By Bethany Lee
All the fellows were introduced to a phrase during the Kickoff Retreat that we would experience: getting fed by a firehose of information. By that time, I had talked with fellows from previous years and knew it would be challenging, but I honestly did not realize how much I would grow in all aspects of my life through this program. I laughed off the phrase, convinced that it was a bit of an exaggeration. However, after a month of living the life of a Fellow, I can confirm that I feel like I am constantly being fed by a firehose of information.
During Capital Commons (a weekly Monday night gathering to eat, worship, discuss a topic, and pray) we discussed our calling to rest. As someone who has a hard time prioritizing rest - or at least what I used to consider being rest - I was looking forward to this time where I could learn more ways to rest and how to prioritize that time into my schedule. However instead of a discussion, John Kyle announced that we were going to play the fish bowl game.
Anyone who knows me could tell you that I am very competitive, as are many of the other fellows, and this game swiftly captured my full attention. When it came to an end, John Kyle asked, “During the game, were you thinking about the things that have been giving you anxiety?” And it made me realize that rest can look so different from what I typically imagined for myself. Up to this point in my life, I had approached rest in the way the world views it rather than how God has intended it for us. I pictured it as a time when I got to lounge around with no responsibilities, but now I realize that true restorative rest is the time when I can find peace in Christ. In Around the Table, John Kyle wrote,
“Rest is not only found in the cessation of work but also in working with Christ, toward his mission and ends. Here in this deeper sense, rest becomes peace, shalom.”
Amidst the turmoil of this sinful world, it is many times hard for me to live without fear and fully trust and rest in God. But God has reminded me this week that I can find rest and peace knowing he is watching over us. John 16:33 says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Thank the Lord that we can find rest knowing that He has control over all things, and everything that happens is according to His design which holds great plans for each of us!
Bethany Lee is a member of the Capital Fellows class of 2024-25. She is from Champaign, IL, and is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Pictures From The Week
Libby and Thomas making biscuits for Capital Commons!
Fellows playing the fishbowl game during Capital Commons
Worship night at Curtis' house!
Know a Potential Capital Fellow?
If you know a college senior or recent graduate who should consider joining the Capital Fellows program in 2025-26, please encourage them to get in touch with us. The easiest way to express interest in the program is through our Contact Us Form. You can learn more about the program, including application deadlines, by visiting the Capital Fellows website.
About Capital Fellows. Capital Fellows is an advanced leadership and discipleship program for recent college graduates. Through graduate courses, a paid internship, one-on-one mentoring, and many leadership and community service opportunities, fellows develop and apply their gifts in real-world situations while learning to integrate a Christian worldview into all areas of life. Capital Fellows is a unique opportunity to live and work in the Washington DC area and to be an active member of a supportive community that seeks to serve the city with the love of Christ. It is also a unique opportunity to get hands-on experience in the workplace while deeply exploring God’s design for us as workers and contributors to human flourishing.
Pray for the Capital Fellows
Thank you for praying for the Capital Fellows each week!
This year, we are trying something new with the Capital Fellows program. Every Monday, before the fellows go to serve at Cornerstone School, we gather at McLean Presbyterian for Public Reading of Scripture, or PRS. For 35-40 minutes, we listen to an audio recording of the bible while reading along together. Please pray for the fellows as they encounter God through his Word this year - that God would meet them in their doubts and fears, that he would illuminate the passages for their understanding, and that they would absorb these precious words as a source of transcendent comfort and encouragement.
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About The Fellows Initiative
Capital Fellows is part of a network of similar programs across the country. This network is called The Fellows Initiative. There are 34 Fellows programs in TFI, roughly 3,200 alumni living around the world, and more Fellows programs on the way.
If you know a church in the US or Canada that would benefit from joining TFI by launching a new Fellows program. Please contact TFI by visiting their website.
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