Intern with Lifelines

Explore. Experience. Share.

Our internship program helps you explore new places, friendships and skills, experience our trips, expeditions and guide schools as well as learn to share your faith with others. Come sharpen your technical and group facilitation skills, but more than that, learn the heart of outdoor ministry by growing spiritually and relationally with God, others, and yourself through the Lifelines community.

Select from two options:

Yearlong Cru Internship or Internship for Credit

Benefits include:

  • Outdoor ministry experience
  • Most internships are paid
  • Earn academic credit
  • Be a valued part of the Lifelines community
  • Attend our Facilitator and Backcountry Guide Schools
  • Join an expedition

Our Locations

Lifelines interns work with one of our teams located in four thriving outdoor towns: Boulder, Colorado; Bend, Oregon; Portland, Maine; and Asheville, North Carolina. You can request one of these four teams for your internship.

Cru internship for Credit

All of our internships our facilitated through Cru, the interdenominational ministry that Lifelines belongs to. Many of our interns are seeking degrees in outdoor leadership, outdoor education, recreation management, youth ministry, or exercise physiology. We consider candidates from other majors as well. Lifelines will assist you in earning academic credit for your internship through your university.

Additional Internship Responsibilities

Besides helping with our trips and attending our guide schools and trainings, you will learn responsibilities of an entry level recreation manager such as programming, marketing, financial management, facility operations, and personnel management. You will also be encouraged to explore areas of interest including video, photography and web design.

More About Paid Internships

Many of our internships are paid. The resources come the same way all of our staff members, trips and expeditions are funded: through the generous support of ministry partners. It may sound intimidating to cultivate a network of individuals, churches and other organizations for your support, but there are many positives. First of all, you will receive training and coaching through Cru. Second, fundraising is a useful skill that looks good on your resume and will serve you in whatever career you choose. The best benefit is that it will push you to rely on God—which is key experience in serving with Lifelines. You can also access these resources for the biblical basis of missions or finding God’s will for your life.

The Lifelines Community

As an intern, you will join our community, and be a valued member of our team. This is one of the best experiences of our internship. As part of it, you will live in an environment of grace and truth, one filled with acceptance and what is true, modeled after John 1:14, “(Jesus) came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” With the Word of God as our guide, you will be encouraged to grow, and to help others grow, in character, leadership and other attributes, like trust and honesty.

Taking the Next Step

To start an application and find FAQs, visit apply.cru.org.

Select these three options:

Applying for which positions? Internship

Ministry Preference? Campus Ministry

Sub Ministry Preference? Field

Space is limited. The earlier you apply, the better! Looking for more help with the next step? See the Five Steps to starting an internship with Lifelines.

Important dates:

  • March 1 application deadline
  • Intern kickoff weekend in April

Questions? 
Contact Amy Geist, Lifelines Intern Coordinator

“I would recommend this internship to those who are interested in experiencing (outdoor) ministry first-hand. Yes, we use the outdoors to facilitate discussions and challenge ourselves and this is always memorable; however, it is the quality of relationships that are rooted in the love of Christ, what I refer to as the Lifelines family, that I believe is one of the best reasons to spend a season as an intern with Lifelines.”

joinlifelines@cru.org