The Emmaus Internship Plus Certificate is a non-accredited one-year programme that provides face-to-face Christian academic study alongside on-the-job ministry training in local churches.
Interns share a variety of backgrounds, with different ages (18-70+), church/ denomination affiliations, faith journeys and academic abilities present in each class. The Emmaus Internship Plus programme offers a welcoming, introductory-level learning community that encourages each person to begin at their level and grow.
This programme is offered by the Emmaus Walk Trust of Palmerston North, and runs in partnership with local churches and Christian organisations. Emmaus provides the academic teaching/ learning and also the structure and documentation for the intern’s ministry. Emmaus oversees the programme and assesses both the academic and ministry components throughout the year. The local church provides ministry opportunities for the intern, and a local supervisor to direct and support the intern in their hands-on ministry.
Internship Plus includes:
Thursday Foundation courses
15+ hours ministry per week
Quality mentoring
Membership to the Emmaus Library
Tuesday night Footsteps classes (inclusive & optional)
Where & When
Emmaus Internship Plus lectures are held on Thursdays, 9.30am – 12.30pm at CCS 91 Mihaere Drive, Palmerston North. Each course has one final written assignment, usually a 1200-1400 word essay and there are no exams.
The Emmaus Internship Plus Programme is not accredited with the NZ Qualifications Authority (NZQA) so has no formal credit loading.
The following Foundation courses are compulsory and run each year:
TERM 18 week course - God's Story, Pauline Simonsen & Ian Reid
TERM 3 8 week course - "I Believe" Theology, Pauline Simonsen & Dave Belesky
TERM 4 7 week course - “Understanding the Bible: New Testament”, Pauline Simonsen & Nevin Beukes
Supervised Ministry
As well as the academic class work, interns engage in 15 - 20 hours of ministry per week in their local church or Christian organisation. Using the Emmaus documentation, the church leadership, the intern and the supervisor identify areas of ministry and help the intern develop a ministry plan for the year. Interns set personal goals for development in their areas of ministry. The local supervisor meets regularly with the intern to discuss the intern’s ministry goals, their academic work and to offer encouragement and pastoral support.
The intern’s ministry is reviewed at various points throughout the year, with reports submitted to Emmaus. The Emmaus dean is available for help and support for any aspect of the programme.
Footsteps Courses
Emmaus Intern Plus students receive FREE ENTRY to any Tuesday night Footsteps course, as part of their internship plus fees. We encourage interns to take advantage of these extra opportunities for learning and growth.
Course Fees
The Emmaus Internship Plus Certificate fee is $2200. This fee includes:
· four terms of face-to-face teaching of the above courses
· a year-long subscription to the Emmaus library (5000+ texts)
· free entry to any Footsteps course in that year
· access to Zoom recordings and notes of all lectures
· lecturer support.
Fees should be paid in full before your course commences (arrangements for special circumstances can be discussed).
Some Q & As
What is the difference between Internship Plus program and the NZQA Internship program?
The main difference is that Internship Plus is non-NZQA accredited, meaning it won’t be formally recognised by most accredited institutions. This also means that we can keep the fees lower and provide more flexibility in the program. The lecture course content and delivery is the same as for the NZQA internship, but students are also provided with local mentoring, and with access to an extensive theological library. Interns can also start at different times in the year.
Paid/Unpaid ministry?
The Emmaus Internship is not eligible for NZ Government loans or subsidies. Interns may therefore include paid ministry in their ministry hours. However, these should be noted separately in the intern’s ministry plan.
Can my Emmaus internship be cross-credited into an accredited programme?
Because the Emmaus internship is not NZQA-accredited, it won’t be recognised by most accredited institutions. However, many institutions have a policy of “recognising prior learning”, and MAY accept some of the Emmaus internship work (such as academic courses) as cross-credits into a certificate or diploma. Any such decision is entirely at the discretion of the respective academic institution.
Where are classes held?
All face-to-face classes are held at the Cornerstone Christian School, 91 Mihaere Drive, Palmerston North.
Check out the Emmaus website for term dates and courses. www.emmaus.net.nz
