Krista Signs (’23) is the first student from ENC to be accepted into the internship program at Cape Cod Church.  

Signs, a Cape Cod local, is a rising junior studying Social Work and Youth Ministry. Signs joins students from Gordon and Liberty as the Summer 2021 Worship Arts Intern.  

Signs was familiar with the church and saw a Facebook ad promoting the internship a few years ago. The position remained at the front of her mind until she decided that now the pandemic restrictions are lightening up, it may be a good idea to reapply.  

The full-time internship includes several meetings that focus on mentorship, like leadership coaching. Most Signs’ time, however, is spent compiling sets for the upcoming worship services. “We try to be really intentional with how we’re going to reach the people coming in and what the music is going to look like.” She also meets with the youth group and practices with their band, which she played a key role in expanding. 

The internship has proved extremely valuable to Signs. “I think it’s been really cool to work with the other interns,” she says. “It’s always cool to meet people your age who are going through the same stuff as you, and [who are] also really interested in ministry.” Those relationships are meaningful to Signs and her career path. Upon graduation, Signs wants to combine her education in social work with her passion in youth ministry. She is considering seminary, and her internship experience will prepare her.  

She has completed some of her required practicum in Youth Ministry at Wollaston Church of the Nazarene, leading youth group with Andrea Sawtelle (’01). “It was a little bit of a smaller scale,” she notes. Cape Cod Church has a much larger congregation and the capacity to hold a thousand members. Signs will begin her practicum for Social Work in the fall.  

Adding to her Worship Arts experience, Signs served on a chapel team this past school year. She rose to the challenge of performing with a skeleton crew in the audience and the majority watching over a livestream. “It was really funny playing with the worship team and even seeing [Chaplain] David Young give the sermon with no one watching,” she says.   

In addition to chapel teams, Signs is involved with extracurricular activities, including the ENC Women’s Tennis team. “I just really love the home-y environment there,” she says. “I love that you’re able to have close connections with your professors. I have not had a professor I didn’t like.” She credits Dr. Young with encouraging her in ministry. “I think it’s so cool how passionate he is about the Bible. He puts it in a way that you can grow in your faith.”  

Cape Cod Church has attracted students from Christian colleges in the area, namely Gordon and Liberty, but had ENC in their crosshairs. “It’s something they were really looking into,” Signs says. “I know the pastor here talked about how he really wanted to involve ENC students.” She hopes that her participation will open the doors for other ENC students to apply.