage and care?
- Contemplative listening: How do I slow down enough to notice what God may be doing?
- Conflict competence: How can I navigate disagreement faithfully and constructively?
You'll also stay connected to the OCE and other summer fellowship students through:
- Communal living in campus housing
- Shared meals and field trips
- Conversations about readings and your summer experience
- Regular check-ins with a student chaplain
- Group spiritual direction sessions
Together we will tune our ears to God's voice, deepen faith, process experiences, troubleshoot challenges and build sustainable faith practices.
Is this program a good fit for you?
The goal of the Summer Fellowship Program is to help you integrate your faith, identity, education and career interests as you discern how God might be leading you at Whitworth and beyond. You do NOT need to feel a sense of call toward full-time ministry. Instead, we are inviting students who are curious – curious about their calling, curious about ministry, and curious about how to live a life that integrates faith and work meaningfully.
By the end of the summer, we hope that you will experience:
- A deeper sense of vocation with the language and experiences to help you articulate your sense of calling.
- Real leadership experience with confidence in practical skills for communicating, listening, navigating conflict, setting boundaries and sharing stories.
- Meaningful mentorship with your ministry mentor who will invite you into their day-to-day life leading a church.
- Rich community with other students who are asking many of the same questions you are.
- A richer faith as you build new practices to notice and reflect on God's presence throughout your experience.
- Hands-on work experience as you take ownership of meaningful work that serves an actual faith community.
If this excites you, we hope you'll join us! Students from all majors and programs are invited to apply!
Ready to Learn More?
We would love to have a conversation with you about becoming part of the Summer Fellowship Program. Fill out our program interest form or email Allison (amaus@whitworth.edu).
Program Timeline
Fall | Discern & Apply – This is your chance to meet with Allison, chat with a student ambassador, apply and interview.
Oct. 26: Applications open
Nov. 30: Applications due
November/December: Applicant interviews
Winter | Meet Your Community – By January, accepted students will be introduced to their faith community and ministry mentor.
January: Accepted students are notified of placement
Feb. 1: Deadline to accept placement
End of February: Kickoff retreat
Spring | Prepare – Our team will help you prepare for your summer with training, small groups, spiritual practices and more.
March-April: Spring training and small groups
May: Student commissioning service
Summer | Serve & Grow – You get to immerse yourself in your faith community, walk with your ministry mentor and discern what's next.
End of May/June: Fellowship placements begin
August: Fellowship placements conclude
Meet Allison, our Summer Fellowship Program Director
Your experience as a summer fellow will be guided by Program Director Allison Maus. Allison is a Whitworth grad who began her ministry career with the campus ministry team and interning at a local church in Spokane. She went on to earn her Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and served as an associate pastor of campus ministry in State College, Pa., where she led small groups, retreats, pilgrimages and more. She is a creative at heart and loves combining art with contemplative prayer practices in her ministry work. Since returning to Whitworth, Allison has completed specialized training in the DISCERN Together Framework, focused on vocational discernment practices with young adults.