Seamless Faith
“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, 'Mine!'” – Abraham Kuyper
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 Bible studies, seminary classes, mentorship, church service and thoughtful discussions, all reinforced in multi-faceted rich community, Fellows enter their vocations, marriages–indeed all of life– uniquely equipped to live an integrated life. In particular, Fellows are well equipped to be a faithful presence in a fallen culture, and a thoughtful witness to people in need of a Savior.
Faithful Presence
“To be Christian is to be obliged to engage the world, pursuing God’s restorative purposes over all of life.” – James Davison Hunter
Daniel and his friends, Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego, are the archetype of faithful presence. Foreigners in a pagan culture, they engaged fully in their new culture and proved themselves to be, “Ten times better than all the rest.” Because their walks with the Lord permeated every aspect of their lives – in particular their relationships with others, and their vocations – they were able to draw praise to God. So much so, that the wicked king Babylon exclaimed “How great are His signs, how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; His dominion endures from generation to generation.”
Blue Ridge Fellows learn how to be a faithful presence so that those around them would see the goodness, truth and beauty in our great God and King.
Thoughtful Witness
“False ideas are the greatest obstacles to the reception of the gospel. We may preach with all the fervor of a reformer and yet succeed only in winning a straggler here and there, if we permit the whole collective thought of the nation or of the world to be controlled by ideas which, by the resistless force of logic, prevent Christianity from being regarded as anything more than a harmless delusion.” – J. Gresham Machen
Reaching this generation for Christ will require more than simply articulating a clear presentation of the gospel message. Rather, we must develop an ability to graciously deconstruct, in word and deed, the prevailing cultural axioms which for many make faith in Christ an impossibility.
Blue Ridge Fellows graduate from the program with the training and experience to do just that. They are skilled at asking the questions that help a person become uncomfortable with their own unworkable beliefs; and they are able to build bridges from newly questioned shaky pillars, to an understanding of the world that makes sense of the human experience. The Spirit reveals the beauty of Christ and his great sufficiency to meet our deepest needs, so that lost men and women want to know, worship, and follow the Savior.