Community
Interns live in intentional Christian community, sharing a house and a life together over the course of the year. Community living is a 
challenge to our individualistic culture. It enables participants to look beyond selfish needs, and provides a safe place in which transformation can happen.
It takes work to build this kind of community. At the beginning of each program year, newly gathered interns work together to establish a Rule of Life. Aspects of community life include:
- Shared sacred time
- Sharing meals together
- Group reflection on service
- Group decision making and accountability
Interns are also part of wider communities that help support and guide their growth:
- EUIP staff, alumni, and board members
- the parish with which the intern house is yoked (St. Stephen’s, Hollywood, or St. Luke’s, Long Beach)
- the Diocese of Los Angeles
Spiritual Growth
An important cornerstone of EUIP is the opportunity for participants to practice their faith and grow spiritually in the process. Interns pray, study, and reflect together within their community in order to understand the context of their work in the world.
Interns also have meetings with the program director for reflection on work and community life. They may also choose to enter formal spiritual direction.
Four times during the year, interns go on retreat to reflect, relax, and rejuvenate. The locations for the retreats vary, but have included Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, and San Diego. EUIP is committed to the well-being of interns, and believes in the importance of these retreats as times of spiritual refreshment.