“How do I pour more back into this place which has poured into me?” This was the question that Olivia Murphy, the resident and intern coordinator at Cypress Church, Grove City, Ohio, was being asked by a few high schoolers in the fall 2023.
Cypress Church already had a thriving college-aged intern program and a resident program for college graduates, but they lacked an intentional ministry development program for high schoolers. These students knew they could not be residents yet due to their age but still desired to get more involved in something like an internship. Olivia realized these students might have a call to ministry and did not want to wait to explore it. This missing space gave birth to the 2911 program.
Interns & 2911 leaders
The name “2911” surfaced after a brief brainstorm in which Jeremiah 29:11 came to Olivia’s mind. “We believe that God has a plan and a purpose for high school students, and we want people to start walking in that,” shares Olivia.
Moving quickly, Olivia took pieces from Cypress’s already existent residency and intern programs and formed a high school friendly program. In the 2911 program, participants attend staff meetings, share ideas and experience the church’s “behind the scenes” operations. The students also complete real tasks as they learn how to act in the professional workplace, be punctual and carry responsibility for various ministry areas.
Participants are funneled into a student or children’s ministry track where they gain understanding in how to organize and plan events, schedule volunteers for weekend services, and write out birthday or “we miss you” cards. They are also exposed to curriculum development and ministry strategy. The student’s time commitment is eight, 12- to 15-hour weeks. Alongside the educational components comes experiential learning, as they are more readily present to be a part of salvation or baptism conversations, follow-up talks with parents and gospel presentations to children.
While they do carry certain responsibilities, a key component of the 2911 program is for the students to be poured into by various staff and volunteers. Participants also meet twice a week with Olivia for the residents’ and interns’ regular meetings to grow their leadership skills and invest in their spiritual development. Cypress Senior Pastor Reverend Ken Murphy meets with interns, residents and 2911 participants at a weekly leadership lunch. Olivia’s favorite part of the 2911 program is the investment into these students: “Getting to see our own people and our own students being poured into that way is awesome.”
Olivia also enjoys seeing how the 2911 students have grown and advanced. Weekend service opportunities alongside different age groups and within a diverse team have challenged and stretched them. Most of all, Olivia appreciates seeing students discover their ability to lead: “They are high school students, but it is so cool that they get to be a part of leadership meetings. You are a student, but you can still lead.” She has watched them grow in their confidence in decision making on weekends, in part because they know what has been planned behind the scenes earlier in the week.
Maxwell, a 2911 participant, states how the program has impacted him: “The 2911 program has helped me mature drastically. It has pushed me out of my comfort zone, showing me how to be comfortable with the uncomfortable when it comes to ministry. I’ve loved the fabulous experience, and it has taught me many things that have built a foundation for a future in ministry.”
Faith, another participant, recognizes that “The 2911 program has offered me the opportunity to take another step in my faith, leadership and ministry development. Personally, this program has led me into a new direction with my leadership. It’s allowed me to see that leadership is more than what happens in person at services or the tasks of organizing lessons for the services. It’s about connecting with everyone you encounter in just one day. Each of those people have a lesson to teach you no matter how old or young. Each person I’ve had the opportunity to encounter through this program has taught me something different every day.”
Olivia sees 2911 continuing to grow. “We have a lot of students in our student ministry who feel a call to ministry, and we want to provide opportunities for them.”
Rev. Jacob Gibson is the senior pastor at LifeSpring Wesleyan Church, Richmond, Indiana, and graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University and Wesley Seminary, Marion, Indiana.
