A Ministry Student's Perspective on Summer Internships

 Tips for Churches Looking for Summer Ministry Interns

As a freshman sitting in my first ministry classes at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, I was immediately shown the importance of summer internships. I did not pursue one after that year, but I worked in a church the summer after my sophomore year. After that experience, I can confirm just how helpful an internship is to a ministry student. Through that opportunity, I was introduced to many individuals that came alongside me and taught me important things about ministry and the Christian walk.

When the students return to campus after the summer, I always ask my fellow ministry majors how their summer internships went (if they took one). Through these conversations and my personal experiences in searching for internships, I have noticed a few things that churches could do to make the process easier for students:

1. Start the process around February

February? That seems so early!

Regardless, churches should begin their search for a summer ministry intern around this time. Why? Because that is when ministry students are looking for them. We know how insane our semester is going to get, so we want to have our summer plans nailed down by midterms. I have noticed that most ministry students have a solid idea of where they'll be serving in the summer by Easter. If you want your internship to reach the most prospects, start your process around February.

2. Connect with the Professors at the nearest Bible college/university

My university's regional reach covers all of Ohio, all of West Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky. There are quite a few churches in those areas that might not personally know any ministry students at my school. If you want to find a summer ministry intern that will fit well with your church, connect with one of the Bible/Ministry Professors at your closest source. When I was searching for a ministry internship for this summer, my first action was to ask my professors if they knew of any opportunities. These people are constantly pouring into the ministry students. They are going to know the students very well, and will be a church's best chance of connecting with a fantastic summer ministry intern. 

3. Treat the selection process like any other job

• Have the prospective interns send in a résumé. (They need to learn how to do it if they don't already know.)
• Have a clear job description in their possession ASAP.
• Set up an interview. If distance is an issue, there are many ways to set up an online interview. (Skype, Facetime, Google Hangouts, etc.)
• Please, please, PLEASE keep in clear communication with your prospects throughout the whole process.
• Be kind and courteous if the student declines the offer (they are usually juggling two or three different summer options.)

My experience is that of a ministry student. These tips are geared towards making the process easier for the students. I don't know how things work on the opposite side, so I would love a dialogue or discussion to be established by this. In the end, I hope that this helps more churches and students connect because summer ministry internships are extremely beneficial to ministry students (and hopefully the churches as well). 

Peace and blessings,

Caleb Gibbs 

I'm Bad at School

A character in a story is best defined by their vulnerabilities; it's what makes them interesting. Everybody feels vulnerable about something. We are not robots. I will not act like one.

I'm not that smart. Well, not by the standards that most people hold. School has been frustrating to me for a very long time. A professor throws out a lecture, and the class engages with what he/she says. Not me. I'm sitting in my chair still trying to comprehend what in the world we are talking about. I have tried so many different strategies on how to make my brain better at understanding. When you're in college, this is very frustrating. If there were classes on how to lighten the mood in the boring or bleak situations, I would feel great.

I look around at my peers, and by golly, they are so smart. Seriously, they are the coolest. They take the information that they are given and do interesting things with it while talking with the professor. Meanwhile, I'm melting in my seat because I don't understand anything. I try, and I try, and I try, but I still feel inadequate. I look to my left and see a friend that is so talented in this one academic field. Everybody goes to this person for help in that class. To my right, is a girl who is so smart in every class, and she always has good things to say. Then there's me. I just want to be "smart at something." In a religion class, being able to sing and write sketch comedy isn't going to do much good.

I feel as if the skill set that God has given me does not line up with where He is taking me. Who knows? Maybe someday, I'll be in a place where my skills are the perfect fit for where I need to be, and I will finally feel like I am adequate. Until that day, I feel as if school is like one of those children's toys with the shapes and holes. It feels like I am a square shape trying to fit into the circle, triangle, and star holes. I can't find where the square fits.

The light may be at the end of the tunnel, but I can't see it, and this cave is very cold, wet, and sad.

Caleb Gibbs

Once Upon a Time Season 5 Mid-season Review

I'm not a review-based blog, but I have strong feelings. Also, SPOILER ALERT FOR SEASON FIVE.

I'll be the first to admit that I LOVE Once Upon a Time. It's a huge guilty pleasure of mine. (We'll get to why it's guilty in a minute.) It premiered in my junior year of high school, and I loved the concept of retelling classic fairy tales. The acting was great, the writing was pretty solid, and the characters were likable.

