"Day by day, as they spent much time together...
they broke bread at home and ate their food
with glad and generous hearts." — Acts 2:46
The Young Adult Urban Internship Program
of
The Episcopal Diocese of Newark
Introduction
Beginning in the fall of 2010, The Diocese of Newark will initiate NEWARK ACTS, a service-learning program for young adults
that will emphasize social justice, community service, spiritual formation and communal living.
Each year, up to nine interns will live in community at two separate urban sites located in Newark and Jersey City.
Young adults who have been out of high school for at least four years, will 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 will 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
- Community Service
- Communal Living
- Spiritual Formation
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 will
similarly be 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 will identify and provide interns with opportunities to engage the world as active agents for social change.
Prospective mission fields will include school settings, foster care programs, health and wellness agencies, hunger and
homeless ministries, environmental justice, affordable housing, and immigration. We will 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 will 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 will be 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.
