The Synod Youth Internship Programme (SYIP) was a really enriching and memorable experience for me. Initially, I had a few concerns about joining the internship, such as whether my free time and holidays would be compromised because of it. However, looking back, I have no regrets joining the programme.
Before joining SYIP, I was a bit lost in my walk with God. Being a pastor’s kid, I have been in both ministry and church since a very young age. There was always this stress and concern that I need to do everything that was right. In addition, there was this pressure in meeting peoples' expectations for me to be grounded and strong in my faith. In truth, I was still very uncertain of where I was standing with God. Due to my being in church for so long and my father who is a pastor, I started to question if I was merely going to church because I was trying to please my parents and not make them look bad, or if I had the real sincere desire to go church. It was a real struggle that I had faced for a really long time, so much so that I even tried to distance myself away from God for a period as I tried to figure things out.
Through this whole internship, I began to find myself in my walk with God. The programme has taught me many new things- things that I thought I already knew, but in actual fact, I don’t. SYIP allowed me to learn about topics that I would probably not be able to learn in church. It also gave me the opportunity to sort out my feelings and my faith, giving me a clearer understanding of where I stand in Christ. The whole SYIP felt like a breath of fresh air, renewing my faith to know what it means to faithfully abide by him. I emerged from the internship to continue my walk with God, now with renewed strength.
One of my most memorable experiences during SYIP was the three worship sessions that we conducted for the Presbyterian High School students. In preparing for the worship, the interns spent all our free time during SYIP to practice. Although we had many different roles to play, with some of us as singers in the different parts, and some as musicians playing the piano, keyboard, guitar, and the cajón, we were still able to work well with each other. It also became a way for us interns to bond with each other. Though we struggled at coordinating all the chords, beats, and pitch, it was altogether very meaningful and memorable as we tried our best to achieve our end goal of leading the worship sessions for the students and (hopefully) encourage them.
Throughout it all, the other interns have been by my side, walking with me while I was tentative and uncertain about my faith. All the deep talks and the fellowship we had, made me very thankful and grateful for the fellowship and community that God has given to me. They gave me comfort and joy through those difficult times, and have given me the strength to carry on in my faith. I am blessed by God having journeyed together with them, my brothers and sisters in Christ. They really helped me understand what it means to build each other up and to be one with the body of Christ.
All in all, I have been very blessed by this internship. I will forever remember this learning experience and I am grateful and thankful to Him. Amen.
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