While the heat of summer is here, with blazing temperatures and likely no immediate relief, many are finding themselves in the final weeks of summer break.
For eight amazing individuals at Hillside, their time as Hillside interns is also coming to a close. Since the end of May, this group has hit the ground running in many different ministries, soak up like sponges all the valuable insights and learnings they could about what life in ministry looks like.
In addition to the work they’ve done in their respective ministries, these interns have developed a bond that they will carry with them beyond the span of their internship. Through beach days and Bible times, they’ve walked through this summer together with their eyes set on Jesus and their hearts focused on ministry.
They have graced our hallways and dedicated their summer to life here at Hillside, and now, in their final week of internship, we celebrate them and the work they have accomplished over the past 10 weeks!
Ashley Tschetter, Worship Intern
Ashley attends Azusa Pacific University and is studying Youth and Family Ministries. Originally from Claremont, she stepped into the role of worship intern after serving on the student worship team for a few years. Her desire this summer was to gain practical experience of vocational ministry and to learn tips and tricks for how to effectively lead worship for all ages.
Favorite memory: “My favorite memory was dancing and singing at Summer Blast! I will always remember how much of a gift it was to worship Jesus with some of my favorite people and all of the kids, while being encouraged to dance and be a goof for the enjoyment of all of the kids present.”
Intern Take-Away: “I have learned that leading from the overflow is so important! When we fill our lives with Jesus, our cup overflows (Psalm 23:5). I have learned that the overflowing cup of our hearts is filled with the living water that is meant to fill us so we can pour out its truths onto others.”
In her free time, Ashley loves to create music and be with friends and family. My very favorite place to do both of these things is at the beach, where I can experience the awesomeness of God’s creation while being with people I love, and we can worship Him for all He has created and done for us.
Sarah Potts, Kids Ministry Intern
Local to Rancho Cucamonga, Sarah is currently a history major at Chaffey College. She stepped onto the Kids Ministry team as their intern this summer with a desire to just be led by God. With an open mind and heart, she wanted to trust His plan for her life and gain more confidence in who He has made her to be.
Favorite Memory: “Picking one single memory to title as my favorite seems impossible because in full honesty, every day I am here and surrounded by the Hillside staff and my little intern family, I am living in my favorite memory. My fellow interns have grabbed ahold of my heart, and helped me to grow in Jesus and in my faith.”
Intern Take-Away: “God’s timing is like a puzzle. He gives us pieces along the journey of life. Some are big, some are small, some are hard to piece together and some might not be a perfect fit at the start. But yet, God gives us everything we need to live the life He has planned for us. So, I’ve learned to be patient and trust that in His timing, everything will be exactly how He wants it – and that is enough for me.”
In her free time, she loves going to the movies, walking around Disneyland, and grabbing coffee with friends. Her favorite verse is 1 Corinthians 15:10: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”
Kaitlyn Merced, Communications Intern
Kaitlyn is a junior at California Baptist University majoring in Christian Studies. Originally from Apple Valley, CA, she interned in Hillside’s communications department with a desire to learn more about graphic design, social media, and life in ministry.
Favorite Memory: “It was just from this past week! We all decided to do our morning devotions together; we read the same passages, broke them down, and discussed them together.”
Intern Take-Away: “I’ve learned so much about myself and have grown so much in my relationship with God. But, I think the biggest thing I learned was that the Lord is working through everything we do, from cutting postcards to speaking on stage. I’ve really been able to see how God uses the seemingly “small” and “big” tasks– and everything in-between– for His glory.”
In her free time, she can almost always be found spending time with friends or family, or hanging out at a coffee shop with a good book.
Malik Lopez, Student Ministries Intern
Malik is entering into his second year at Azusa Pacific University, majoring in Christian Ministries. He moved to Rancho from Victorville four years ago and as the Student Ministries intern this summer, was excited to gain some hands-on ministry experience and to see what is involved behind the scenes. His love for students and community, partnered with his desire to share Christ with them, made him a great fit for Hillside!
Favorite Memory: “There was one night at camp where the Junior High students were participating and engaging more than they had been all week. Two students in my group shared about some amazing experiences that they had with God that week and how it completely changed the way that they look at their faith. It was such an incredible moment for me because as they were sharing, it really confirmed that youth ministry is truly what I want to pursue. Getting to be with them in that moment was such an honor, and I am so glad that I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to hang out with such amazing students this summer.”
