Parting thoughts from Student Intern Hannah Weinberg-Kinsey

What an amazing year it has been as the Pres House faith community’s Student Intern! I leave this position with a full heart—full of gratitude for the love this great community has bestowed on me during my service here. At the center of Pres House’s vision is a thriving and welcoming Christian community. With Pres House as the center of my internship, I felt like I had a chance to be a part of and live into that vision. This was truly an honor. This year has shown me that this vision of living and loving together is also my own. This internship has affirmed my calling to work toward a world of true relationships, founded on care, love, and plenty of fun; relationships that are strong and supportive through struggles, challenges, and doubts; and most importantly relationships constantly demanding the openness and inclusivity of others. From the moment I entered Pres House, this place has kept a spark burning within me to continue on my faith journey and to encourage others to take those leaps and bounds as well. This year was different from previous years of being a community member because I really got the opportunity and the supportive mentoring to throw myself into a profession of ministry and see what it was really like. I was given not only one-on-one space to talk about my challenges and successes, but I was given space dive in and be with people, to hear their stories, lead them, and plan events. This was a place I could use my gifts and live out my faith.

A day in the life of a Pres House intern will be different as new people get the chance to open the intern office door to the community. The job is set up to foster people where they are. It was not always the easiest journey as I tripped and fell, figuring out not only what big terms like “ministry” and “vocation” really meant, but really confronting myself in a way I never had before; really considering what I have to give and how to give it. For me the internship included things as blatantly meaningful as leading a small group, preaching, giving Communion, and planning a spring break trip, but also included the mundane but sometimes just as fun and just as meaningful trips to Sam’s Club, promotional sandwich board writing, and cleaning the kitchen. As this moment in my life comes to end, after I spent an entire year giving myself to Pres House, I understand that I got way more out of the experience than I ever could have imagined. I am full of the spirit of community, full of faith, full of life. I truly, truly thank you, Pres House!