Flex and Obey - May Update

There's an old 19th-century hymn I've been thinking about lately. You may have heard before: Trust and obey, for there's no other way / to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.  A dear spiritual mentor of mine took the title of that classic hymn and gave it a twist that she would often repeat to her kids: “flex and obey.” (Flex meaning here to change or adapt to new circumstances, not show off your muscles). When I think about the season of life we're all in, “flex and obey” seems appropriate. Virtually all of us have had to flex, adapt, or alter our lives and plans in some way. The pandemic has certainly created new challenges for us as a program. But we still believe that the Lord has called us to launch the Atlanta City Fellows, a nine-month Christian leadership program designed to equip college grads to become gospel-centered leaders in the marketplace. So we're seeking to be obedient to him—for his glory and the good of Atlanta—by trusting in his provision and moving forward with wisdom. I'm delighted to say that we have 8 Fellows committed to our inaugural class. I can't wait to introduce you to these remarkable young men and women soon. They come from all across the country and have a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. But they are united in their desire to learn how the gospel of Jesus affects every area of life, especially work. To become kingdom-minded men and women. To honor and serve the Lord in whatever vocation he's called them to. We cannot wait for these Fellows to join us this fall.  As a committee, we have three big goals for the summer: 

1. Place all 8 Fellows in part-time, paid internships 

2. Recruit 8 host families for our Fellows

3. Continue to fundraise 

If you've already supported us in some way, thank you. If you haven't, scroll down to see how you can help us. We'd be honored if you helped us "flex and obey" as we seek to launch this program this fall.

-Mark Casper

Executive Director

I'm excited to say that we've had a LOT of positive internship momentum in the past few weeks. Here are a few highlights: 

• One of our Fellows has been given a verbal offer for a research position through CHOA. Please pray that she gets a written offer soon!

• Two of our Fellows interviewed with a local business last week and the hiring manager told me they want to hire both of them. Please pray they get written offers soon!

• One of our Fellows is interviewing for an internship at a local digital agency. Please pray that it works out!

• One of our Fellows is interviewing for an internship at the Emory Vaccine Center. Please pray that it works out!

• A local nonprofit ministry has said they really want a Fellow, they have the budget for it, and they're simply waiting on board approval. Please pray that the board approves!

• A local staffing agency that provides jobs to refugees has said they really want to bring on a Fellow as an intern. Please pray that it works out!

• We had a great call with the head of a local medical ministry. Please pray that an opportunity comes out of it!

• We had positive calls with two local environmental nonprofits. Please pray that an opportunity comes out of it!

Thanks to everyone who has prayed and helped us make these connections. Please continue to pray and help us find internships for these Fellows!

If you know of a business or organization who might be interested in bringing on a Fellow for a part-time, paid internship, please connect them via email to Ross Blankenship (our Internship Coordinator) at jrb4031@gmail.com.

Our Fellows have backgrounds or interest in:

• Marketing

• Medicine

• Business

• International Affairs

• Nonprofit Work

• Environmental Studies

Click this link to see a quick pdf overview of what it means to be an Internship Partner: Internship Partner Overview pdf

We've also had some positive host family momentum in the past two weeks. Here are a few highlights:

• Two families have officially agreed to host a Fellow. Praise the Lord!

• We're talking with several other families who are very interested in hosting. 

Please continue to pray and help us find host families for these Fellows! 

If you know a Christian family who might be interested in hosting a Fellow from September to May, please connect them via email to Courtney Hillery (our Host Family Coordinator) at courtney.a.hillery@gmail.com.

Click this link to see a quick Host Family Overview pdf: Host Family Overview and Expectations pdf

We're thrilled to say that through the Lord's provision and a group of generous supporters, we've already raised $2,400 in monthly support, plus over $10,000 in one-time donations. If you've given already, thank you.

Our goal is to raise $10,000 in monthly donations in the next few months. Obviously, these are uncertain financial times for many. But we'd be honored if you prayerfully considered supporting our program on a monthly basis. To set up a monthly donation, visit the City Church Giving Page and select "Atlanta City Fellows support" from the dropdown menu that says "Fund."

If you have any questions or concerns, please email Mark at  markrcasper1@gmail.com.