Pastor Update, Letter 57
THE FPC FELLOWS PROGRAM GARNERS APPROVAL
July 10, 2026
Dear Members and Friends of FPC Moorestown,
At its stated meeting in June, our Session voted to begin a ministry program called The FPC Fellows. The vote concluded nearly two years of exploration, review, and prayer. I’m writing to introduce this incredible ministry to you. I believe this is a wonderful opportunity, but the effort it will take to launch will be significant.
The FPC Fellows program will be broadly based on the model of The Fellows Initiative (TFI), a nationwide network of Christian discipleship programs for recent college graduates. A Fellows Program is an intense, practical 9-10 month spiritual and vocational leadership program that prepares recent graduates to live a seamless life of faith in Christ. The program is organized around the concept of a residential internship program of about 8 – 10 interns per year in the age range of 23-25 years old. Interns take part in the life of the host church, provide resources for the church by working with the pastoral and program staff and members of the congregation. A typical Fellows Program also provides a year of at least one graduate level seminary class (usually taught on-site), mentorship by church leaders, and employment in the intern’s field of interest in the immediate South Jersey/Philadelphia area.
Through this nine-month experience of structured spiritual, vocation and church community formation, we seek to inspire and equip the rising generation of leaders where church, career and community are integrated rather than separated. Alongside TFI, we are committing to promoting Biblical flourishing in our world.
The Fellows Initiative first came to the attention of Session from Frank Manion. In 2007, Carol and Frank’s son, Ryan was a Fellow at the McLean Presbyterian Church in northern Virginia. Ryan still points to that year as a pivotal moment in the formation of his spiritual and professional life. Frank and Carol saw for themselves the profound impact this discipleship program had on their son.
A few years ago during our Grow the Kingdom initiative, Frank suggested The Fellows Initiative as a unique way to grow God’s Kingdom here and in our region. From the first time I learned of The Fellows Initiative, I was and I remain powerfully drawn to this program because it can aid us in doing two things that matter a lot to me, and many of us. One, by welcoming a cohort of young, college graduates into our midst for nine months we get the chance to disciple these young people through befriending, encouraging, and mentoring them to be life-long followers of Jesus Christ. Second, by having these young people with us—for worship, study, service, meals—we’ll get the chance to learn how to grow younger as a congregation.
Now that Session has approved the formation of this ministry, the real work begins. We anticipate that it will take two years before we see our first group of Fellows, likely September 2028. Before then, we’ll look for a full-time Director for the Fellows Initiative. The Personnel Committee is about to begin that search. We’ll also work on finding jobs and housing for the Fellows. It will be up to us to recruit at college campuses to find the students for this program. Launching this huge initiative requires the help of dozens and dozens of us. I hope you’ll consider offering your support.
On Wednesday, Sept. 16 — following our first Family Dinner — we’re planning to have a Town Hall gathering where you’ll learn much more about the FPC Fellows program and have the opportunity to sign up to help.
For now, check out the website for The Fellows Initiative. You’ll find links to roughly 30 Fellows sites around the country. Please pray with me for God’s guidance and provision for each step ahead of us. Here’s a link to the Fellows website: https://www.thefellowsinitiative.org/
FAQ’S (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. What’s the history of The Fellows Initiative?
(From TFI website): The first Fellows program launched in 1994 in the Washington, DC area. We have been growing ever since. The founding ideas of the earliest programs have converged into a unique and successful model of discipleship and leadership development for emerging adults.
Once the early concept was shown to work well, the TFI Fellows model of deep discipleship began to spread. The Fellows Initiative was formally launched in 2006 to support existing program leaders and to train new ones. While TFI is an independent nonprofit, our goal is to train, encourage, and support local churches and local Fellows program directors in those churches. We see the local church as the hub of Christian ministry.
2. What will Fellows do here?
They will give us about 10 hours per week to help us as youth leaders, Sunday School teachers and other areas of ministry. Fellows will work with and be directed by our Program Staff.
3. What else will Fellows do?
With help from us, Fellows will find part-time jobs in their area of education and interest. They will work about 20 hours a week in these part-time positions. Additionally, each week, they will serve an afternoon at a local mission partner, such as Urban Promise in Camden. They will engage in study of the Christian life and faith with a team of people from the congregation. They will also take a seminary-level class.
4. Where will the Fellows live?
Most often, Fellows live in the homes of church members.
5. Where will Fellows find jobs? Are they paid for their part-time work?
Finding employers is the job of the congregation, with lots of assistance from the local Fellows Director. We’ve learned that employees are often quite open to skilled, part-time help. Fellows are compensated by the companies who employ them.
6. Could college graduates from FPC Moorestown become Fellows?
Yes! Once hired, the Fellows Director will recruit at local college campuses. Often campus ministries are a fertile ground for finding Fellows.
7. The Director for the Fellows Initiative is an important role. Where will we find candidates for the position?
The most critical position for the success of the Fellows Initiative is the Director. Our Personnel Committee will soon begin searching for candidates for this position. There may be interest among some of our own members. The national Fellows Initiative has an active LinkedIn page with thousands of former Fellows. We understand that some people who have had a Fellows experience may be interested in becoming a Director.
8. What’s the anticipated operating cost of the program? How will we pay for it?
The program budget based on 10 Fellows is $70,000. Fellows pay $6,500 each for tuition. We hope to keep to a minimum the impact to the annual budget. The largest cost of this program is the full-time salary of the Fellows Director. Last year, a church member left a bequest of more than $400,000. The Board of Trustees reviewed our needs and recommended to Session that $275,000 be set aside for the start of the Fellows program.
Thank you for taking the time to read this Congregational Update. I hope you share my enthusiasm for The Fellows Initiative. If you have questions, you can reach out to me. As always, I am grateful for you, and I’m thankful to serve you as the Pastor of FPC Moorestown.
Fondly yours in Christ,
Stuart Spencer, Pastor