Intern Take-Away: “I have always known that it is important to spend time with God, but after seeing how crazy ministry can be, I can’t even imagine trying to do it without connecting with God regularly. That quiet time with God in the morning is when I get to focus on what is important and be reminded of why I want to do ministry in the first place: to help people grow closer to God. The more time I spend with God, the more that I want other people to be able to have a relationship with Him. When that happens, then everything that I do is much more impactful because it is done out of love for others and the desire that they would know God and experience Him.”
In his free time, Malik likes to hang out with friends and family. If he feels like being active, he loves going on bike rides, but if he feels like relaxing a bit at home, he’ll play the guitar.
Abby Richardson, Young Adults Intern
Abby hails from Chandler, Arizona and is a student studying psychology at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. Working as the Young Adults intern this summer, she was most excited to learn about working in church ministry.
Favorite Memory: “My favorite memory was getting a tour of Rancho with the intern staff on our very first day and getting coffee from Combine Kitchen, and then spontaneously playing kickball with the Hillside staff! It was so fun to be included and valued by the team!
Intern Take-Away: “I learned how amazing it feels to be given a big project and have the responsibility and freedom to complete it! I had the privilege of being a part of creating a Young Adult’s Community Group model and learned what it feels like to carry the weight of the vision, as well as the details. God has taught me a lot about myself through this project and how He wants to use me to be dependent on him!”
Abby enjoys hiking, biking and just being outdoors in general. She loves the people God has placed in her life and getting to spend time with them – especially when it involves good music, dance moves, and delicious food.
Hannah Anderson, Guest Experiences Intern
Hannah is a faithful, long-time Hillsider, but this summer, stepped into the role of Guest Experiences intern. Hannah currently studies cosmetology, and hopes to get a degree in Christian Ministries after she is done. This summer, she sought a more concrete understanding of where God wants her, as well as leadership skills for her future.
Favorite Memory: “My favorite memory is the eight of us interns going to Jon Ramsay’s house to hang out and play some board games. It helped create this bond I now have with them that’s stronger than most of the friendships I’ve had in my life.”
Intern Take-Away: “My biggest take-away is how important quiet time with Jesus is. The first hour of every day of the internship being quiet time showed me that I really can’t even do one single day without God.”
As she learns to lean on God and His plan for her, she’s resting on Matthew 6:34: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” She loves music, and in her free time, Hannah enjoys playing the guitar, piano and singing.
Caleb Tarpley, Pastoral Intern
Caleb was our furthest-traveled intern, joining us for the summer from St. Louis, Missouri. A graduate of Liberty University in Virginia, he is now enrolled there for seminary, studying pastoral leadership. He would love to help lead and shepherd a congregation one day, and as Hillside’s FIRST Pastoral intern, he spent the summer gleaning practical shepherding and ministry experience.
Favorite Memory: “My favorite memory was baptizing seven people at the 10 a.m. gathering. Words cannot express what it meant to share in one of the most special moments in a believer’s journey with Christ. I am incredibly grateful for Hillside believing in me and giving me special opportunities.
Intern Take-Away: “For me, the hands-on experience this internship provided was invaluable. It was more than I could ever ask for. God has been so good to me and it was truly life-changing to step into the lives of real people and do real ministry. I will definitely take all that this church has taught me back to wherever God is calling me next. Forever thankful to Hillside and the leadership.”
Caleb considers himself an “up for anything!” kind of guy. He loves hanging out with friends and trying new things – especially if it involves the beach, the mountains, or the movies.
Bree Ebli, Student Ministries Intern
Another Rancho Cucamonga native, Bree is a second-year student at Azusa Pacific University majoring in Youth and Family Ministry. As she came on this summer as an intern in the Student Ministries department, she was most excited to gain experience in ministry and learn from staff, fellow interns and students. She loved working alongside Pastor Adam Knowles, as well as the rest of the students/kids team.
Favorite Memory: “My most challenging, yet fun and favorite memory, was when Malik and I gave announcements on main stage. We were so full of adrenaline, caffeine, and fear, because it was such a great and new opportunity. We ended up having so much fun creating casual conversation and bringing a fun “student ministry intern” feel to the main gathering! It was a dream.
Intern Take-Away: “I will forever remember the leadership at Hillside for teaching and leading in a way that is humble and approachable. I have also learned how imperative it is to work together within church walls, but also the importance of working outside of them, too. We are called to minister to people anywhere and everywhere we go.”
Bree LOVEs to listen to music/find new tunes, hang with friends by a large body of water, drive to new coffee shops to test out the ambience and dirty chai, rock some Zumba, and watch Family Feud.
We are so grateful for the work this group has done this summer and their willingness to step into the work God has called them. As they head out into their respective areas of life, we pray they would continue to share Jesus with all the passion and enthusiasm they demonstrated here at Hillside. What a great summer!