For the first couple of seasons, that is.

Then, it devolved into this terrible mess of a show where nobody can remember what happened last episode because we have SO MANY PLOT LINES AND CHARACTERS. For example, do you remember Cinderella? Exactly. This show is terrible most of the time, but I love it. I'm garbage.

After the absolute disaster that we called Season 4, I was on the verge of giving up the show. However, I kept pressing on and walked shakily into Season 5, and it was everything I had ever wanted. Here's why:

Dark Swan: You can feel how much fun Jennifer Morrison is having being evil. Within the first episode, we have set up the story arc for the half season. It all stems from a gorgeous idea; if you take away the Savior, who will save the day?

Expanding the Lore: This show has a timeline that nobody can fathom, but it has given us all kinds of amazing lore. I have waited through four seasons to finally learn more about the Dark Ones, and I was not disappointed. Nimue is being regarded as one of the greatest episodes of the series (if not THE best one.) Plus, it was written by my absolute favorite screenwriter, the amazing Jane Espenson!

Moral Dilemma: Zelena. Though I have major issues with the way she came back and the fact that she came back at all, she was a great addition to the season. Her situation introduces some fabulous moral debates. Is it right to take her baby away? Was Emma justified in trying to kill her? Was Regina justified in sending her back to Oz? Scandal.

After the penultimate episode of the mid-season, I was on the edge of my chair. In fact, the cliffhanger was so good that I thought it was the finale. Surely, bringing all the Dark Ones back will cause all sorts of interesting plot lines. Will Gold be meeting face-to-face with Rumplestiltskin? Is Nimue going to wreck everything? Will we learn more about each of the Dark Ones in the lineage? The answer was no. Here begins my problems with the episode.

1. We barely used the Dark Ones. How does any writer look at all that evil wrapped up in cloaks and just use them to mark Emma's friends and family for death? Especially with the success of Nimue's character, you would think we would actually do something interesting with her.

2. They did another death fake-out. This is one of my huge television pet peeves because you're not playing fair with your audience. This isn't even the first time they've pulled this stunt. They did it to Gold, Zelena, and Henry. They just do it to get you to feel emotional. It carries no purpose. There's a joke that says the only person in the Marvel Universe that stays dead is Uncle Ben. I guess in Once Upon a Time, the only main character that stays dead is Neal. *cries*

3. They kind of ripped off a story line from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. *SPOILERS FOR BUFFY* The whole situation with Emma turning Hook into a Dark One is almost exactly like Buffy taking Angel's soul away in Season Two. I would not have minded if not for the fact that they ended it EXACTLY THE SAME. Look at this.

It's a tale as old as time:
Boy becomes evil. Boy tried to send people that Girl loves to Hell. Girl has to face Boy. Boy comes to his senses, but it's too late. Girl has to kill Boy. Girl kisses Boy. Girl stabs Boy with a sword. Boy get's sent to Hell. Girl cries. Apparently, ABC can't come up with their own sad moments, so they have to steal them from other shows.

4. Toddlers love to build up a block tower and knock it back down again. In similar fashion, the OUAT writers love to build up Mr. Gold's character and then make his evil again. I've lost count of how many times it has happened, and they just use it to make sure they can use evil in future seasons. "Oh, you thought you destroyed all darkness? Sorry, I did a magic thing when you weren't looking. Don't tell Belle." This show delights in its use of Deus Ex Magica. Seriously, it's annoying.


This part of the season came in with a roar and went out with a whimper, but like the disgusting human I am, I will keep watching. I actually have hope for the rest of the season because the Underworld story has a lot of potential. Plus, they're bringing back a lot of characters to cameo in the 100th episode of the show. Here is a quick list of why you should watch the second half of the show:

1. Cora
2. Cora
3. Cora
4. Cora
5. Cora

 Peace and blessings,
Caleb Gibbs

Reconcile

I haven't been myself in a while. For the past few years, I have been straining to hold up relationships that are dragging me down. Until I start thinking about what is best for me, I can't become a better person and friend. I need to reevaluate who and what gets my time and attention. I'm going to begin backing away from relationships that are toxic, one-sided, and imaginary. 

Toxic relationships, you make me mean. You make me judge people for the clothes they wear it or what they put on Instagram. You encourage me to harshly criticize the passions of others. I love you and the people that you used to be. However, I need to save myself now. 

