Senior Rachel Webb discovered the importance of relationships, cross-cultural ministry and compassionate service while interning with immigrant youth in Milwaukee.
Rachel Webb did not know exactly what to expect when she walked into Benediction Lutheran Church for the first time.
In fall 2025, she had recently transferred from CUAA and was beginning her first semester in CUW’s Director of Church Ministries program. Looking for an internship centered on outreach and missions, she was drawn to Benediction’s uniquely diverse ministry setting and began interning there in January 2026.
“What drew me was the fact that it’s one church, but they minister to four different ethnic groups,” Webb said. “I was just looking for something different, and I found it.”
Benediction serves multiple congregations under one roof, including traditional English-speaking worshippers, a Hmong congregation, a French African congregation and a German-speaking ministry. Webb spent most of her semester-long internship serving with the church’s French African youth group.
“At first, I thought the kids didn’t like me because they reacted differently than students I was used to working with,” Webb said. “Later, I realized that once I learned more about their culture and built relationships with them, I was able to be more confident.”
Rev. Dr. Kurt Taylor, professor of theology and director of Church Ministries, said Webb’s compassion and commitment to ministry stood out from the beginning.
“Rachel is one of the most talented and passionate students I’ve ever had,” Taylor said. “I can’t wait to see what God has in store for her. And I am certain that, strengthened by Him, she is going to be a powerful instrument toward changing lives with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Her internship at Benediction is an early step in what will be an amazing life of service.”
Faithfully stepping into unfamiliar spaces
From the beginning, Webb knew the experience would stretch her in ways she had not anticipated. “I had never been to a French African service before, so I didn’t really know what to expect,” she said.
The service structure looked different from the traditional Lutheran services Webb grew up attending. There were no printed bulletins. Worship flowed naturally between music, prayer, preaching and conversation. At first, the spontaneity caught her off guard.
“Everyone just kind of started praying, but it wasn’t the same prayer, and I didn’t know what was going on,” Webb recalled with a laugh. “I was like, ‘Okay … what is happening right now?’”
Still, what stood out most to her was how quickly the congregation welcomed her in.
“After the service, even though I had never met any of them before, I had them coming up to me, talking to me like they had known me my entire life,” she said. “They were so welcoming.”
Throughout the semester, Webb worked primarily with the church’s youth. She led Sunday school lessons, guided discussions, helped with Bible studies and built relationships with students ranging from elementary school to high school.
Building relationships first is key
What surprised Webb most was the students’ eagerness to engage. “A lot of them genuinely wanted to be there,” Webb said. “You can really tell that a lot of them are passionate about Christ and passionate about the gospel.”
The students regularly asked thoughtful questions about Scripture and theology—questions Webb admits she was not asking at their age.
“We were talking about the Beatitudes one day, and they started coming up with ways we can apply those things to people today,” she said. “I was like, ‘This is not stuff that I would have thought to do in ninth and 10th grade.’”
Many of the students and families at Benediction had emigrated from the Congo within the last several years. This internship quickly became an opportunity not only to teach, but to learn.
“A lot of them were learning a second language, and they were also learning a new culture, too,” she said. “That added another layer to everything.”
The experience ultimately reshaped her understanding of ministry itself. Before entering the internship, she believed ministry centered primarily on preaching and teaching. What she discovered instead was the importance of relationship-building, especially in cross-cultural and inner-city ministry settings.
“You cannot do it without having relationships with every single person you’re working with,” she said. “If you don’t have a relationship established with the people you’re serving, especially in inner-city ministry, it’s hard to do ministry well. People in challenging situations need that relationship more than anything.”
Understanding that trust often opens doors for deeper conversations about faith helped shape her approach. “The gospel message and everything else of your ministry is going to flow from that,” Webb said.
Growing through any new challenge
The internship initially pushed her outside her comfort zone as she adapted her teaching style to a different cultural environment. Eventually, she realized the students were simply interacting with authority differently than what she experienced growing up. As she learned more about the culture and built stronger relationships, her confidence grew.
“Adaptability and flexibility are huge,” Webb said. “That was something I learned very well.”
The students quickly became the highlight of her semester. One student named Joey jokingly asked her on the first day, “Why are you here? Did none of the other churches take you?”
By the end of the internship, Joey had become one of her most engaged participants in class discussions.
The older girls in the youth group also began asking Webb questions about school, friendships and preparing for college. “It kind of turned into one of those moments where I became kind of like an older sister to them,” she said.
When her internship ended near the close of the spring semester, the students surprised her with a party after church. “I was so sad when I left,” Webb said. “They were probably some of the best kids I’ve ever worked with.”
Looking ahead
Webb said the experience has influenced the direction of her future vocation. Alongside ministry work, she is considering graduate studies in social work or Christian counseling.
“I want to be someone that is in the church that not only can help with the spiritual aspects of things, but also can help with the outside aspects of that,” she said.
For her, Benediction offered more than internship hours. It offered a clearer picture of ministry rooted in compassion, relationships and meeting people where they are.
“You really got to be there for people,” she said.
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Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world.