The Fellows embarked on an adventure to further their understanding of history and ministry, with a goal of bringing their knowledge back to the community of Prospect to better serve alongside them.
“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:11, KJV
The Abundant Life Fellows Program was inducted as a Program in 2015, with a mission of equipping young adults with the practical theology of Christian Community Development to engage their faith holistically, and leadership practices for the church and the workplace. This two-year program allows Fellows to build deep and formative relationships with each other and the Abundant Life family.
They began their trip in Georgia, where they visited the Coca-Cola Museum and Aquarium in Atlanta Virginia, as well as the MLK National Park. From there they traveled to Birmingham, Alabama and toured the 16th Street Baptist Church, that was bombed on September 15th, 1963, and Memorial Park. Following Birmingham, they went to the Legacy Museum and Memorial in Montgomery. The Fellows finished their journey in Chattanooga, Tennessee where they went to Coolidge Park and Nature Hikes.
As the Fellows focus on Leadership, their 4-day trip allowed them to, through the lens of their faith, engage aspects of our Nation’s past and see how the Christian Church was involved. The importance was to see for themselves how the past impacts our ministry today in the community.
“The trip was impactful in many ways including team building and a deep dive into a stronger historical understanding of southern history. I feel like I went in with the baseline expectation that I would learn something new, but it was so much more. It came with tests of faith and powerful and painful history lessons. However, I’d do it all again with such a great Fellow’s team alongside me.” Jonathan “JD” DeLeon, Fellow & Elementary and Boys Program Co-coordinator