One-sided relationships, you make me angry. We used to have so much fun, but now, I don't even matter to you. I still considered myself one of your best friends even after I was cast aside for the newer and shinier people. If we've drifted apart, that's fine. It happens. However, if you ever want to fix what's broken, I'm a phone call away. 

Imaginary relationships, you break my heart. I'm coming to realize that our entire relationship is in my head, and that you never actually cared about me. I liked the idea of you. I refuse to waste my time and energy over missing you and getting upset that you don't care, when I don't ever grace your precious mind space. However, you might care and not be very good at showing it, so I offer forgiveness. 

I love and care about you all even if I'm backing away for now. I'm not strong right now, and I need to heal. There are friends and family that care about me and encourage me to be my best self. I fear I've lost my spark. I hope I find it, and I hope you find what you're looking for. 

Caleb Gibbs 

Dark Sanctuaries

Fall Break is here, and that means I have the time to actually think because my mind is not solely dedicated to absorbing academic accolades. Let's be honest, if I'm getting an accolade for something, I highly doubt it has anything to do with academics. When I put my mind in Free Range mode, weird things pop in there. Such as the fact that Joyce Meyer would be really good at playing the Joker someday. Seriously, look at this:

I would support Joyce in her movie career (but only if she invites Billy Graham to play The Penguin.)

I tend to also get off topic.


Anyway, another thing that came to my mind was the places in which we choose to worship. I have a my home church that I attend whenever I am on break. I have a church at which I work and worship when I am at school. I've had churches that I attended over the summer. All of these places are near and dear to my heart. All these places have this one weird detail in common: The sanctuaries are well-lit.

In worship debates, the subject is most often the music. That is a fight that I don't really get into because I can worship to Hillsong and hymnals all the same. Maybe I'm the only person who pays attention to these details, but I think it's important for churches to think about all aspects of their worship services.

DISCLAIMER: The following words and sentences are the opinion of Caleb Clark Gibbs. I am not saying that my preferences are holier than yours. I am not saying that churches that operate in different ways are bad or wrong. Don't yell at me. Jesus loves you.

I really hate to worship in the dark. For me, it ruins a church service:
-the room feels colder
-I can't read my Bible as well (some people still carry around paper copies, ya know?)
-I can't see the people around me very clearly.
-People won't be able to appreciate my outfit when it's on point.
-I feel like I'm at a concert (I'm probably going to get yelled at for this one.)

1) When a worship setting is filled with light, everyone tends to be a bit more smiley (personal opinion and experience.) I love the moments when the worship band is playing some happy music and everybody is greeting each other and smiling. For me, that is my favorite part of any service. I love it. When the room is dark, it just feels less happy.

2) I wear glasses and I'm colorblind. Even with those aspects, it's still decently easy for me to read in low light. However, some older members of the congregation may not be as fortunate. Lots of people choose to use an app for their Biblical musings, but some people (including myself) still prefer carrying around our Bible. Darkness tends to make reading difficult, so please be considerate of those who make that choice.

3) I love people. I am a people-person. If I am in a dark room that only has lights on the stage, it becomes more difficult to find people. How am I supposed to run across the room and hug my favorite church-goes during the Welcome if I can't find them? A huge aspect of going to church is the community. Don't take that out of the worship service.

4) I am a jeans and a T-shirt kind of person, but every once in a while, I like to dress up and go hunting for compliments. Honesty is a virtue. If one of these days happens to fall on a Sunday, I want lots of light to shine on me, so that the people can notice the subtle details that really complete my look.

5) Please, don't think that I am belittling all worship settings that choose darkness. I am not saying that this is a bad thing. Personally, worship services in low light feel more like a concert to me. By no means, am I saying that concert setting abolish the Holy Spirit from working (ask me about NYWC sometime. For King & Country and Bob Goff. Life changing.) I don't like that setting for when I am worshiping with friends and family every week. I love concerts, but I don't want one every Sunday morning.

I don't go to a church because of the pastors.
I don't go to a church because of the music.
I go to a church where I feel warm, welcomed, and worshipful.

Think about the different aspects of a worship service, even the ones that people don't often talk about. Is the environment helping or hindering? Should you change it? What are the pros and cons? Have a discussion. Laugh. Love. Live. 1 John 1:6.

