Our Mission  

Our mission is to...Strengthen the Body of Christ by providing a comprehensive and collaborative learning environment that mobilizes interns who live and lead with purpose.

Leadership Tracks

What Ministry Leadership Tracks (LT) are currently taking applications? The follow tracks are currently reviewing applications.

• MLT1: Small Group Leadership - This leadership track is for those who desire to lead small group ministries within a church.
• MLT2: College/Young Adult Leadership - This leadership track is for those who desire to lead a college/young adult age ministry.
• MLT3: Missions/PEACE Plan Leadership - This leadership track is for those who desire to serve as a missions pastor or in career missions.

What type on internship programs do you offer?  

• 2 year internships are full-time (40 hours) and include housing*

      *housing is offered to single interns only; married interns are responsible for their own housing

Who decides what adult leadership track is best? One emphasis during the application process is to assess your SHAPE (spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, experiences) in order to help direct you to the area that is best for everyone. The selection is a 360 degree process made up of 1) the potential intern based on their desires and preferences; 2) the ministry track leader; and 3) the AIM Leadership Team.

Where will I spend my time? You will be interning in one of our adult ministry tracks during your internship. Each adult ministry track has a specific and shared developmental pathway to help you advance in your ministry and may differ depending on whether you are a full-time intern or a part-time intern. The specific learning pathway will offer you hands-on training targeted at increasing core competencies for that area. The shared learning pathway will offer you a time of training with other interns targeted at learning and applying the fundamental principles from The Purpose-Driven Church and The Purpose-Driven Life.  In addition, you will receive among other things, a broad view of the other ministries within Saddleback and a purpose rotational emphasis through each purpose team.

Who will supervise me? You will be supervised by two primary people…1) The ministry track team leader and 2) the AIM Leadership Team.  However, during your internship you will receive senior level coaching from selected pastoral staff members.

Can I work and be an intern at the same time?  Our full-time internship offers many things to you (mentoring, coaching, skill training, strategic thinking, collaborative learning, etc.) that will help shape you and your ministry. The full-time internship requires a 40-50 hour work week, which would make it unmanageable for you to take on a part-time job during your internship.  We want you to have the energy, time, and focus to make the most out of your internship as well as balance the other top priorities in your life.

When can interns start? As soon as approved applicants have required support raised.

What are the admission requirements for AIM?   Complete AIM application, bachelor’s degree, a desire to play a leadership role within a church. 

We are currently not accepting international applicants.

Benefits

Personal Benefits:  In short, you will advance personally through the mentoring portion of our program; you will advance spiritually through the educational and relational portions of our program; you will advance relationally through the shepherding of people and team coaching sessions; and you will advance vocationally through our specific and shared learning tracks. 

Housing Benefits: For single interns only. Upon final acceptance, all interns will receive assistance from the intern coordinator to secure housing during the internship.  Please note, all intern housing is a gift from the members of Saddleback Church and require all interns to fully comply with housing polices and procedures. Host homes will provide a room, bathroom and food.  Interns who are married must find their own housing. One bedroom apartments in the area run about $1200 - $1400 a month.

Educational Benefits: Because leaders are learners, we strongly recommend that all interns advance their education through seminary.  We offer two seminary options for you to choose from...Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary (www.ggbts.edu)  or Rockbridge Seminary (www.rockbridgeseminary.org). Both of these schools are highly endorsed by Saddleback and will help further your educational career.  Seminary education is optional for all interns. 

Will I be paid as an intern? NO. We strongly believe that if God has called you to this internship, He will provide the way for you. Interns are fully responsible to raise their own support during their internship. All approved interns can receive coaching on support raising through the internship program.  Please check out our ABC's of support raising to help you get started.  We do require that 100% of your monthly support is set and that you have 2 months of your monthly support need raised prior to starting your internship.  See sample budget for help.

Special note – All interns are responsible to pay their own taxes each year. 

Is a married person eligible for the internship? Absolutely! The only additional challenge would be providing your own housing. However, if your spouse works, his/her income might provide the added financial resources. If your spouse does not work, you are required to raise additional housing support.

Where is Saddleback? Who is Saddleback affiliated with? We are located in Lake Forest, California, a suburb of south Orange County. We are in between Los Angeles and San Diego. Saddleback Church (www.saddleback.com) is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention. For information regarding Saddleback's theological beliefs, please see the page,"What We Believe."

Are there any job guarantees after the Internship? There is no guarantee of employment at Saddleback or outside of Saddleback after your internship.  Though we have hired a few interns over the years, it is not our goal to accept interns so that we may hire them when their internship is up. We feel extremely confident that your 2 year investment with us will open many doors for you and we will definitely be here to help you with your next steps.