This fall, I will be joining the Capital Fellows Program through McLean Presbyterian Church in the Washington D.C.
From September 2011 through May 2012, I will spend part of each week doing a professional internship in D.C, part of the week taking classes through Reformed Theological Seminary and attending periodic conferences and seminars, and part of the week contributing to the mission of service both inside and outside the vibrant McLean Presbyterian community. I will gain a deeper insight of fellowship both as older Christian leaders mentor me and as I get the chance to pour my energy into the church youth. I will even join another household for a year, as a family graciously and sacrificially welcomes me into their home to help mitigate my costs. A friend of mine who was part of the program last year likened this whole experience to “spiritual boot camp.”
We are each entrusted to raise $6,300 for the program which will cover expenses including text books, conferences, seminary classes, etc.—everything not donated by the church (This is a flat budget program – McLean Presbyterian does not profit from it). Of course, at this point in my life in which I already have educational debts and limited income, the costs of this fellowship plus the car I will need to commute each day amount to my first real substantial financial hurdle in life.
In an individualistic society like ours, so often we think that whether we succeed or fail is entirely a matter of our own effort, our own initiative, our own resources, our own strength. While I have always been self-driven in my endeavors, I am humbled to realize that my loving community is what has truly made me who I am and lifted me up so that I might stand tall (and we all know that I need all the help I can get when it comes to standing tall!).
I will continue to need the loving support of my friends and family whether financially or in prayer, and perhaps in both. Pray that as I pursue this endeavor, that I might grow in the spirit, know God ever more, and learn to be part of the mission of being a light in a dark world. I’m learning to believe ever more in a God that can move mountains, and I hope that you will lift me up in your prayers, that the great Potter would continue to mold this lump of clay into what he has purposed for it to be.
If you can and would like to offer financial support via a one-time gift or a pledge of continued gifts during the year, know that all gifts are tax deductible and should be made out to McLean Presbyterian Church with “Fellows Program” on the memo line, including a cover note with your name and my name. Gifts can be mailed to:
Attn: Fellows
This blog is for my friends and family who wish to join me in my journey. I will blog several times each month leading up to the program start date, and starting in September I will blog two or three times a week sharing my thoughts and reflections on my Fellows experience, my faith, and my life. And in the words of the twentieth psalm, “May God give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed!”
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