The Besom in York Internship

Hello!
I first was involved with the Besom just after graduating from university, I'd been asked by my
church to develop some kind of social action ministry that they could get involved with. I'd come
to ork four years previously to study electronic engineering and during that time met people
living on the streets who were in great need. I'd not come across poverty in this way before and
knew that !od was asking me how I was going to respond to it.
I was introduced to the Besom by a lady in my church who'd been involved in the Besom in
"ondon. #fter a couple of visits south to the Besom, a conference, much prayer and seeking !od,
we felt we were ready to start the Besom in ork. In $ebruary %&&' we invited church leaders
and members from right across ork to join us for the launch. (e prayed that )& people would
come... and they did! *ames +dgers who founded the Besom and ,teve from the Besom in
,heffield shared how their lives had been changed by working with the poor and how they'd seen
the churches in their cities change through serving the poor. ,ince that day we've had a core
team of people dedicated to e-uipping the church so that they can serve those in need in ork.
,even years later I can look back and see how !od has changed me, changed the churches in
ork and the people in the city.
I've learnt to pray, learnt to trust !od in a new way, learnt to lead and learnt a lot about who I
truly am. I've seen him do miracles in the everyday, seen individual lives transformed and seen a
bucket load of .hristians give with a heart full of generosity.
(e've seen givers from /'0 churches give their time, money, things and skills. I've seen these
local churches learn what it means to pray and give. 1ime and time again I've seen the act of
giving transform the life of the giver 2not just the receiver3.
In our city .hristians have given to well over 4&&& people in need, washing machines for families
without them, bedrooms for little girls painted pink, new towels and gifts bought for women
coming out of the refuge... I could easily go on and on sharing story after story, but as you read
on and think about this internship, here are a couple of -uestions.
Do you want a year to grow in faith? Do you want to develop your
prayer life? Do you want to consider God's heart for the poor? Do you
want the opportunity to see the church in action and equip them to
make a difference? Do you want to see lives changed in York? #nd
lastly it's a chance to let !od ask you this -uestion. "How will I choose
to live my life as I do when they live their lives as they do?
1hank you
5ob #insworth 6 .oordinator 1he Besom in ork
The Besom in York is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales: Company Number
6!6"#! and a Registered Charity Number: $$%%"&
Why spend a year with the Besom in York?
Have a year out with !od to grow in faith and let him stretch you.
!row in prayer 6 in your life and in your understanding of prayer.
"earn about, live out and enable other to live out !od's heart for the poor
7articipate in running a local organisation that e-uips the church to serve those in need.
!ain practical work e8perience of working in the /
rd
sector9.hristian ,ocial #ction9
.harity
# space to ask yourself some hard -uestions about how you will choose to live your life.
Who/What is the Besom?
1he Besom in ork is a .hristian charity that seeks to help the church serve the poor in ork. +ur
vision is to be a bridge between those who have and want to give their time, skills, money or
things and those in need. (e seek to use gifts in the most effective way and we do it for free.
:verything we do is based on our three foundations 6 "ove, 7rayer and 5elationship.
(e seek to respond and enable others to respond to !od's love as they give and receive. (e pray
about everything 6 we'd be lost with out it! (e seek to build relationships with everyone we
meet 6 referrers, recipients, givers and other Besoms.
1he Besom in ork was set up in %&&' and is one of /) Besoms in the ;<. :ach is an individual
organisation with the same shared vision and ethos.
(e work with a wide mi8 of .hristians and churches in ork 6 our focus is on helping them to
serve the poor in ork regardless of their denomination or e8perience. (e believe that in the
bible *esus commands us to give and share what we have with those in need 6 we help that to
happen in ork 6 making it easier, more enjoyable and more accessible.
1he Besom is run by a core team of givers from different churches with a coordinator. 1he Besom
is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity with = trustees.
The Besom in York is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales: Company Number
6!6"#! and a Registered Charity Number: $$%%"&
Details
Timings
,eptember %&4) 6 *une %&4=
%>/ days a week in the Besom office, and a suggested %>/ days in paid employment
2arranged by intern3
Training
+nce a month teaching9training in and around !od's heart for the poor and how we
e-uip9disciple churches in ork 6 (ith .oordinator91rustee
# mentor who is familiar with the Besom and what it means to grow in faith through
prayer.
7articipate in % Besom conferences.
+ther conferences 6 !lobal "eadership ,ummit ? *ubilee 7lus .onference.
Role Description
:ach week interns work as part of the Besom coreteam for %>/ days. 1he Besom is a bridge
between those who want to give and those in need 6 the core team are this bridge. ,o to be on
the coreteam is to work together to be e-uippers, enablers and encouragers.
