Young-Adult Community
Adults ages 18–39 find belonging, honest conversation, purposeful responsibility, friendship, and space to explore identity and calling.
Birmingham-Bessemer Youth Ministries · Adults 18–39
Rooted in faith.
Grounded in culture.
Called to build.
A 12-month, community-centered Christian discipleship and scholar-leadership fellowship forming young adults who can follow Christ, serve their neighbors, preserve cultural heritage, and build institutions for Birmingham-Bessemer.
18–39Young adult focus
12 monthsFormation journey
24Triad gatherings
1Public contribution
What the Fellowship is
Formation that becomes community contribution.
The Reginald Swanson Fellowship is a community-centered scholar-leadership program that equips emerging leaders to preserve cultural heritage, build practical skills, grow as disciples of Jesus Christ, and create institutions and public projects that strengthen the Birmingham-Bessemer community.
Fellows do not study the community from a distance. They learn with residents, listen to elders, serve through relationships, conduct ethical research, and return something useful to the people whose knowledge shaped their work.
The integrated model
Four foundations. One whole leader.
The Fellowship combines young-adult ministry, relational discipleship, public humanities, and community action. Each foundation strengthens the others.
Christian Discipleship
Intentional leaders cultivate spiritual maturity through Scripture, prayer, relationships, modeling, accountability, and practice.
Public Humanities
Fellows study history, culture, faith, ethics, literature, and community memory to understand people and interpret public life.
Community Leadership
Knowledge becomes service through research, digital creation, civic collaboration, public projects, and institution building.
The discipleship pathway
Growth has direction.
Chronological age does not determine spiritual maturity. Each Fellow begins from an honest assessment of faith and readiness, then receives the relationships and responsibilities needed for the next faithful step.
Belong
Enter a trustworthy Christian community where questions, stories, struggles, and gifts can be known.
Follow
Build foundations in the way of Jesus through Scripture, prayer, worship, obedience, and grace.
Grow
Develop character, self-awareness, discipline, relationships, cultural understanding, and practical competence.
Serve
Use spiritual gifts, knowledge, and professional abilities to address real needs with the community.
Multiply
Become a leader who mentors others, develops new disciples, shares responsibility, and strengthens institutions.
Two dimensions of formation
The disciple and the scholar-leader grow together.
Spiritual Formation
Fellows develop practices and relationships that help faith become visible in everyday life.
- Biblical foundations and the life of Jesus
- Prayer, worship, reflection, and Sabbath
- Christian identity, gifts, calling, and vocation
- Character, integrity, relationships, and reconciliation
- Service, stewardship, witness, and disciple-making
Scholar-Leadership Formation
Fellows learn how to turn knowledge, culture, and practical ability into public value.
- African-American and Birmingham-Bessemer history
- Public humanities and ethical community research
- Writing, speaking, digital media, and documentation
- Financial literacy and community wealth
- Project management, partnership, and institution building
The relational environment
Discipleship happens life to life.
Every Fellow participates in a formation triad with a trained mentor and a peer. The triad meets twice each month, creating a consistent place for truth, encouragement, modeling, accountability, prayer, project guidance, and preparation to serve others.
The goal is not dependency on a mentor. It is maturity: each Fellow gradually learns to encourage, guide, and disciple another person.
Prayer and presence
Life and faith check-in
Scripture and reflection
Character and calling
Project guidance
Commitments and prayer
The 12-month journey
Four phases. One transformed leader. One public contribution.
Months 1–3
Belong and Begin
Enter the covenant, meet your triad, assess spiritual and leadership readiness, learn the Fellowship story, and establish formation practices.
Months 4–6
Listen and Learn
Study Scripture, community history, culture, and research ethics; listen to residents and institutions; identify a real community question.
Months 7–9
Serve and Build
Join a BBYM or Swanson Initiative working group, practice gifts and skills, test ideas, and develop a useful public project.
Months 10–12
Share and Multiply
Publish and present the community deliverable, mentor another person, reflect on growth, and enter a continuing leadership pathway.
Who should become a Fellow?
We recruit promise, character, and willingness to grow.
Applicants do not need to arrive as finished leaders, polished scholars, or spiritually mature mentors. They should be ready to learn, participate faithfully, accept guidance, serve others, and complete meaningful work.
- Community-minded
- Spiritually open and committed to growth
- Intellectually curious
- Dependable and responsible
- Humble and teachable
- Culturally grounded
- Respectful and collaborative
- Creative and solution-oriented
- Committed to service
- Willing to mentor others
What Fellows produce
Formation should leave evidence.
A Formation Portfolio
Reflections, spiritual practices, assessments, goals, mentor feedback, and evidence of personal growth.
A Public Humanities Project
An archive, website, oral history, curriculum, documentary, report, exhibition, event, or other community resource.
A Leadership Record
Documented service in a working group, project responsibilities, professional skills, and collaborative achievements.
A Community Presentation
A public Showcase presentation that returns knowledge to residents, partners, mentors, and supporting institutions.
A Disciple-Making Practice
Experience encouraging, guiding, or mentoring another person through an intentional Christian relationship.
A Continuing Pathway
A next step into BBYM leadership, ministry, education, employment, entrepreneurship, service, or advanced study.
“Let your yes be yes, and your no be no.”
— Matthew 5:37
A covenant of presence and purpose
More than a program agreement.
Fellows commit to presence, honesty, preparation, service, ethical conduct, and meaningful work. Mentors commit to prayer, listening, modeling, guidance, and timely feedback. BBYM commits to training, relationships, working-group placement, publication, recognition, and a pathway to continued leadership.
Leadership · Legacy · Light
Bring your faith. Bring your questions. Bring your gifts.
Build what comes next.
The Fellowship welcomes adults ages 18–39 who are ready to connect Christian discipleship, cultural heritage, scholarship, vocation, and service to the future of Birmingham-Bessemer.