FELLOWS REFLECTIONS

Merriam Webster defines stamina as “the bodily or mental capacity to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity” or “the moral or emotional strength to continue with a difficult process, effort, etc.” I think a third definition could safely be “ that which is required to complete the TFCA Fellows Program.” As a Covenant College graduate, I am no stranger to “the grind.” Yet, Fellows requires a unique combination of different responsibilities. We are to be professionals

If you have talked to any of the Fellows, past or present, about the program, one of the things they will tell you about is how busy it is. We have obligations on six of the seven days of the week, several biweekly meetings, and occasionally some events that eat up our precious Saturdays off. This is to say nothing of the events that the Fellows plan among ourselves: hiking, apple picking, watching the Lord of the Rings (though tragically not the Extended Editions), the list

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:7) If I could cut and paste my journal into this blog post, I would. I’d at least be tempted to. It’s been one of the wildest months and a half of my life, and nothing seems to do it justice quite like journal entries scribbled out in the heat of the moment. These entries - spanning from moments of joy to tears to abso

“Friendship improves happiness and abates misery by doubling our joys and dividing our grief.” — Cicero I’ve been in the fellowship program for nearly seven weeks now, and I have been greatly blessed to be part of such a wonderful program. I’ve enjoyed the seminars, events, retreats, and roundtables, but the thing that surprises me most is that I can call these people my friends. Going into the program, I wasn’t sure how well the group would gel. During the first week of actu

Before the Fellows year started, I traveled down to a small Shenandoah farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. It was the first time I had ever done a prayer retreat alone, and my preparation had been less than ideal. As the silent hours grew larger and larger, a feeling of intense anxiety began to sink in. A question bounced around in my head: “Why did I even show up to this place…Can’t I just pray anytime and anywhere?” But over time, the external silence led to internal silenc

Five years after his last youth retreat, Andrew Quick returned as a sixth-grade boys’ leader and discovered that the most meaningful moments happened in the middle of joyful, pillow-fueled chaos.

Coming to Washington, D.C. from Indian Trail, NC was a bigger adjustment than I expected. Here's how I found my footing, and why it ended with a casserole dish. From the very first day, the Fellows Program at The Falls Church Anglican has been a blessing. Everyone I've met has been delightful, helpful, and inspiring. I've been amazed by the generosity of the staff, the other Fellows, my wonderful host family, the Malms, and the many other hands that lift this program up. Th

"There is no room here for a dichotomy between what is secular and what is sacred, for everything about people created in God’s image belongs to God–that is, it is sacred.” This quotation comes from Arthur F. Holmes’s The Ideal of a Christian College, a text I was assigned as part of my onboarding at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. Holmes goes on to argue that education is then more than it is an accumulation of vocational skills; rather, he suggests that

What a week we have had! Between moving in, the Fellows retreat, and the various activities put on for us and by us, there’s hardly been a moment to sit back and reflect on it all. But that’s the beauty of the Fellows Program. We stay busy all year long because there is so much to learn and experience. Already, we’ve grown close as a group through sharing our testimonies, entering seminary together, and bonding over shared hobbies like pickleball. God has been working in us a

For nearly 2½ years, starting in March 1999, I worked on the 72nd floor of the World Trade Center’s north tower. It was a place filled with cherished memories. Thirty-three years ago, I proposed to my wife on the observation deck of the south tower. After work, I often returned there to sit in silence, gaze over New York City, and reflect. It was one of my favorite places in the world. On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, I was asleep on a commuter bus traveling north on the FD

Rachel Haines ‘25 “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” For me and for one other fellow, this has been the week leading up to spring break, as we both work at Trinity Christian School. I’ve been looking forward to the break, since I can use it to visit my family and attend the wedding of a friend back in my college town of Chattanooga. It is also the season of Lent, which has be

Luke Stockstill ‘25 “Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.” Kicking off this week was a bit of a rally for the fellows - at least I assume so. It certainly was for me! After spending the weekend at Camp Rockbridge for our Middle School Breakaway Retreat, we were straight back into our normal weeks. For me, this meant a work retreat in St. Michael’s, Maryland. While the other fellows were learning about the Trinity and discussing

Joseph Sosa ‘25 “That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” This past weekend was the High School Breakaway retreat, for which we went away to Rockbridge, VA over the long weekend. It was a hectic but great experience, for students and leaders alike! I had the shocking privilege of acting in the high school skits, and attempting to be the photographer for TFCA. It w

Rachel Guerra ‘25 “That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” It is truly a marvel that we are only four months away from our Commissioning! December to February has flown by, and this week was no different. After our New York City trip, we all felt a need to rest, but this did not stop us from having a full and adventurous week. From spending time with each other t

Ryleigh Wallace ‘25 “That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” This week, the fellows gathered for our regular routine of Sunday morning church, Monday seminar and roundtable dinner, Tuesday night youth family, internship

CJ McDowell ‘25 “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord … not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” The start of this week was a fellows field trip to NT Concepts for our seminar, where the very gracious team helped us to strengthen our resumes. It has been such a blessing to be surrounded by people th

Richie Cummings ‘25 “Yours, O Lord, is greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.” As we inaugurate a new president into office this week, it's important to remember who the real ruler of the world is and to whom all the power and glory belongs. This week was a big week for our Fellows class, including both the inauguration

Jocelyn Robertson ‘25 “Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.” After the snow days that started off the fellows’ spring semester, this week was an especially joyful reunion! Our youth leader training, Bible study, and seminary course all restarted in the same week, bringing us back into our normal routine. We also enjoyed our first in-person seminar back from the break with Ed Moy, who discussed the simultaneous chal

A.J. Dieterle ‘25 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” The final week of the semester has come and gone. Just like that, we are halfway through the program. Our final roundtable of the year was a formal one. Rachel Kruse, Rachel Guerra, and Jocelyn Robertson sure did wine and dine us. With just the smallest inkli