What is a Colson Fellow?
As the cultural landscape continues to evolve, it is imperative for Christians to be equipped to engage with the culture around them. The ability to navigate and interact with a diverse range of beliefs, values, and perspectives is crucial for effectively sharing the message of the Gospel. By understanding the cultural context in which we live, Christians can communicate the timeless truths of the Bible in a relevant and meaningful way. Equipping believers to engage with the culture not only fosters meaningful dialogue but also opens doors for authentic relationships and opportunities to demonstrate God's love in a tangible manner.
I personally wanted to grow in this area, and by God's grace, I found the Colson Fellows program last year, enrolled, and spent 10 months being trained and equipped for such a task. I was commissioned as a Colson Fellow in June of 2024. In short, a Colson Fellow is someone who is equipped and committed to engaging the culture with a biblical worldview for the glory of God.
The Colson Fellows program involves intense work on worldview, apologetics, spiritual growth, and understanding cultural issues through Scripture. Over the course of the last 10 months, I have:
- read 14 books (3600 pages, 80+ hours of reading)
- spent 70+ hours in daily devotionals
- spent 15+ hours watching video content on worldview questions for the most hot-button issues of our day
- engaged in 40+ hours of webinars with Christian thought leaders, authors, and ministry practitioners on key worldview topics
- Processed, dialogue, and (at times) debated worldview topics for 40+ hours with an online cohort.
One key takeaway from the program was the need to ask better questions of the Church to frame our calling in this world.
Here are the four key questions:
“1. What is good that we can preserve?
2. What is evil that we must resist?
3. What is missing that we can contribute?
4. What is broken that we can restore?”
These questions motivate followers of Jesus to take an active role in this world, regardless of how spiritually chaotic and corrupt it becomes or how much we suffer for the cause of Christ.
This program is for any believer, and I would encourage you to seriously consider enrolling if you desire to grow in your understanding of a biblical worldview and how to apply it to the times in which we live with courage, confidence, and clarity.
There is an in-person cohort here in Des Moines this year (Ankeny), and registration for the next class is open now and begins in July!
This program is incredible, as is the leadership (paid and volunteer) and the Colson Fellows / Colson Center family.
Will you join me in being the salt and light in every aspect of our lives—where we reside, work, engage in leisure activities, and conduct business—to reflect God's glory and benefit those around us?