@ay to day this will be a mi8ture of office based admin, a good amount of time in prayer,
assessments in the community, training new givers, and speaking to churches, groups and
referrers about different aspects of the Besom.
Interns will work alongside the e8isting coreteam and be fully trained up to enable givers from
the churches in ork to give in each of the aspects of the Besom 6 organising van runs,
facilitating time giving projects, spending money gifts, encouraging the churches with how their
giving has made a difference.
The first term (Sept-Dec)
Interns would spend time training and learning, including a visit to the Besoms in ,heffield and
5yedale, and the national Besom conference in Aovember. Interns would have a large part to
play in organising the .hristmas Hamper giving.
The Second term (Jan-April)
Interns would have a focus on prayer 6 helping to organise the national day of prayer in ork.
Interns will be given opportunities to take responsibility for an area of giving. Interns would help
to run the Besom conference in Barch for those thinking about starting a Besom.
The final term (May- July)
Interns would be e8pected to act as any other member of the coreteam. :ssentially interns can
facilitate generosity among the church in ork 6 they are part of the bridge that enables this to
happen 6 they do the thing that makes Besom so distinctive.
The Besom in York is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales: Company Number
6!6"#! and a Registered Charity Number: $$%%"&
Person Specification
Christian ife
Interns are e8pected to live out a good .hristian life. (e e8pect to see an active personal faith
in *esus being worked out 6 praying and reading the bible daily, having healthy relationships with
other .hristians and non>.hristians. (e'll e8pect interns to be comfortable to share their faith
on a regular basis and let this faith inspire their work at the Besom. Interns should be rooted in a
local church 2denomination isn't important3, committed to e8tending the kingdom of !od
through His .hurch here in ork.
Additional re!uirements
In the office interns will be re-uired to use a computer and telephone regularly. 1raining will be
provided for each of these areas.
1he Besom coreteam members regularly talk to a vast range of people 6 interns should be
confident communicating with givers, church leaders, church small groups, whole churches,
recipients, professional referrers, other Besom>ers.
"nderstanding of the #esom $ision
#n understanding of the Besom vision and e8perience of Besom giving is preferred but not
essential.
%rganisation&s details
'istory of #esom
1he Besom was founded by *ames +dgers in 4CD'. :arly in that year, *ames left the practice of
"aw in "ondon to go to Hong <ong where he served in a .hristian ministry involved with heroin
addicts. (hat particularly affected him there was not so much the absolute levels of human
degradation and poverty that he encountered but the ever widening gap that e8ists between
those of us who have and can give and those who are in need. +n the plane leaving Hong <ong in
,eptember 4CD', *ames wrote the original mission statement for Besom > that it should provide
a ridge etween those who want to give money! time! skills or things! and those who are in
need" It ensures that what is given is used effectively"
The Besom in York is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales: Company Number
6!6"#! and a Registered Charity Number: $$%%"&
1he Besom began in the spare bedroom of *ames' basement flat in ,hepherds Bush in "ondon and
now, some %' years later, there are over /& different Besoms scattered around the ;<, all
following the same principles and vision.
1he Besom in ork started in $ebruary %&&'. ,ince then they have been serving the local church
and have also helped the Besom in 5yedale 2Balton3 to start up in %&&C.
'uman Resources
Interns will be line managed by the Besom .oordinator on a monthly basis.
# mentor will be provided for interns, this will be a person who has e8perience of working with
the Besom and particularly what it means to grow in faith9prayer.
()penses*Accommodation
1he Besom can only offer limited e8penses. (e will however, ensure that interns are not out of
pocket for what they do at the Besom.
1he Besom isn't able to provide accommodation currently, it is hoped that an intern's home
church could provide9help with this +5 it is paid for by interns working part time.
(e're very happy to talk through any of the practicalities of finance 9 part time working 9
accommodation 6 please feel free to contact us.
#s a team we would be committed to praying for you and !od's provision during the internship.
Application process
$eel free to contact us for a chat on the phone or email any -uestions 2contact details
are below3.
7lease send a letter of application, e8plaining why you want to do the internship with
references from your church leader 6 showing support from your church for the year.
(e may invite you to an interview with the .oordinator and a trustee.
Contact details
1he Besom in ork
,t .olumba's $oundation,
/% 7riory ,t,
ork
+4 E:F
1G &4C&)
E=D%%&
(G www.thebesominyork.co.uk
:G internshipHthebesominyork.co.uk
www.facebook.com9thebesominyork
1witterG Hthebesominyork Ibesom
The Besom in York is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales: Company Number
6!6"#! and a Registered Charity Number: $$%%"&