The Burnham Fellowship
Learn more at an upcoming info lunch!
Learn more at an upcoming info lunch!
What is Burnham?
In September 2008, Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City committed to equipping their young adults for gospel leadership in the world. As a result of this commitment, they designed what became known as the Gotham Fellowship, an intensive, top-tier training program in faith and work, that engenders commitment from its participants and congregation.
Through our relationship with The Global Faith and Work Initiative, Faith & Work Chicago offers this intensive program in Chicago as the Burnham Fellowship. The Fellowship provides the theological, spiritual, and relational foundations required for meaningful and sustainable integration of faith and work in our urban context. Over the course of our 9 months together we work to reveal how our culture has and is shaping us and we seek to be counter-formed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. We do this through deep theological reflection and readings, personal and communal spiritual formation practices, as well hands-on projects to impact our neighborhoods and city. Click below to learn more about the application process.
The Burnham Fellowship is a nine-month learning community designed to broaden your understanding of and deepen your connection to God’s redemptive work by applying theology, spiritual practices, and cultural renewal to your work, your relationships, and the city of Chicago.
Each Cohort includes fellows from diverse professional and personal backgrounds. Burnham provides four foundational elements needed for the integration of faith and work: Theological Training, Spiritual Development, Community Formation, and Cultural Engagement.
Watch the video
Theological Training
At the core of our program is the commitment to consider how the Gospel impacts every area of life. We develop a worldview that draws from the deep resources of classical theologians and the Reformed tradition, and is sufficiently robust to engage our diverse and complex culture. The Burnham program is grounded in the Biblical narrative that points to God’s redemptive purpose in all of history and includes:
A robust curriculum of primary theological texts
Weekly teaching from pastoral staff and Christian leaders
Regular cohort-based discussion on readings and lectures
Spiritual Development
Burnham cultivates spiritual growth that activates personal and professional development through relationships, daily practices, and projects, incuding:
Pastoral care and mentorship throughout the program
Guided weekly prayer and spiritual formation practices
Peer-based prayer partners to walk with you through the program
Applied projects + exercises to apply the curriculum to life
Community Formation
Burnham forms a community of learners, from diverse backgrounds, churches, and vocations, who are committed to each others’ spiritual growth and calling to serve the common good of the city.
Community-based learning to process everyday life and work in the city
Group discussions and collaborative learning
Opportunities for social gatherings
Relationships with instructors, mentors, and speakers
Cultural Engagement
Through application exercises and the Cultural Renewal Project, fellows are encouraged to put their faith into action within the context of their city and work environment. Alumni may go on to be part of the Renewal Accelerator, following the program.
Considering areas of brokenness in their own workplace, fellows spend several months working toward gospel-centered solutions
Fellows receive expert coaching in Design Thinking principles
Everyone presents their project in the Spring
PROGRAM DETAILS AND COMMITMENT
The Burnham Fellowship is a 9-month program for adults who live in Chicago. Our general goal for each class is for it to comprise 50% men and 50% women working in diverse fields including law, finance, education, government, non-profit, design, medicine, retail, the arts, and stay-at-home parents.
The Fellowship begins at the end of September and finishes before Memorial Day weekend. During these 9 months, Fellows meet 2 hours a week to discuss the (sometimes extensive) weekly reading of major texts from various eras of church history or thought history. Daily devotionals unite the group through guided scriptural and devotional readings. Monthly Saturday gatherings provide in-depth training. 3 retreats (Sep, Jan, and May) focus on personal reflection and spiritual formation.
The Fellows tuition fee covers the program expenses, including books. The fee is $1500 and can be paid in installments throughout the year. We are seeking donors who would enable us to provide financial aid as needed. A limited number of scholarships are available, please submit this form along with your application, if you need to apply for financial help.
Get a Taste of Burnham
We’ve run Burnham cohorts since 2016, with participants from over 20 churches across Chicagoland. We think Burnham will change your life. But don’t just take our word for it. Watch and read some of the stories of our 100+ alumni and register to come to an info lunch this Spring!