Communications Internship at Brookside Church in Fort Wayne, IN

OUR MISSION
Brookside Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a Jesus-centered church committed to building Jesus-centered homes through healthy relationships resulting in Gospel-saturated communities.

VISION & PURPOSE OF ROLE
The Communications Intern role is a development-focused position designed for someone exploring full-time ministry in the communications and marketing space. This internship is less about task-filling and more about forming a thoughtful ministry leader who understands how communication serves the church. The intern will receive a theologically grounded, practical on-ramp into ministry communications while building the critical thinking and decision-making skills needed to lead effectively.

ROLE SUMMARY
This position develops a self-driven leader who can own processes, not just complete assignments. By the end of the internship, the intern will be prepared to serve as a valuable asset to a local church or ministry organization. The role reports directly to the Communication and Production Director and offers close mentorship in strategic ministry communication.

Job Type: Hourly // Average Hours/Week: 15–20 // Duration: Approximately 12 months

Reports To: Communication and Production Director

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Content Creation & Design
  
• Assist in writing, editing, and designing content for church-wide communication channels
• Support the development and execution of social media content strategies
• Contribute to graphic design projects for ministry events, series, and campaigns
• Help produce video content including filming, editing, and post-production
• Strategic Communication
• Assist in implementing the church-wide communication plan across ministry areas
• Learn to think strategically about messaging, channels, and audience engagement
• Support the coordination of communication timelines and project workflows
• Help evaluate the effectiveness of communication initiatives and suggest improvements
• Digital & Web Presence
• Assist in maintaining and updating the church website and online platforms
• Support social media management including scheduling, posting, and engagement
• Help monitor analytics and report on digital communication performance
• Ministry Communication Support
• Collaborate with ministry leaders to understand communication needs and priorities
• Assist with event promotion and marketing materials
• Support production needs for worship services and special events as neede
  

SPIRITUAL & PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Acknowledge Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior
• Demonstrate personal maturity and godliness, growing in conformity to the image of Christ
• Agreement of the Brookside Church Statement of Faith
• Commitment to Brookside Church Staff Codes (Addendum A*)
• Exhibits a heart of compassion. Is trustworthy and a humble servant leader.
• Maintains a healthy balance between ministry and family.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Currently enrolled in or recently graduated from a college or university program, preferably in communications, marketing, graphic design, or a related field.
• A genuine passion for the local church and a heart for serving people
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently without constant oversight
• Willingness to step into unfamiliar areas, learn on the fly, and problem-solve creatively
• Thoughtful and intentional about tone, process, and impact in communication

COMPETENCIES

• Strategic – Thinks critically about messaging and channels. Develops the ability to align communication efforts with the church’s mission and goals.
• Creative – Brings fresh ideas and a willingness to experiment with modern communication platforms. Approaches challenges with curiosity and innovation.
• Self-Directed – Reliable and proactive. Takes initiative in owning projects from start to finish and manages time effectively.
• Relational – Communicates in ways that support the mission and shepherd people well. Builds trust with ministry leaders and team members.

NECESSARY SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Foundational skills in graphic design (Canva/Afinity, Creative Suite, or similar)
• Familiarity with social media platforms and content development best practices
• Basic photography and/or videography skills preferred
• Comfort with website management tools and basic digital analytics
• Strong written communication and copywriting ability

LEARNING OBJECTIVES & DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

This internship is intentionally structured around growth, not only execution. The development focus includes:

• Empower – Develop the confidence to make real decisions, not just follow instructions
• Teach – Learn core principles of ministry communications: clarity, consistency, and care for people
• Model – Observe and practice critical thinking in ministry, especially in gray areas
• Coach – Receive coaching in being tactful with people and careful with processes
  

By the end of the internship, the intern will be able to:

• Own projects from start to finish with minimal supervision
• Think strategically about messaging and channels
• Communicate in ways that support the mission and shepherd people well

MENTORSHIP

The Communications Intern will receive intentional, ongoing mentorship from the Communication and Production Director. This includes regular one-on-one meetings, real-time coaching on active projects, and guided reflection on ministry communication principles. The intern will be integrated into staff meetings and encouraged to contribute perspectives while developing professional maturity.

Brookside Church Staff Codes
* Addendum A

We Love Building others up.
We give each other the benefit of the doubt. We look for the good in each other. When I don’t understand what you’re doing, I let trust fill in the gaps.

We Love breaking status quo.
We choose to dream and be visionaries, looking forward to the future God has for us. And we ruthlessly eliminate every form of comfortable complacency.

We Love Healthy Conflict.
We keep short accounts with each other. If I am hurt or offended, you and I are going to talk about it or let it go, but we will not let it linger.

We love being vulnerable.
We choose to honor each other and give grace to each other’s shortcomings or failures. We choose to be real and authentic with each other, even if we must push through difficulty.