Flip the Switch
What is the First Switch Internship?
The First Switch Internship is a 6-month program that combines principles and practices of Disciple Making Movement and Spiritual Formation with the goal of training up a new generation of OC missionaries.
After nearly 2 years of gathering the leadership team (OC leaders in DMM and Spiritual Formation), planning the scope and flow of the program, and recruiting participants, we launched The First Switch pilot program. Practically speaking, the participants learn and practice in cohort groups from beginning to end. Cohorts become “team” for the individuals so that no one is sent out alone. The program begins with an in-person 2-week intensive training and practice alongside a DMM movement that is experiencing exponential growth and impact. In June of 2025 we did the intensive in Uganda. We did training in DMM and Spiritual Formation and worked alongside movement leaders in Kampala and Entebbe in meeting people, forming Discovery Bible Study groups and understanding the scope and reach of that movement.
After the 2-week intensive, the cohorts go back to their home contexts so the participants can go out and put the training into practice. For the rest of the program, we meet weekly online as a whole group for continued training in DMM and Spiritual Formation, while the participants go out to practice during the week in their context. OC coaches and mentors meet weekly with the cohorts for encouragement, Spiritual direction and more context-specific DMM coaching. We finished the pilot run of the program in December last year with 6 cohort groups from the US, Canada, Zimbabwe and Uganda. The participants shared testimonies of the transformational impact First Switch had in their lives, in their relationship with God and in their service to others.
The pilot run of First Switch Internship was a success and we’re excited to do it again this year – we’ll start in Bali, Indonesia, and we’re praying that God will give us 8 cohort groups. All OCGA partners are welcome to form and send cohorts to join the program. (The program is conducted all in English, while the practice should be done in the language of the context. All participants should have a functional level of English.) The application is available online and we would like people to apply by April 1 so that everything can be prepared for Bali in June. If you would like to be involved in First Switch or if you have any leads on participants, please contact Kenny Wong, Karl Teichert or myself, Tammy Lundell, directly or write to TFSinternship@oci.org.