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Please describe your site (history, demographics, etc.)

Holden Village is a Christian retreat center located in the North Cascades of Washington State.  Holden is considered one of the most remote communities in the lower 48 States.  One cannot drive to Holden Village; travel involves a boat ride 45 miles up Lake Chelan and then a 12 mile ride up into the mountains in a village bus.  There are no telephones (cellular devices do not work in our remote valley) or television.  A satellite internet system was installed about two years ago, therefore email is possible for business use and for long term staff.  We do not make email available to our guests. 

Holden Village was once an active copper mining company town.  It operated from 1937 to 1957.  After several years of trying to sell the buildings, the mining company donated the buildings to the Lutheran Church.  Holden Village was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in 1961.  The Vision, Mission and Core Values of Holden Village are attached.

The Village operates year round.  We get an average of 350 inches of snow in the winter.  Our peak season, of course, is during the summer months when we have up to 475 people daily from early June until late August.  It is during this time that we have many families with children who come to stay for a few days or a couple of weeks.  Part of the programming is to provide activities for children.  We have two programs during the summer for children of guests and village staff:  Narnia for children up to age 10 and Miners/Jr Miners for high school and middle school age children.


Please describe the scope of the internship:

What goals do you have for the internship?

Our primary goal is to provide an intern with the opportunity to live, experience and contribute in a community that is rooted in worship.  Christ Jesus is the source and center of Holden Life.  Each day is framed by worship, beginning with morning prayer at breakfast and ending in evening vespers. Sunday is a day of rest and gladness as the community celebrates God’s endless embrace and Christ’s presence in the Eucharist.

Our goal is that by accepting the leadership role of serving as the Miners/Jr. Miners area head the intern will learn valuable leadership skills and will provide resources and serve as a role model to young people living in Christian community.

What will the intern’s tasks be?

The intern will be the “area head” for the Miners/Jr. Miners program and will be responsible for organizing and training staff assigned to assist in carrying out the goals and mission of the program in a safe and character- building manner.  The intern will be responsible for scheduling activities, introducing the program to youth when they arrive in the Village, coordinating with teaching staff to arrange for special programs for the youth,  coordinating with others to be sure all necessary resources are available for planned activities and evaluating, on a weekly basis, the success of the program and activities.

What would a typical or week look like?

The following is a basic outline, from a “turnover file,” of a typical schedule for a day/week of Miners/Jr. Miners activities.  This schedule and its activities need to be flexible due to the changing weekly make-up of youth in the Village, and to take advantage of the various teaching staff in the Village in any particular week.  Miners/Jr. Miners Area Heads have responsibility for creating a schedule that works well with these variables and with Village life in general.

Typical Daily Schedule

• 10:00 am - Staff meet at the Ark to fine-tune planned activities.
• 10:30 am - Program begins for the day. Everyone meets at the Ark, perhaps head to the snack bar porch for mixers and get to know you sorts of games. Perhaps lessons from the Way of Life book.  Some days “regular” sessions which might appeal to youth can be highlighted.  Other days, special sessions may be arranged with teaching staff.  The schedule on the kiosk will be updated daily.
• Noon - Lunch break
• 1:30 pm -  Meet at Ark again. Outdoor games (i.e.) soccer, capture the flag, etc. If raining, crafts can be done at this time as well.
• 4:00 pm -  Break for dinner
• Following Vespers, evening activities such as sardines, “capture the flag,” etc.Every Monday is Movie Night in Fireside.
• Every Wednesday is Dock Day.
• Every other week we alternate with a dance or a sleep-over in Narnia or Fireside.
• Weekly meetings with other Area Heads are important for communication and ideas.
• Every Saturday evening directly following Vespers, staff will meet to discuss the week, figure out what worked and what didn't, brainstorm new ideas, determine the schedule and activities for the following week and discuss ways to improve the program.

