The Kansas City Fellows (KCF) program is a nine-month Christian leadership program designed to help recent college graduates explore the intersection of Faith, Work, and Community.
With a goal of laying a firm foundation, this leadership program equips Fellows to have a faithful presence for Christ in their community and world.
The Kansas City Fellows are part of The Fellows Initiative (TFI), a national organization. The following video explains what the Fellows’ programs are all about.
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Latest Posts
Four years on from the Fellows.
Towards the end of each year, my wife and I choose one word to describe what we want to focus on for the upcoming new year. It is a practice I picked up from a friend when I moved to Kansas City for the inaugural KC Fellow Program. Although periodically difficult to remember throughout the entire year, this simple practice has brought plenty of healthy intentionality and fresh perspective to how God continues to work in my life. My “word” for 2019 is Reflect. The idea behind this word is to spend adequate time reflecting on past experiences and life-situations…
Vocation: the one you feel the most like yourself in.
This blog post is written by: Karina Winkleman, KC Fellow 2016-17 Recently I’ve been thinking about how vocations are like clothing - a shirt, pants, shoes, a hat. Vocations are something you wear. Just like clothing, vocations are essentially required for existing in society. Your vocation determines your job, which provides money, which pays for your food and shelter. But, beyond that, your vocation is also an expression of your individual personality and talents. A good vocation fits like that favorite outfit you feel the most like yourself in. A good vocation fits like that favorite outfit you feel the most like yourself…
Our Program
Directors
Today's experienced leaders training leaders of tomorrow.
Kevin and Carol Rauckman
Executive Directors / Founders
Kevin recently retired as CFO and Treasurer at Garmin after a 16-year career there. His primary accomplishments at Garmin included an IPO, serving during a period of high growth, working with analysts and shareholders on Wall Street, building a global finance team, and managing a treasury function with billions in assets.
Carol has a 30-year nursing career with the majority of her experience as a Medical Case Manager and Certified Life Care Planner. Over the past five years, Carol has volunteered with Heart-to-Heart International, organizing trips distributing medical supplies to Eastern Europe, and with Cristo Rey High School, an inner-city Kansas City school.
Kris Fernhout
Director
Kris began serving at Christ Community in January 2011. He has 20+ years of youth ministry experience in a variety of locations and contexts all over the world but now calls Kansas City home (but that doesn’t make him a Chiefs fan).
He has been married to Heather for over 20 years and has two daughters: Emma and Grace. Kris completed his MA in Youth and Family Ministry at Denver Seminary in 1996 and completed his Doctor of Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA in 2014 where he studied the impact of materialism on the identity and spiritual formation of adolescents and the transition young people make from college into emerging adulthood.
Contact Kris >
What’s in
a Week
learn.
Continuing Education
In addition to work opportunities with local businesses and industry, the Kansas City Fellows program includes curriculum-based coursework, biblical study, and active mentoring.
The fellows will participate in weekly spiritual formation and leadership development classes.
The “Lunch and Learn” series will continue every week, featuring business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs from some of the key Kansas City companies. They will share their experience with the fellows, engage them in rich dialogue, and provide networking opportunities for future employment.
Fellows will also attend three leadership retreats—including one local, one regional, and one national retreat.
work.
Marketplace Fellowship
The Kansas City Fellows program will provide Fellows with paid work experience (in their field of interest whenever possible), working four days a week (Monday — Thursday) for the ultimate purpose of furthering God’s redemptive story in our community.
These opportunities will involve a wide range of occupational callings via strategic partnerships within the local business community. Regardless of their chosen field, Fellows will have the opportunity to learn, grow, network, and live out their faith in a seamless fashion.
Notable Companies
in Kansas City
Take a look at the companies currently offering fellowships.
Take a look at some of the industry-leading companies that have offered
internships to our fellows in the past.
- AB May
- Agrithority
- Bardavon Health Innovations
- Black & Veatch
- Convergence Design
- Corbion
- Cremalab
- Crux Marketing
- Demdaco
- DVS Group
- Global Orphan Project
- Heart to Heart International
- JE Dunn Construction
- McCown Gordon
- Pivotal Health Care
- Scovell Wolfe and Associates
- Straub Construction
- Suneisis Advisors
- Tech Accel
- Wyandot Center
Here is a look at a few more of the companies based in the Kansas City area.
- AMC Entertainment
- American Century
- Burns & McDonnell
- Cerner
- DST Systems
- Garmin
- H&R Block
- Kauffman Foundation
- Lockton
- Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
- VML Advertising Agency
serve.
Giving Back
Members of the Kansas City Fellows program will have the opportunity to experience life as God designed it by giving themselves away through the local church.
Fellows will be assigned service projects in conjunction with Christ Community Church, including opportunities to serve across the five-campus Christ Community ministry as well as engaging in service opportunities within the local community.
The program will seek to place individual Fellows in areas of service aligned with their personal gifts, in addition to providing group service opportunities designed to strengthen the bond between Fellows that comes from living out shared faith in an authentic fashion.
Apply for
Our Program
Tuition for the Kansas City Fellows program is $4,000 (paid monthly during the program), plus $500/month for housing. Tuition covers all expenses related to coursework, study materials, retreats, conferences, and program administration. There is no fee to apply for the program.
Kansas City Fellows applicants should meet the following criteria:
Follower of Christ
High integrity and Christian character
Undergraduate degree
with leading GPA
Responsible student with
proven accountability
High Potential for leadership
in vocational field
Humble and teachable
Desire to excel and make a difference in life