I am so excited to announce that I have accepted a position as a Young Adult Intern for Red Rocks Church based in Denver, Colorado! I am humbled, honored, and excited (and maybe even a little scared) to be working full-time for the Church from August 2018-May 2019 as an unpaid intern.
In June 2016 my world changed.
Julie Walters, my best bud, told me about this little thing called the World Race. I thought, “That seems like a sick program, but def isn’t for me.” After all, I was going to graduate from LMU that year and start a job in Corporate America soon after.
Apparently God laughed and said “that’s cute.” It started with prayer, then moved to a question from the Lord if I would go and serve Him. Long story short, I knew I had to give up my dream of Corporate America, at least for the year, to serve Him.
And that’s when my journey really began. The application process came and went, and the fundraising began. You provided. God provided.
Fast forward.
My dear friend, squad-mate, and Colorado native, Taylor Hendren, sent me a YouTube video from the Young Adults program at her home church, Red Rocks Church. A few weeks before I met Taylor at Training Camp for the Race and we became fast friends. I’m honored to say that I now consider her a best friend. But, I digress. June 2017, post-Training Camp.
I was struggling that day. I couldn’t tell you about what. I doubt she could, either. But it was a hard day. And so she sent me the link to the message she had attended earlier that week titled, “Trash Talking The Thief.” And from that day on, Red Rocks Young Adults had me hooked. I knew there was no going back.
Over the course of the next few months Red Rocks Church soon became the one constant in my life of change. Every month I changed my country, diet, and ministry, among other things- but Red Rocks stayed the same. Red Rocks became a permanent home when I didn’t have one.
Yeah, you read that right. I considered Red Rocks, a church I have never stepped foot into, my home church.
At first, it seemed small; I had always felt the call to disciple peers. In seventh grade I wanted to grow up and be a missionary and live in a Swiss Family Robinson style house (actually, I still want to live in a house like that). In high school I wanted to be a youth pastor. In college I served on the Greek Light team. But in September the calling became clear: twenty-somethings. That’s meant to be my arena to serve the Lord. How did this realization come about, you may ask? During my hospitalization/imprisonment in Nepal when I finally realized my past pain wasn’t just about me. It is meant to be shared because that’s how I learned about the freedom Christ offers. In the words of Matt Cotov, “Share Your Story.”
In Ethiopia, a mere 7 months after I first heard of Red Rocks Church, I felt a faint whisper from the Lord. Look into the internship program for Young Adults. Excuse me, what? That’s how a lot of my conversations with God go- I think I have it all figured out and then He asks me to do something else. But it’s always something better. And so, I obeyed. I looked. I researched. I prayed. I knew the values of Red Rocks Church and their internships, specifically within their Young Adult program, aligned with my own. But more importantly, it aligned with Jesus. A few weeks later, I still felt the tug of the need to apply on my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I tried to shake it. Remember what I said about Corporate America? Yeah, that’s still there. I kept telling God that I wanted to work in business and that I wanted to have a positive income and that I didn’t want to rely on supporters. He laughed (classic) and said relying on supporters is true dependence on him. Touché, Sir. Still, I want business to be my ministry.
But the tug continued. So a couple weeks later I started my application. Let me be clear for a second- Red Rocks is a big church. Like, over 6,000 attendees big. The application process wasn’t exactly a “send in a resume and cover letter” sort of thing.
Requirement one? Background check.
I passed that with flying colors.
Requirement two? Answer the following questions:
- Describe your spiritual journey and a description of how you came to personally know Jesus. In your description, include the significant life events and people that shaped you along the way.
- What is the most significant change God has called you to make in your life?
- How do you grow and sustain yourself spiritually?
- Describe how your skills, knowledge, and experience make you a good fit for this ministry department.
- Why are you interested in interning at Red Rocks?
- Have you been baptized as an adult?
Okay, slightly difficult but no problem.
Requirement three? A 60-second video with why you want to intern for Red Rocks.
Uhhh, what? I’m not creative enough for that. Also, I’m in Africa…
Long story short, thanks to two very helpful filmmakers and friends, Juliana Grinols and MC Brogden, the video below was submitted to Red Rocks:
After some waiting, fasting, 2 interviews, and a lot of prayerful consideration I am beyond humbled to announce that Friday evening I accepted an internship position with Red Rocks in their Young Adults department. “Red Rocks Young Adults is a thriving community of 20-somethings in the Denver Metro area. For the last 5 years, we have existed to empower the next generation to love every one of God’s people, to glorify Jesus with our lives, and to see God’s Kingdom be built (check out more info here).”
In April 2018 my world changed.
Because this is an unpaid internship, I will be seeking fundraising support- a suggestion for all Red Rocks Church interns. I recognize that I would not be where I am today, in Peru, without your help. It is with a humbled heart that I will be continuing to fundraise for my livelihood while living in Denver, Colorado (including food and housing). If you feel called to support me financially my PayPal is PayPal.Me/lindsadams11. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions, comments, or concerns at [email protected]. Thank you for getting me to this point!
