Two young men are currently living and serving within the Highland community as ministry interns through the VMMissions tranSend program, and what a difference they are making! Clay and Brynn currently split their time between serving at Highland, serving in the surrounding community, and developing aspects of Highland they are passionate about. In the summer months they will serve as senior members of Highland’s summer staff team.
Brynn and Clay spend their Saturday evenings connecting with local youth through a program called Big Blue in Wardensville, WV. This teen center is a shared vision of local churches, a safe place for the community youth that is full of fun activities and opportunities to discover faith. Both interns have really enjoyed getting more involved: Brynn helps with worship and recently planned an ’80’s themed escape room activity. Clay recently observed that Big Blue’s gaga pit was full of mud and used a Highland vehicle and his own strength to deliver and spread a load of gravel.
Clay and Brynn are also assisting at local food pantries in Bergton and Mathias, where they help organize the new food that comes in and assist neighbors in gathering their groceries. Additionally, they have each plugged in to a local congregation for weekly worship and fellowship.
At Highland they have already made key differences within maintenance, guest arrivals, food service, and more. They are not replacing any of our staff, but instead are assisting when our staff need more labor. The other piece of their service at Highland is more self-directed: they chose aspects of camping ministry they are passionate about and are helping create positive change, with guidance and resources supplied by our staff.
Clay, who graduated with an environmental sustainability degree, is helping us reduce waste by creating a comprehensive recycling program, starting with the summer camp kitchen. He is also very involved with new trail development on Highland’s property which borders the National Forest.
Brynn has a psychology degree and is deeply interested in the summer camp and challenge course programs. He is helping to create improvements to the challenge course area and add to his own expertise through training. He is also working to distinguish each camp week by improving the activity progression so that weeks are both age appropriate and progress as campers age.
Highland and VMMissions are now looking for interns to serve from September 2024 through August 2025. Highland provides lodging, financial support, and the support of our caring staff team. VMMissions provides coaching, trainings, grant support, and a livable wage. Approved interns are responsible for developing a ministry support team and raising a portion of their wages. Learn more here.