NEWARK ACTS
Young Adult Urban Internship Program
In the fall of 2010, the Diocese of Newark launched NEWARK ACTS, a service-learning program for young adults that emphasizes social justice, community service, spiritual formation and communal living.
Each year, up to 10 interns live in community at two separate urban sites. Young adults who have been out of high school for at least four years come to the Diocese of Newark for ten months to work in direct-care positions for local agencies and organizations with a social justice mission.
NEWARK ACTS interns live together in an intentional community house, create a covenant and rule of life to guide their common life, and share opportunities for common meals, discussion, discernment and devotion. Throughout the year, interns receive ongoing support and formation facilitated by NEWARK ACTS staff, Board of Directors, spiritual directors and mentors.
NEWARK ACTS is part of the Episcopal Service Corps (ESC), a network of young adult programs within the Episcopal Church that work for social change and personal transformation through service to others. Interns are also part of the AmeriCorps program which provides educational grants and student loan deferment for members who accumulate more than 1700 work hours for direct-care organizations. Health care benefits are made available through Catholic Network of Volunteer Services.
Mission
NEWARK ACTS seeks to nurture young adults to become community leaders with a heart for ministry, an understanding of the complexities of urban life, and a deep spirituality that integrates their desire to serve with a passion for justice and peace.
Core Values
Social Justice: The mission of the Diocese of Newark is to "equip congregations, empower people, and engage the world with the hope and justice of Jesus." We affirm that the people of this diocese are both creators and catalysts of transformation by which every person and community can realize its God-given gifts. Through their active engagement in mission outside their congregation's doors, our people work in the wider community as agents of God's justice, peace and compassion. NEWARK ACTS interns are similarly engaged in mission, living out God's covenantal call to "strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being."
Community Service: NEWARK ACTS identifies and provides interns with opportunities to engage the world as active agents for social change. Mission fields include school settings, foster care programs, health and wellness agencies, hunger and homeless ministries, environmental justice, affordable housing, and immigration. We make every effort to match our interns with worksites that match their interests, gifts and passions. Interns, in turn, may be provided with opportunities to participate in the creation, planning and carrying out of outreach projects coordinated by the Diocese, its congregations, and affiliated organizations.
Communal Living: NEWARK ACTS provides a community of intentional simplicity. We believe that deeply-considered engagement in diverse relationships is the basis for life-changing growth. In the community house, interns create a common home through a process of learning about others and themselves by sharing common meals, discussion, devotion, and experiences. A variety of supportive and formational activities are offered which are intended to deepen the community’s understanding and to celebrate the gifts and blessings of that shared experience.
Spiritual Formation: The spiritual resources and opportunities offered by NEWARK ACTS are designed to encourage and support the spiritual formation and vocational discernment of the interns. Chaplains/spiritual directors and mentors meet regularly with the interns to guide them through the process of examining their experiences and discerning what God may be saying to them. Retreats led by facilitators and spiritual guides are held four times a year to provide interns with quiet time to reflect upon how their work, communal life, and daily experience inform their spiritual lives.