10 Questions for a DigimIntern
10 Questions for a DigimIntern
Meet our first ever digital ministry intern - Kris!
Checkpoint is a bizarre ministerial situation. On one hand, we're still very much in our infancy as a church plant. We're building up our leadership. We're forging our discipleship pathway. We're initializing sustainability and stewardship. Like most church plants in our still pretty early stages, we're finding our sea legs.
On the other hand, given the size of the Internet, we have nearly 10,000 people in our contact list. In a matter of luck, we could have a video go viral and grow our community tenfold (if not a hundredfold) overnight.
As the pastor of this community, let me assure you—that is terrifying. It's a paradox of feeling completely overwhelmed and knowing how quickly we can lose the attention of the Internet if I stop shoveling coal into the furnace.
Over the past year or so, LVL2 (our ‘membership’) has been actively discussing how to equip Checkpoint best pastorally. Do we need to bring in another pastor? Hire an employee when we are still figuring out how even to structure our laity?
Then I got a message from one of our regulars in the community - @tinikristinap. She is in college and mentioned that one of her scholarships has an internship built into it, and she wondered if I would be interested in that.
I obviously was very interested. We need all the help that we can get! Like an answer to prayers, we are now entering into a brief season with Kris joining our leadership ranks as the first-ever Digital Ministry Intern — Digimintern, for short.
She will only be in this position for a few short months, but I am exhilirated for the ministry work that we will be able to enact together. Kris is much more in touch with some aspects of nerd-dom that I am not. She, quite literally, taught me how to play Minecraft.
So, as is tradition, I sat down with Kris and asked 10 questions to help us get to know her better. Subscribe for more To The Point in the future, and then read on to see her responses to this new role at Checkpoint Church.
Where (and what) are you studying in school?
Kris: I am a sophomore at UNCG, majoring in Classical Studies.
What flavor of nerd are you?
I like to think of myself as a bit of a renaissance nerd - I like things in almost every field of nerd-dom and similarly have very widespread hobbies. I love books, comics, video games, music, movies and TV, history, languages, anything superhero-related, and more. I also love doing all kinds of art, from playing viola to painting to crocheting.
What is one of your favorite things in the nerd-dom from the previous question?
I absolutely love analyzing music - both lyrics and the sound itself - especially the production. My favorite musical artist is Taylor Swift, and I could literally go on forever about her lyrics and the meaning behind them. I also follow lots of local bands whose music I geek out over just as much.
Why do you feel called to serve at Checkpoint for a season?
Since joining Checkpoint around two years ago, I have constantly looked for new ways to get involved. I love the nerdy community built here and want to do everything I can to grow it. Checkpoint is the most welcoming religious group I have ever been a part of, and that is a huge passion of mine, so it just makes sense! I am also interested in potentially going into ministry, or even digital ministry, as a career, so I am excited to have some experience in the field.
What about digital ministry appeals to you?
I love the ability of digital ministry to connect with so many different people across the world. I think it is amazing that I get to meet so many people I would’ve never had the chance to meet before, and we all get to geek out over nerdy things and share our love of Jesus. It is a beautiful example of meeting people where they are, which results in a wonderful community.
What does it mean to you when we say, “You Matter?”
The phrase “You Matter” is, to me, at the core of everything, both CPC and not. Saying it in every video, stream, etc., is about sharing God's true, unconditional love without any limitations or judgment, welcoming everyone with open arms, and letting them know they are loved. It is what I try to live out in my daily life and the purpose of being a Christian.
What is something you’re most excited to learn during this time?
I am very excited to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes at CPC, to help in any way I can, and to learn more about video editing! I’ve only dabbled a bit, but I’ve really enjoyed what I have done.
How do you hope to take this experience into your future career/ministry?
I hope to learn some of the foundational skills involved in digital ministry and get a bigger picture of what it is like working in ministry. I want to go to divinity school for theological studies, so hopefully this internship will tell me more about whether that is the right path for me and what specific area of ministry I may want to pursue.
What do you think will be the biggest challenge during this internship?
I think the biggest challenge will be learning many new skills and putting myself out there at the forefront of the community. I often wouldn’t say I like getting too much attention, as I get anxious, but I am hoping to push myself outside my comfort zone and grow in this space.
How can Checkpoint as a community support YOU in this role?
It’s hard to come up with something that the CPC community doesn’t already do for each and every member already! Checkpoint is such a supportive community, so I guess I’d have to say, keep doing exactly what you do every day. Oh, and come to the events I plan!
Bonus Question: If you could only save ONE Taylor Swift album and the rest must be erased from existence, which one are you choosing and why?
I love and hate you for this question at the same time! A terrible choice to make, truly. That being said, my answer is unequivocally Speak Now. It is my absolute favorite Taylor Swift album and has all of the sad piano ballads, fun pop-y tunes, and a few rock-leaning bangers that I absolutely love from Taylor. I couldn’t give up any of the songs on that album! My second choice is Evermore because that album is an absolute work of poetic art and my second favorite.
And there you have it! I look forward to seeing what Kris brings in these coming months. Be in prayer for this time and support her as best as possible. This is as much an opportunity for her to help us as it is for us to help her discern a future in digital ministry and craft the tools to carry her ministry forward. This is essential work.
With that and until next time,
God loves you.
We love you.
You matter.