What is a Peace Intern?

For nearly fifty years, DPF’s Peace Intern program has provided a vital witness for peace within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. Traditionally, Peace Interns are young adults who provide educational and program support at church camps and other church-related assemblies and events about peace and justice issues, serving as counselors and resource people, and modeling the lifestyle of peacemakers for youth and adults alike. In recent years Peace Interns have also partnered with Disciples Justice Ministries groups to work on specific projects in the name of living out the gospel imperative for peace and justice.

Since 1975, more than 100 young people have served as Peace Interns in hundreds of church camps and conferences. The DPF Peace Intern program has had a lasting impact both on the interns and the youth of our church. Interns have gone on to become pastors, professors, social workers, human rights activists, and other peacemakers in our communities and world. Our youth have been exposed to new ideas and issues and challenged to confront their own responsibility as citizens of a global community.

What is the Intern Experience like?

Interns travel primarily independently and are immersed in new communities of faith across the country, developing their own ideas and passions, practicing relationship-building, workshop/small group planning and facilitation, and accepting hospitality along the way. It is a transformative summer experience unlike any other!

The Peace Intern summer experience begins with Training Week in late May. Peace Interns are trained by denominational leaders, peace and justice experts and other notable teachers to prepare them for their summer experience. Before and during Training Week, each intern also works to develop their own passions into workshops that are taught throughout the summer. After Training Week, Peace Interns travel mostly independently to host events all over the country and spend approximately one week immersed in new and temporary communities (usually DOC church camps). In recent summers Peace Interns have also had “remote work weeks” where they partner with grassroots Disciples Justice Ministries (such as AllianceQ, Refugee & Immigration Ministries, Green Chalice, and Reconciliation Ministries) and ecumenical/interfaith peace groups (such as the Inter-Religious Task Force on Central America and the Fellowship of Reconciliation) to work on specific projects that further the faithful work of these organizations.

Throughout the summer Peace Interns represent Disciples Peace Fellowship and the General Church while facilitating workshops about peace and justice issues as well as participating as a member of the event’s leadership staff (usually as a camp counselor, but sometimes as a leader at a denominational event, chaperone at a mission gathering, facilitators for online events, resource people for justice topics, etc.). The summer also includes a Closing Retreat (in early August) for the interns to come together, share time with peers to decompress and to discuss, examine and evaluate their experiences. This is sacred time to reflect and learn from the internship and a very important part of DPF’s life-changing program

How can I help?

The DPF Intern Program is an important ministry of DPF that needs your support. Encourage young people interested in peace and justice to apply to become a peace intern. Request an intern for your camp, conference or justice ministry, or donate to DPF’s Kirby Page Fund to support the Peace Intern program.

Want to know more?

Fill out the form below to get connected with our DPF Mission Director, Rev. Brian Frederick-Gray, who would love to share more information about our Intern Program!