Georgia Jackson

My Journey to becoming a Blue Ridge FEllow

My interest in participating in a fellows program began my junior year of college, when I found out that I would be graduating a semester early. This brought about many new thoughts regarding my plans for the future. Still undecided about what I wanted to do after graduation, I knew that I longed to do something deeply transformative and be equipped to brace life after college. Instead of heading straight into a career, I wanted the opportunity to explore where God’s calling for my life was. This all starts with building and strengthening a foundation of faith that transcends all aspects of life. After hearing about the Blue Ridge Fellows from others in my community, I was immediately drawn to the opportunity to gain teaching in leadership, faith, and all the ins and outs of living a Christ-centered life. My greatest hope as I become a fellow is that through such a unique post-graduate experience, I will have the chance to richly be poured into through teaching, fellowship, service, and experience at work. As I desire to dive deeper into the word of God I hope that I will be transformed to live it out more boldly and confidently than ever.

Why we need Blue Ridge Fellows

I have watched many of my peers graduate from college ahead of me, and enter their professions without a clear understanding of how their calling in Christ relates to their vocational calling. I’ve also heard them express dismay over how hard it has been for them to walk with Jesus post graduation.

Many of us have incredible experiences in campus ministries while in college, but aren’t sure how the spiritual formation we have experienced is best lived out in the professional arena. We are often unsure of how our faith in Christ matters in the 40 or 50 hours a week we spend at work. As a result many young Christian professionals are frustrated by the difficulty living out and articulating their faith at work, in their neighborhoods, and in their families.

The consequences of this disconnect are everywhere. The world suffers when Christians aren’t well-equipped to live out their faith seamlessly, transforming our culture for the glory of God and his Kingdom.

How Blue Ridge Fellows develops leaders

As a Blue Ridge Fellow my year will be filled with opportunities to develop habits of seamless faith.

The program is carefully designed to press the imperatives of the gospel into every area of life. The fellows and I will take seminary courses to give us a theological framework to the year. We will also be trained to study the Old and New Testaments to learn to discover Christ in all of Scripture.

Each week we will gather for meal fellowship along with our directors to discuss theology, current events, and the skills required to live out our faith wisely. We will also have private seminars with dozens of Christians in a variety of careers to learn how they integrate their faith.

Because work and home life are the two critical spheres of life, we will work three days a week at professional internships in our career paths where we can serve our employers, and live out all we are learning. And we will each live with a family who graciously welcomes us into their home as they themselves demonstrate seamless faith.

Finally, since the church is the context in which we walk with Christ for the rest of our lives, we will be vitally involved in our host church, serving as volunteer leaders with the youth.

The results in the life of a blue Ridge Fellow

Blue Ridge Fellows learn that a mature faith in Christ is a seamless faith; following Christ on a Sunday is no different than following him on a Monday. As a result of the program we will enter our vocations, marriages–indeed all of life–uniquely equipped to live an integrated life.

Daniel and his friends, Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego were foreigners who had a massive influence on a pagan culture. Like them, Blue Ridge Fellows learn how to be a faithful presence so that those around us would see the goodness, truth and beauty in our great God and King.

We also develop an ability to graciously deconstruct, in word and deed, the prevailing cultural axioms which for many make faith in Christ an impossibility. We will become skilled at asking questions and building bridges to an understanding of the world that makes sense of the human experience. As the Spirit reveals the beauty of Christ and his great sufficiency to meet our deepest needs, lost men and women will come to know, worship, and follow the Savior.

You can be a part of it.

In order to participate in this leadership development program I need to raise up a team of partners who will each give $65 a month for ten months.

Your tax-deductible gift to Blue Ridge Fellows will allow me and our full class of fellows to take seminary classes, attend multiple conferences, be mentored and trained, volunteer in our church, serve on an international mission trip and so much more. All of which will help me start well and live out a seamless faith in Christ to the glory of God and support of his Kingdom for many years to come.

Perhaps God would move in your heart to invest in this new generation of Christian leaders. If so, I’d be grateful and would love to speak with you further about the Blue Ridge Fellows and how you can be a part of it.

If you know you would like to give to support me in this foundational year, you can do so at BlueRidgeFellows.org/give.

I would be thrilled to have you as a partner in ministry.
If you would like to join my team by pledging to give $65 a month for ten months, or would like to know more, please give me a call or drop me a note. I look forward to hearing from you.

Georgia Jackson
Georgj3@vt.edu
(757)646-9392