May 2025

May 2025 

Above, you'll see how it started versus how it ended. May has been a bittersweet month as we officially wrapped up the ninth class of Winston-Salem Fellows. What a year it has been—full of growth, laughter, challenges, and transformation. Truly, an incredible year worth celebrating!

World Relief Race

Earlier this spring, the Fellows were deeply impacted by our time with Jon Musser as we learned about the incredible work World Relief is doing here in the Triad. So when they heard that River Oaks Community Church was hosting a 5K to benefit World Relief, they were all in. And apparently, they brought their A-game—Steve and Ellie both placed in their divisions!

Leader Lunches

Our final two Leader Lunches were spent with two remarkable individuals. First, we heard from Charlie Barham of Cassia Capital, followed by a meaningful conversation with Amy Carlan, Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian.

Classes

We wrapped up the year with two of our longest classes. First, Gospel-Centered Work with Rob Alexander. We’re not exactly sure how many years Rob has been teaching Fellows, but we’re incredibly grateful for his faithful presence and wisdom. Then, we introduced Emotionally Healthy Spirituality with Rob Marsh—a new addition this year that quickly became a crowd favorite. We hope to make it a regular part of the Fellows curriculum moving forward!

Happy Birthday Jed!

We had the unique opportunity to celebrate Jed's birthday during our final round table at his parents’ home. What a joy it was to celebrate someone who delights in lifting up and cheering on others!

Bible Study

Each week, we gathered to walk through the book of Mark together. We’re so grateful for our Bible study leaders who selflessly gave their time and consistently encouraged the Fellows along the way. Thank you, David and Shannon Rainey, Rob Paynter, and Cyndy Barnes!

End Well

We kicked off our End Well retreat at one of our favorite spots in Winston—Dough Joe’s. Truth be told, we were hoping to recreate a photo from the very first week of the program... but we couldn’t find it. Oh well, we will take any excuse for doughnuts!

From there, we ventured to the mountains for a getaway together. We worshiped, played games, hiked, and took time to reflect on all the Lord has done this year. Though our time was brief, it felt as if time slowed down just enough for us to truly savor being together.

A longstanding Fellows tradition is writing letters to one another, sharing encouragement, blessings, and gratitude. These will be treasured!

Our last supper.

Graduation

What a sweet day of celebration! One unique aspect of this year has been the many individuals who pour into the Fellows personally. To honor these relationships, we invited one mentor, family friend, or employer to speak on behalf of each Fellow. We were so grateful to celebrate these remarkable Fellows surrounded by our community, along with their friends and family.

Next Year

We are still enrolling for the tenth class of Winston-Salem Fellows! If you know any young adults who would benefit from a year of intentional mentoring, community, personal growth, and deepening their faith, please encourage them to  reach out to us!

Chattanooga

The Fellows wasted no time planning a road trip together, choosing to kick off summer in Eliza and Kevin’s hometown of Chattanooga.

Class of 2025

Class of 2025, thank you for an incredible year. Thank you for leaning in, trusting us, and embracing this community. We are truly grateful for each of you. It has been a joy to walk this journey with you. 

We're also deeply thankful for the churches, mentors, family friends, Bible study leaders, round table hosts, teachers, board members, donors, employers, and every other member of the village that makes this year possible. Your support, prayer, and presence have shaped this experience in more ways than you know.

 - Steve and Hef

Outtakes 

Here are a few outtakes from this last month: