DENVER — Denver Institute for Faith & Work announces the launch of the 5280 Fellowship, a rigorous and selective nine-month leadership program for full-time professionals in the Denver metro area. The Fellowship forms participants in three areas: leadership and service, Christian theology and spiritual formation, and community networks and American culture. Named for Denver’s location at 5,280 feet above sea level, the 5280 Fellowship will accept 48 applicants for the inaugural 2016-2017 session.
“Denver Institute has made great strides in helping professionals understand their work in light of the Christian faith in order to better serve their professions, organizations, and communities,” says Jeff Haanen, founder and executive director. “This new program is the fullest expression of our mission. Are there other leadership development programs for professionals in Denver? Sure, but the 5280 Fellowship is unique in its willingness to address matters of faith in the context of work and public life.”
Through a partnership with Gordon College, a nationally-ranked Christian liberal arts college in Boston, Fellows who successfully complete the program will earn a Certificate in Theology, Work & Culture. D. Michael Lindsay, president of Gordon College, says, “In research interviews with 550 top leaders, I learned that what happens in your life before age 20 doesn’t matter whole lot. And once you reach about age 40, your trajectory is set. But those critical decades of your 20s and 30s are the catalytic season that makes a difference. I’m excited about the ways the 5280 Fellowship is helping to serve that particular demographic.”
Throughout the program, Fellows will interact with top local leaders, gaining an inside look at their workplaces and engaging in discussion about their work and influence. More than 40 leaders will participate in the 2016-2017 session including John Coors (CoorsTek), Dan Dye (Ardent Mills), Helen Hayes (Janus Funds, retired), Bill Kurtz (Denver School of Science and Technology), Dayne Matthew (University of Colorado Law School), and John Beeble (Saunders Construction).
The 5280 Fellowship launches at a critical time for the Denver metro area, which is experiencing a dramatic increase in millennial residents. According to Forbes, more than 21 percent of the population is between the ages of 25 and 34. In June, the Wall Street Journal profiled Denver’s job market as a top attraction for millennials, who grew as a segment of the city’s population by 4.2 percent in the last year alone. The profile noted that new companies have contributed more than 165,000 jobs to the metro area over four years.
More information on curriculum, faculty, and the application process is available at 5280fellows.com.
About Denver Institute for Faith & Work
Founded in 2013, DIFW is an educational nonprofit based in Denver, Colo., offering theological education on issues of work, calling and culture. Our mission is to form men and women who live with Christ in all of life, bear witness to the gospel in every area of culture, and serve the needs of the world with the work of their hands. Learn more at DenverInstitute.org.
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