It has been such a gift to get involved with the Charlotte Fellows program this year as the Program Coordinator. I loved my experience as a fellow and it’s been a different kind of gift to be on the other side of things and watch God work in the lives of this year’s class.
On Thursday nights, as part of our weekly schedule, we have roundtable. Roundtable is where we get to sit with different people and hear their stories; how God is working in, around, and through them. These individuals and couples often take us back to their childhood up to the present day and share highlights, struggles, themes, and lessons learned. These have truly been some of my favorite nights of the year. I am learning a lot about how we don’t know people until we have heard their stories and I am learning to never make assumptions of what someone's story is.
A big truth that is nestled into much of the content of the Charlotte Fellows program is that we get to honor God through our work and vocation - regardless of what that work is.
The wonderful thing about God is that he knows exactly what we need, not what we think we need. This is evident in my gracious host family, the Murchisons. Prior to moving to Charlotte, I was so excited to meet them, and I felt so hopeful about this family that I would be living with for the next 9 months. A little intro to my host family: Fred and Katy (parents), Ivy (14) and Ella (12). Rounding it out with 2 pets, we have their dog, Lolli (She and I are pals) and their cat, Raven. (We are… still warming up to each other).
Imagine being asked to solve a physics equation. That’s likely what learning how to round numbers feels like for a third grader.
Every Monday, the Charlotte Fellows serve at Brookstone School’s after school program, and I’ve paired up with the third grade class. In all honesty, sometimes I struggle articulating why we round up or down when I’m helping third graders with their homework. Most of the time, I’m trying to get them to lower their voices or focus on their homework. However, the hecticness doesn’t mean sweet moments don’t happen.
Yooooo! What’s up CLT Fellows Fam! As my first blog post, I thought there would be no better way to start than to tell you how I got here.
Since high school, I have been involved in Chick-fil-A and Young Life. Both of these experiences allowed me to grow in my faith and as an individual. In the spring semester of my senior year, I considered pursuing both of these avenues post-grad. I thought I knew what was next, but I was wrong.
The Charlotte Fellows Program has brought me more than I could’ve imagined. Each week is busy and full of engagement, challenges, and new experiences. I wouldn’t have it any other way. It would be hard for me to see one of our weekly commitments taken off the schedule. I would be less busy, sure. But I would miss out on many of the opportunities and growth that is taking place.
Fellows life is full. My weeks are full of good things: a job where I get to contribute to the work of an awesome ministry (shoutout to the Eagles!), a seminary class, professional development opportunities, visiting nonprofits, volunteering at an after-school program, and time in the Word and in fellowship with my fellow fellows.
As college began to dwindle to a close and I embarked on senior year marked by “lasts'' and overflowing with “final this” and “final that,” I began to reluctantly anticipate graduation and the loss that would undoubtedly coincide with it. As my friends and I walked through our many “lasts” of college, I began to pinpoint why I was feeling such a severe sense of loss; it was a loss of community.
Do you have questions about what life looks like as a fellow? Contact us by filling out the form below, and learn more about the Charlotte Fellows!