During the summer months, Holden hires 18 “area head” positions.  These positions are under the supervision of one of the three Village Managers.  The Business Manager is assigned supervision of the Miners/Jr. Miners program.  The Business Manager has extensive supervisory experience.  She is “semi-retired” from her profession in city management.  She understands the importance of the mentoring role of supervision and delights in working with the young people who come to volunteer to work at Holden during the summer months.  The training offered by the Lilly Project for supervisors will be embraced by the Business Manager.

Who will provide theological and vocational reflection for the intern?

The entire Village!  At Holden, study, conversation and other opportunities for sharing insights and knowledge are key elements of community.  Each week five to eight teaching sessions per day are offered on topics such as Bible study, prayer, ethics, social justice, the environment, literature, interpersonal and family life, global and multicultural issues, lifestyle and economic concerns.  Holden is grounded in the Lutheran tradition, yet holds close the spirit of ecumenism and inclusiveness, offering diverse worship opportunities.  The music, readings and personal insights and wisdom shared in community worship reflect the unique talents and spiritual gifts of the staff and guests of any given day. 
In addition, year round staff at Holden, including the Village pastor, worship assistant, directors and managers in particular, take seriously the responsibility and opportunity to be available for conversations with individuals seeking time for reflection and the exploration of ideas and questions.  Anyone of these individuals, and numerous other teaching staff, would welcome the opportunity to provide theological and vocational reflection for the intern. 

What vocational questions might an internship experience at your site help to answer?

Holden is a place of discernment.  Visitors and staff have the opportunity to reflect and refresh within the simplicity and sanctuary of Christian community.  How to discover God at the center of work, play and daily life, how to integrate faith with vocation, and how to find one’s role in the holy work of seeking justice and making peace are all questions that an intern will struggle and live with while at Holden.  Hopefully the intern will find insights and paths for further exploration of these questions while at Holden.

What gifts, skills and experience would you seek in an intern?

For the Miners/Jr. Miners area head position we are seeking an individual who has a strong interest in and enthusiasm for working with youth.  This takes energy, creativity and an openness to lead, work with and inspire youth who have a variety of social and interpersonal skills.  Being responsible, organized and able to live as a role model to youth 24 hours a day are key characteristics of this position.   Serving as a witness to one’s own faith is also an important gift that an intern will bring.

Logistics:

• Will this internship require driving? No
• If necessary, can your site help to locate/provide housing?  Due to our remote location, housing and meals are provided to all staff. 
• When would the internship begin and end?  Ideally, the internship would begin by the first week of June and continue to the end of August.

The Vision, Mission and Core Values of Holden Village

The vision of Holden Village is the love of God making new the church and world through the cross of Jesus Christ.

The mission of Holden Village, a Lutheran ministry, is to welcome all people into the wilderness to be called, equipped and sent by God as we share rhythms of
•    Word and sacrament
•    work, recreation and study
•    intercession and healing.

The core values of Holden Village are:

• WORSHIP - We are grounded and united in daily Gospel-centered worship.
• THEOLOGY - We interpret Word, sacrament, and daily life through the Lutheran theology of the cross.
• HOSPITALITY - We offer lavish hospitality to all.
• VOCATION - We believe that God calls all persons to love and serve God and neighbor.
• DIVERSITY - We celebrate the unity and diversity of all God’s children.
• GRACE - We offer ourselves to one another in mutual forgiveness, conversation and respect.   
• SHALOM - We trust God’s mercy as we pray and work for justice and peace.
• ECOLOGY - We celebrate and seek to serve creation’s well being through faithful patterns of daily living.
• GIFTS - We express gratitude to God for extravagant gifts of creativity, imagination and ingenuity in all who volunteer.
• STUDY - We value critical thinking, provocative discussion, and the integration of learning and experience.
• REST - We embrace God’s gift of sabbath by offering refreshment to those who are weary.
• PLACE - We commit to be grateful stewards of the surprising gift of Holden Village and its place in the wilderness.
• COMMUNITY - We believe that the Holden community includes all who care for Holden through their labor, gifts and prayers.
• HILARITY - We love that holy hilarity returns us to the joy and freedom of the Gospel, which alone overcomes all our lapses of mission, strategies, goals, garbology, dish team, work, and     relationships.