Abby Ferris, front row far right, poses with other DWU Campus Ministry students after a chapel service.

“I am experiencing God at work in a different setting, campus ministry, and Fusion Church. It is a chance to meet people where they are and connect with them,” said Abby Ferris, an Elisha Intern with Dakota Wesleyan University Campus Ministry and Fusion Church.

Ferris grew up in Pierre, South Dakota, where she attended First United Methodist Church. She is a senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in religion. She will graduate from Dakota Wesleyan University this semester.

During her internship, she has helped to lead small groups for DWU Campus Ministry. One night a week, students gather in the Wagner Chapel on campus, where they begin with a devotion and then split into two groups—freshman and upper classmen. Ferris has been facilitating the upper classmen in Bible study.

“It is a chance to strengthen my organizational and communication skills, “ said Ferris. “I try to listen to what is going on in everyone’s life. It is a chance to build relationships and a sense of community.”

She also assists with the weekly chapel service. “The number of students that attend chapel is down because there is no longer a one-hour time frame available for students to come to worship,” said Abby. 

DWU is implementing 90-minute blocks for classes, so no one-hour block is available for worship on Thursdays. The chapel service was shortened to 30 minutes and moved from the Sherman Center to Wagner Chapel. 

“It is a more comfortable, intimate setting. As a result, we are seeing more people come each week,” said Ferris. “It is another example of meeting people where they are in their lives.”

At Fusion Church, Abby is a confirmation teacher and co-leads the youth group.

“It has been a blessing and an eye-opener. In confirmation, we applied Wesley’s Quadrilateral to the decisions confirmation students are making to choose their classes and schedule for the upcoming school year. It was great to connect something in their life to what we are currently learning in confirmation,” said Ferris.

Abby has seen some shifts in the youth group. She notes that it has become a diverse group of girls, guys, younger and older students, people in athletics, and some in fine arts. 

“It is fulfilling to see this diverse group of youth nudge each other to pray,” she said. 

Next fall, Ferris is headed to graduate school at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota. She will seek a degree in Clinical Mental Health.

Since she was in high school and served as a Samuel Intern, Abby's goal has been to be a Christian counselor. The Elisha Internship has affirmed that goal .“I want to be able to work with people and their mental health issues with God at the center of my practice. This internship has affirmed that caring for people is what God calls me to do,” said Ferris.

Elisha Project

The Elisha Project is an exciting internship program for college students in the Dakotas Conference, discerning their possible call to ministry. It is a program where a pastor in a local church mentors a student. Past Elisha interns have preached, worked with children's ministry, made hospital calls, and participated in church administration, worship, music, and mission outreach. 

Students who have completed at least one year of college and completed the Elisha application process are selected by the Elisha committee to be assigned to a church and mentor. The Dakotas Conference pays the stipend for each intern while the local congregation provides lodging and meals. 

Applications are being accepted for 2023-24  internships through March 1. The concept is based on the prophet Elijah who mentored the younger Elisha to replace him.