Student Union Senior Fellowship Application
Please complete all four parts of the application before May 1, 2016. 1. General Information First Name _________________________________________ Last Name _____________________________________________________ Phone __________________________________ Email _______________________________________________________________________ Do you consider MPCC your home church? Yes __________ No __________ If yes, for how long? ___________________ 2. Parent Acknowledgement I, ________________________________________________, have read and understand the commitment involved for my child, ________________________________________________, to participate in the Senior Fellowship Program. • Based on their schedule for next year, I think they are _____ / are not ____ able to fulfill the requirements. • I am ______ / am not______ supportive of their decision to participate. • I recommend ____ / do not recommend _____ them the Fellows program. Parent Name: ___________________________________________________ Phone: ____________________________________________ Signature: __________________________________________________________________ Date: ___________________________________ 3. Short Answer Answer the following questions on a separate document (typed): 1. What interests you about participating in the Senior Fellowship program? 2. Describe what your relationship with God has looked like over the past year. Use specific examples. 3. The Fellowship is a considerable time commitment. How do you plan on prioritizing Fellows in order to get the most out of your experience? Do you plan on taking a heavy school load? Having a job? Playing a sport? 4. Review the four ways that Fellows will divide their ten-‐‑hour commitment each week. Which excites you the most and why? Which is the most concerning and why? 4. Recommendation Form Ask a mentor, teacher or coach to go to the link below and fill out a recommendation form on your behalf. This recommendation form needs to be submitted by May 1, 2016, in order for your application to be considered for the Senior Fellowship. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F2YFP7T
What Is Senior Fellows? 80% of students actively engaged in church during high school, will struggle with their faith in college. Aware of this statistic, Student Union has decided to take action on behalf of those students who are serious about their faith in Christ and want to continue growing in their faith after high school. The Senior Fellowship Program exists to prepare high school seniors to realize their role in God’s story after graduation. During the year, Fellows are equipped with a theological understanding, practical spiritual disciplines and an experience of participating in an intentional Christian community. They explore and remember the biblical story, how to share it with others, and to listen openly to others are they share their stories. They learn to think critically about topics like creation, humanity, sexuality, life, death and world religions. They are confronted with the way they are wired, their personalities, talents and passions, and asked to explore how those aspects of who they are connect to their role in this grand story. High school juniors have the opportunity to apply to Fellows during the spring of their junior year. Selected students will begin the program the first week of August of their senior year. The year-‐‑long program is a ten-‐‑hour a week commitment: Gather: Monday and Wednesdays (3:30-‐‑5pm) Fellows come together in a classroom setting to cover the topics of theology, biblical survey and biblical interpretation. The group also focuses on a spiritual practice, share life stories, and challenge one another. • Practice: Four hours of homework will be assigned weekly. This could including engaging in spiritual disciplines, reading, listening to podcasts, reflective writing, or creating a project. • Lead: Fellows are asked to co-‐‑lead a middle school small group or a high school service team. There are a variety of times through out the week that this could take place. •
Scholarship Fellows who completed their study in 2014, 2015 and 2016 were awarded scholarships towards their future educational endeavors. While it is our hope to offer similar awards each year, awards will be offered on a year-‐‑by-‐‑year basis
Fellows FAQs
1. Ten hours a week is a lot! Why is it ten hours a week? We get that ten hours a week is a huge ask. We wanted to tell you the max number of hours from the start. It will never go over ten hours a week. But we are trying to accomplish a lot in one year and we believe that when you invest BIG you will reap BIG. This has the potential to be an experience that will change the trajectory of the next few years. In the end, we think you will agree that it is worth the investment. 2. I am interested, but I can’t make the time slot for Monday and Wednesdays from 3:30-‐‑ 5:00, is there any chance the gathering time might change? There is always a chance. Turn in your application with a note that you would need a schedule change. If all the other Fellows can make the change, then we will do it. However, if there is no other time that will work for everyone, then the Monday and Wednesday time slot will stand. 3. What if I can only make Monday or Wednesday each week, but not both, can I still do Fellows?
Again, you can request a schedule change and sometimes we can accommodate the change. However, regular attendance on both days is necessary for accomplishing the goals of the Fellows Program. 4. What if I miss a gathering? Most of the content that is covered during our gatherings is difficult to make up once missed. However, we know that sickness and appointments happen. If we are approved for scholarship funding, the amount of scholarship you receive can change based on your attendance. 5. I really need to be saving for college. If I do Fellows, will I be able to have a job? This really depends on the other things that you are committed to. In the past years, 75% of Fellows have had part time jobs. So it is possible. However, it is important to consider the scholarship that could come with Fellows. In the past, the maximum scholarship that a Fellow could earn is $1,500. If a student is earning minimum wage, ten hours a week, every week for ten months and saves 50% of their pay check, they will earn about $1,500. 6. When will you know about the scholarship for the 2016/2017 year and how much will it be? Final budget approval happens in the month of November. For the past three years MPCC finance committee has approved the scholarship without question. We expect that to happen again, however, we cannot make any promises. The scholarship can be up to $1,500 and is based on attendance, participation and assignments. 7. I heard something about a final presentation. Do we really have to do a final presentation? Yes! Each Fellow will write and present a paper that answers the question, “What is my role in God’s story?” While it may sound intimidating, we work on this concept all year so that when the time comes for the presentation, you are very prepared. Additionally, the people who you are presenting to will be people who are your biggest cheerleaders. 8. My friend doesn’t go to Mountain Park; can they still be apart of Fellows? Yes. Obviously, Fellows was originally developed for MPCC students. However, we believe that this is a great opportunity for any student regardless of which church they attend. In order to help them continue to engage in their home church, we may have a conversation on how to meet the “Lead” requirement and see if they could lead a small group in their own church. 9. How much do I need to know about God and the Bible to be apart of Fellows? In short, nothing. We have had students become Fellows at all different levels of knowledge about the Bible. However, it is not an introductory course. Those who come with little to no knowledge will have to be proactive about asking questions when they don’t understand. But their questions will always be welcomed. 10. How much does Fellows cost? Nothing… well, no money anyway.