Ministry Greenhouse: Cultivating Environments for Practical Learning

by George M. Hillman Jr.

Known as "the internship guy" at Dallas Theological Seminary where he teaches, George Hillman talks daily with students about God's movement in their lives. The goal of Ministry Greenhouse is to help seminary and Bible college students, their supervisors, and the lay leaders who work with them create the best environment for leadership development through a beneficial internship. An internship is not busy work or cheap labor but is instead fundamental to the development of a leader. Hillman first makes a case for internships, arguing that the purpose of the seminary or Bible college is to train both theologians and practitioners. He explores the meaning of "call," identifies the ingredients of a successful internship, discusses strategies for establishing goals for an internship, and offers guidance for reflecting on learning during an internship. Hillman also provides tools for identifying competencies and sample goals. A great internship experience places a student in an environment where God can work through him or her in the lives of other people an din the student's own life to develop calling, character, and competencies. Ministry Greenhouse shows students, their supervisors, and the congregations and other organizations they serve how they can create just such an environment.

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[William Stanger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book I had to read and review for a course I’m taking. It was a decent enough read, but there was nothing new. It is aimed at seminary or college students, who are looking to set up an internship, and it would have been more of a helpful read for me at least 20 years ago. It has some helpful resources and the author has a real passion for the topic, which made it an enjoyable read.

[Martijn Vsho · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal book that gets you prepared for your internship. I read it 1/4 of the way through my internship and wish I had read it sooner. I feel I missed out on a lot this past month. Nonetheless, I feel a lot better prepared for the rest of my internship and am excited to see what God has in store for me.
My favorite quote is: "God desires to draw you close in a relationship, to mold you into the likeness of his Son. God does not simply want to give you answers to your questions. God wants to dance with you."
Life is not about getting God to tell you what to do and belief, but about the journey of becoming more like Jesus. It's am engaging dance, not a lecture.

[Ben Warren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Doesn't offer much new. I felt like it showed that seminary has become a place where recent graduates of Bible colleges go because they don't know their giftings, callings, or purpose in the Kingdom of God. Shouldn't seminary be more specific than just a Masters & Phd institution?

Either way, I'll probably consult it a couple more times as we seek to establish a structured internship program here in Kenya.

[Ryan Linkous · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's fine but it's not going to blow your socks off. He does have some helpful lists and categories of information for ministry internships.