Forever wishing he attended Hogwarts,
Caleb Gibbs

Why I Will Not Wave the Confederate Flag

I am no stranger to holding opinions that differ from the status quo. Due to circumstances out of my control, I have kept silent about a lot current controversy ex. the SCOTUS decision and Caitlyn Jenner. Anybody who has held a conversation with me knows that I am a very opinionated person. I don't usually sit on the fence on most issues, and when I am on a side, the world is going to know. With that being said, here's a basic sense of how I feel about the Confederate Flag.

I think it is harmful and has no place in today's world other than in Civil War history books. I would no sooner adorn my possessions with a Confederate Flag than I would with the symbol of Nazi Germany. When I see that flag waving proudly on somebody's vehicle, this is my initial response:

That flag was waved by a bunch of people who valued their businesses, money, and bias more than they valued the lives of human beings. As a Christian, I cannot wave a flag that symbolizes putting materials above the freedom of human beings. One could argue that the flag itself is hurting nobody, but the message behind the symbol is what causes harm and that message ended with the Civil War. The bottom line is: the Confederate Flag carries a message with is that is upsetting to people. Whether or not you think that people should be hurt by it, it is causing harm.

As a Christian, it is not my job to say "Here's why you shouldn't be offended by this." 
It is my duty to say "I'm sorry that you are being hurt. What can I do to help?"

The message behind the Confederate Flag did not end with the Civil War because racism is still alive today. You can argue that racism isn't an issue, but your argument would be wrong. I have seen and heard racism my entire life. For me, "loving my neighbor as myself" means loving ALL people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or political standing.

I have seen so many posts from Christians tearing people down with the defense of "Well, I am not being hateful! I'm just voicing my opinion! It's not hate!" People become so concerned with not seeming hateful, that they don't realize their words carry no love at all. I am a loving person. I am a sensitive person. I don't like offending people, but I realize that going through life without stepping on any toes is impossible. When I offend people with something I say or imply, I don't take to Facebook to rant and rave about how political correctness is ruining this country. Freedom of Speech is not Freedom from Consequence. When I hurt people unintentionally, I hope that I can have the love in my heart to say "I'm sorry. I'll try not to hurt you in the future." Is that really so hard?

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 "Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end."

So, Christian Confederate Flag-wavers, I implore you to look at the piece of cloth you are so keen on defending and ask yourself "What's more important to me? This flag or the people that are hurting because of the message attached to it?" When it comes to choosing between a "piece of Southern culture" and people, I will choose people. That's what I believe Jesus would do. He would choose people.

Our actions will always have an effect on the people around us. When conflict arises, choose to love.

1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

The Beginning

A thought popped into my head to start a blog. I wasn't sure what it would be about, but I put the idea out on Twitter to see what people thought.

The only responses I received told me not to do it.

Naturally, my reaction was to create a blog.

I still haven't really pinned down what I want to say, but I've got a few ideas. However, I think I'll start by explaining the meaning behind the name of my blog: Sequestered Chambers.

I'm a musical person, and I sang in choir when I was in high school. We sang a song in my sophomore year that really registered with me. It was called "Sing Me to Heaven." It was composed by Daniel Gawthrop, but the lyrics were by Jane Griner. The words were what really stuck out to me. We loved the piece so much that we decided to sing it again the next year after a few students in the school passed away tragically.

Here are the words:

In my heart's sequestered chambers lie truths stripped of poets' gloss 
Words alone are vain and vacant, and my heart is mute 
In response to aching silence, memory summons half-heard voices And my soul finds primal eloquence, and wraps me in song 

If you would comfort me, sing me a lullaby If you would win my heart, sing me a love song If you would mourn me and bring me to God, sing me a requiem, sing me to Heaven Touch in me all love and passion, pain and pleasure 

Touch in me grief and comfort, love and passion, pain and pleasure Sing me a lullaby, a love song, a requiem Love me, comfort me, bring me to God Sing me a love song, sing me to Heaven.

I named my blog after the first verse because I have often felt that I cannot express, out loud, what I am thinking or feeling. I talk a lot, but it rarely has meaning. I journal regularly about various things: how I'm feeling, events going on in my life, questions to God, rants, etc. Sometimes, I look back on my word vomit and think "I like this. This is good. I want others to read this." 

What I'm trying to say is that this blog is going to have a lot of different kinds of posts. If one of them looks interesting, read it.

I would end this by saying "Forever Yours," but I don't belong to you, dear reader. I am my own person. Take it or leave it.

Forever Mine,
Caleb Gibbs