Known by name. Formed in Christ. Ready to lead.
A year of mentoring, discernment, and community — rooted in the congregation you already call home
Formation happens here. In your church. With your people.
Young adulthood is full of real weight — real decisions, real questions, real uncertainty about what comes next. Churches want to show up for that season. InVocation Fellows gives them a way to do that.
Each Fellow is a young adult (ages 22–29) from a partner congregation — gathered into a peer cohort, paired with a mentor from their own church, supported by a team of lay leaders, and invited to contribute their voice and gifts to the congregation they already belong to.
Fellows
Young adults carrying the weight of a thousand open tabs — finding out that formation, not just information, is what they’ve been missing.
Mentors
Listening companions from a Fellow’s own congregation — walking alongside them through questions of faith, calling, and what it means to grow up well.
Leadership Acceleration Teams
A small team of lay leaders from each partner church who help Fellows discern and develop a leadership contribution that actually strengthens the congregation — and find themselves renewed in the process.
Partner Churches
Congregations across West Michigan who believe their young adults belong in the church, not just near it — and are willing to put structure behind that conviction.
Formation in Action
Growing
How an LAT at Pillar-Warehouse Grew Community in Multiple Ways “Growing” is a good verb to characterize much of what unfolds during a year in the inVocation Fellows & Congregations Program. Young adults are encouraged and equipped to grow in their relationships with one another, God, and their local congregation—as well to strengthen their leadership […]
Tommy D., Mentor – Tabernacle Community Church
Connecting Over Football…And Life Transitions Mentor Tommy D. Is Investing in the Next Generation As a former offensive lineman at Northwestern University, playing in the Big Ten conference, Tommy D. from Tabernacle Community Church was a great fit for serving as a mentor to 2025-26 Fellow Gabe B. Gabe also played college ball and was […]
The Future of the Church is in Good Hands
Given the numerous media reports in recent years on declining church attendance, it’s easy to feel discouraged about the future of the Church. But many of the adult volunteers in the inVocation Fellows & Congregations Program have a more optimistic perspective. “I feel that the Church is in good hands,” mentor Maddie Stadt enthuses. One […]
The Power of a Team
You Don’t Have to Do This Alone What Meg Draisma’s story teaches us about teams, trust, and doing hard things When Meg Draisma walked into the inVocation Fellows program, she carried a vision. She’d been turning over an idea for a young adults conference at Ridge Point Church — a speaker, worship, breakout sessions, a […]
Fellows Spotlight: Eden H. – The Local
Gaining Clarity Eden H. (Fellows 2025-26) says that she came into the program wanting to quit her job. But she was struggling a great deal over that. She explains that she’d read the book, Do Hard Things, as a teenager. “And it was just pivotal in my high school brain,” she says. “Like, if something’s […]
Fellows Spotlight: Chris V. – The Local
Being Authentic For Chris V. (Fellows 2025-26), learning a new song from singer/songwriter Wendell Kimbrough was a highlight of the program’s kick-off retreat in August. “I loved how honest and transparent Wendell was,” says Chris. “He talked about how we get to be honest with the Lord. He wrote a song—I think based on Psalm […]
Fellows Spotlight: Andrew S. – Hope Lutheran
Enjoying Diverse Community In the 2025-26 Fellows cohort, participants hailed from ten different churches throughout the Holland-Zeeland-Grand Rapids region. For Fellow Andrew S., that diversity was one of the best aspects of the cohort community. “You can really build some cool relationships and get to know people from different traditions, different careers, and backgrounds,” he […]
Mentor Spotlight: Maddie S. – The Local
Loving Christ, Loving His Church Maddie S. loves the Church, and she loves her congregation. It shows in the ways she’s poured into The Local, a large congregation in Grand Rapids, and by her involvement in its church plant called Beloved. Maddie explains that she doesn’t “want to just show up to church on Sunday […]
Mentor Spotlight: Dr. Carol R. – Tabernacle Community Church
Cultivating Wise Leaders Dr. Carol R. has spent much of her life in leadership roles in the healthcare field. With many “lessons learned” under her belt—and a sincere interest in befriending young adults—she was a great fit as a mentor for Amari F., a Hope College 2021 graduate in social work. “One thing Amari is […]
Fellow Spotlight: Kent C. – Faith Reformed Zeeland
In the inVocation Fellows & Congregations Program, one of our biggest hopes is that young adults will grow more knowledgeable about—and more committed to—their local churches. We’ve seen exactly that happen in the life of 2025-2026 Fellow Kent C. Faith Reformed Zeeland came around Kent enthusiastically during his Fellows journey. Chad B. served as Kent’s […]
What Participants Are Saying
Ready to take the next step?
Whether you’re a young adult wondering what God is forming you for, or a church leader ready to invest in the next generation — there’s a place for you here.