The Fellows Program started in The Falls Church (Virginia) almost 20 years ago. Here is something of what Fellows have had to say about their experience over the years:
“My year as a fellow offered me time and space to pause and reflect on who I wanted to start becoming after college. I didn’t learn some block of knowledge handed down to me. The key takeaway for me was learning, or seeing more clearly, that what I do on a daily basis – for whom and for what I make time, what I read, all my daily priorities – adds up to steering me in a general direction of who I’m becoming.”
“What does it mean to invest unconditionally? What does it mean to be a part of a family? What does it mean to invest into a community? The experiences I’ve had are allowing me to think outside the box. I am excited to see how I can continue to grow and where God takes me.”
“I have been able to step back from the world we’re in and recognize the need for cohesion between what I know to be true, what I feel to be true, and the reality of living in a secular world. This program has armed me with the weapons to fight for unity of heart and mind. It has taught me to be in the world of the word. I have also seen glimpses of who I want to be. I want to be a man of character who loves His Savior in a personal and intense way and leads those around him towards the excitement of truth.”
“It was the most challenging year of my life. The year forced me to ask a lot of questions about how God fits into situations and what He cares about. I grew in maturity of mind and confidence in how God is relevant in all things.”
“For me the Fellows year was a time for healing and restoration, for confronting and overcoming fears, for taking risks, for letting myself be loved, and for learning to trust that no matter my circumstances, God will complete the work He has begun in me and work all things together for my good and His glory if I seek Him first.”
“I grew in so many ways—in my relationships, my faith, my Biblical knowledge and understanding, and it was also a time when God really moved to instruct me and call me to my future. I was challenged by the importance of community and of Christian fellowship. ”
“Great community. The best I’ve ever been in. You learn about God and yourself. You grow wiser. It shows you your selfishness. ”
“Seeing lives lived with power and conviction for Christ in some of the most influential spheres of our culture was one of the most humbling, challenging and hope-giving aspects of the program, primarily because of the deep sense of calling that reverberates in my own life from their testimonies as I look to pursue my work and vocation outside the church.”
“Amidst all of the talking, thinking, listening, praying and reading about “calling”, I think the overarching thing that I learned this year is that my primary calling is not to a place or an occupation, but to follow Jesus. The Lord calls me first and foremost to love Him, and all else will follow.”
“The Fellows Program has taught me how Christ does actually work in the marketplace. Since Christ’s spirit lives in me and all of us as Christians, we are His instruments to be used in the church and secular settings as well. In the marketplace, I can seek out where it is He is working and then join Him. Before I thought I had to make all of the Christian noise and racket in the marketplace, but I have learned that if I just be quiet for a second-I can hear and begin to see where it is He is actually working.”
“My year in the Fellows Program provided me with the necessary tools, framework, vision, and desire to radically impact the marketplace for Christ, and it has helped me begin to firmly establish a Christian worldview, which relates to all aspects of our lives and culture.”
“The Fellows Program provided Christ-centered direction, education, mentoring, and fellowship through my stressful transition from college. The Program gave me invaluable experiences that have changed the way I view my place in God’s kingdom and the world.”
“To date, it is the best single year of my life. The opportunity to grow spiritually through many sermons, seminars, lectures, and discussions is unrivaled by any I have ever had. I often remember and share with others the many truths that I learned during this time; these truths helped shape my thought processes and view of God. I was blessed to be part of such a group and experience.”
“The Fellows Program was a year-long orienting class that helped me find my way through a vocational wilderness.”