Our Intern, Beth Monhollen, has been an immeasurable gift to our community since her arrival in September 2021. Now approved for ministerial fellowship, Beth will be ordained by WellSprings on June 18th, and will then leave us, to begin her ministry within our wider Unitarian Universalist movement.
And so, later this year, we’ll welcome another new face to the WellSprings’ Staff Team…
Nick Sanchez, an Aspirant to the Unitarian Universalist ministry and a student at Iliff School of Theology, will be joining us for the next two years as our newest Beldon Ministerial Intern!
Nick comes to us with a BA in Philosophy and Religious Studies, from Penn State University, and a varied professional background that includes work as a small business owner, construction project estimator, EMT, hospice volunteer, and meditation group leader. Originally from Bucks County, Nick and his wife Katie currently attend the UU Fellowship of Boca Raton, FL. They are expecting their first child in May, and will be moving back to our area this summer. During the application process, Nick was particularly drawn to WellSprings’ focus on building connections between people of all ages, and our “next-level” (his words) music ministry. You can read a brief bio of Nick, in his own words, here.
In our denomination, an internship in a UU congregation is among the last steps required before ordination – when a ministry student finally becomes a “Rev.” At WellSprings, Nick will share in our ministry by preaching and leading worship, facilitating small groups, supporting the work of our various Ministries & Teams, and providing pastoral care.
I am so grateful for our community’s ongoing endorsement of WellSprings’ identity as a UU Teaching Congregation. If you’d like to support us in this role, please consider the following:
Donate to the Beldon Intern Fund. Fair compensation to an Intern comes at a total cost of about $20,000 over two years. Unlike hiring regular staff, hosting an intern requires only a short-term commitment of funds, so we ask you to consider making a one-time contribution towards that goal. Click here to give.
Serve on the Intern Team. Our Intern is required to meet regularly with members of the congregation who will get to know him, provide feedback, and support his growth. This is a time-limited commitment, where you will be serving for only 1-2 years. Absolutely anyone can be on the Intern Team – members and friends, young and old, leaders and newcomers – in fact, the best Intern Teams are representative of the diversity of the congregation, in all forms. We already have five volunteers interested in serving on Nick’s Intern Team! – including folks who served on Beth’s Team and wish to continue – but we may have room for 1 or 2 more. Please e-mail me if you want to learn more.
Nick will be our fourth intern in just sixteen years of life together, as a gathered congregation! I’m so excited that once again, WellSprings will be able to support a new minister, in service to our UU movement – to see our community grow through the unique skills and talents he will bring, and through the experience of teaching and learning about ministry, together.
I hope you’ll join me in warmly welcoming Nick to our community, later this year!
Take care, and be well,
Rev. Lee