I attended support(er) raising training two weeks ago. (Two weeks? That sounds about right. Life’s been a blur since then with support meetings, odd jobs, and one-ff projects.) Since then, I’ve talked with a couple of people about the residency. One of them asked if I’d write a blog post about the program, sharing why I’m pursuing a residency, what the residency entails, and how people can partner with me.
Why I’m Pursuing a Residency
To understand why I’m pursuing a residency at the Austin Stone Institute, I need to travel back in time. I could, perhaps, return to the beginning of things; however, I’ll home in on the past two years. They seem to contain the most pressing details when it comes to illuminating causes and reasons.
Two years ago, I went on my first mission trip with Creative Missions. I spent a week working alongside other believing creative professionals and realized I fit. I witnessed how God could use the gifts and talents entrusted to me to serve and build up others.
That experience changed everything. It also augmented my ongoing fascination with art and faith, which continued to grow as I entered my second year of full-time freelancing in 2017. That year, though, was hard. I found myself wondering what I was doing and where I was supposed to go next.
Because I’m a Christian, I addressed those questions to God even as I remained faithful to the work in my hands. Just because I was floundering didn’t mean my commitments to other people should. I worked and asked, worked and asked.
I did that for an entire year. When people asked what sort of job I sought, I shrugged. What could I say? I felt the pull toward art and faith and the church but hadn’t the foggiest idea of where such a job existed or what its job title would be.
The reality shifted in December 2017. I happened to be on Twitter, as I sometimes am, and saw a tweet from The Austin Stone Community Church: “Are you passionate about research, writing, and editing for the purpose of equipping people?” Oh, oh. I felt like I’d received an answer I didn’t know I’d been looking for. My hand shot up in the air as I cried, “That’s me!”
I thought I might be overly excited, so I asked friends and family members what they thought. When I queried my mom — who’s always been nothing if not honest with me — she said, “Erin, that’s you in a nutshell. You have to apply.”
So I did, and so here we are. (The actual process took time and soul-searching effort. It encompassed an intense application, followed by an interview. After that, I waited two or three weeks for a decision.)
What the Residency Entails
The residency (one or two years) at the Austin Stone Institute (ASI) aims to launch leaders into the world. That is, we — the other residents and I — come and ultimately go. Some of us will go into full-time ministry. Others will choose to work at a nonprofit. Another group will enter or return to the marketplace.
Personally, I’m not sure where I go after the residency. I live at the intersection of things, and I like living there. I want to help people talk about Jesus, whatever form that takes, be it working at a marketing agency, speaking a poem, or painting a canvas.
To produce those leaders, ASI employs three elements: head, heart, and hands.
- “Head” refers to rigorous theological study and training.
- “Heart” relates to leadership and character development, some of which will occur through being part of a study cohort, as well as having a mentor.
- The third, the “hands,” entails the work and hands-on skills that occur alongside the other two pieces.
For me, the work means joining the Theological Content and Resources Team at The Austin Stone Community Church for the next two years. It probably sounds kind of nerdy, but, let’s be honest, I am a bit of a nerd. I’ll spend my days researching, writing, and editing resources for The Austin Stone’s five church campuses and surrounding communities.
I’ll also get to help with equipping, which I’m perhaps the most excited about. Creating resources is great and all, but they’re relatively pointless if they’re left to gather dust in a literal or digital corner. My team will equip the church and its people so that the resources achieve their purpose: preparing people to share the source of their hope and joy.
How People Can Partner with Me
However, I can’t join the residency program without people’s help. The residency is a team effort all the way around, not a “me” effort. (It’s also a God effort. I can’t do this without him.) The full program, including the job with the Theological Content and Resources Team, requires I raise 100% of its necessary resources.
That statement, of course, means money. I seek people who would financially support the work in Austin. (Gifts are tax deductible.) Preferably, they would join on a monthly basis, walking alongside me the next two years. People can give as makes sense for them, though, and I would love to set up times to discuss the program and different giving options with them.
However, joining as a partner isn’t wholly about money. I’m not eyeing people as cash cows here. People are people. I want them to feel they are contributing to something good, something big, something shared among friends.
Because of that, I also seek people who will pray for me as I raise support and enter the residency. I need all the prayer I can get because this thing I’m doing is completely outside my comfort zone. I once related to Abraham and his journey through the desert. Now I find myself studying other figures: Ruth, Joseph, Daniel, Nehemiah, et cetera.
Finally, people can contribute to the residency with connections. I will need many partners to get to and through the residency. Again, I’d love to share more about what the residency is so that people can think about their networks of friends, family members, and coworkers.
I shared a lot of information here. The point, though, is to share some of what God’s doing in my life and how you can be a part of it. Want to know more in a one-on-one conversation? Send me an email at erin.feldman@reliant.org.