Kyrie preaching as part of her Samuel Project experience.

"During my internship, I learned all the little things that go into making a church run. I think it is important to give our pastors a little more grace. We can sit there and criticize a sermon, but it is a lot of work to pray about it and ask Jesus what message He wants the people to hear," said Kyrie Matucha, Samuel Intern.   

Each year, the Dakotas Conference of The United Methodist Church invites high school students to explore their call to ministry and grow in leadership by participating in an internship at their local church through the Samuel Project.   

Kyrie and her family have attended various churches in the Dakotas, but currently they attend the United Methodist Church in Burke, South Dakota. Under the leadership of Rev. Thanael Certa-Werner, Kyrie completed a 10-week internship, during which she not only learned about ministry but also grew in her faith.   

"Thanael helped me see a lot of stuff in the Bible that I had missed on my own. He really was able to help guide me and learn what to look for when reading scripture," shared Kyrie. "He helped me create a habit of reading the Word every day. It started during my internship, and I did it so much that it is still a great habit now."  

One of the goals of the Samuel Internships is to share with students the various aspects of planning worship each week, as well as different ministry paths.   

"I really wanted to learn how to be more involved and see what Thanael has to do week to week and day-to-day," said Kyrie. "I was excited to help get everything ready and pick out some of the songs and stuff for worship."  

While attending Burke UMC, Kyrie has enjoyed being involved in the children's ministry. During her internship, she gained hands-on experience planning activities and selecting curriculum for the school year.   

"I'm pretty involved with the kids in our church because I help with Sunday school each year. Thanael had me start planning activities throughout the year for them, like the blessing of the backpacks," explained Kyrie.   

Kyrie's home church, Burke United Methodist Church.

Not only do the Samuel Interns get to experience the behind-the-scenes aspects that go into ministry, but they are also required to preach at least once at their local church.  

"I think writing a sermon was interesting to learn," said Kyrie. "Learning how to go through and write something that isn't demeaning to people and just trying to share your perspective on something was kind of hard for me."  

Kyrie is a senior at Burke High School and plans to attend college after graduation to pursue a career in radiology. Following her internship, she is more confident sharing her faith both at school and as a captain on her volleyball team.   

If you or a student you know is interested in discerning their call, you can find more information about Elisha and Samuel internships here.