Out of the Dark
By Andrew Stine
Hi! I’m Andrew, and I thought I’d start this post with a small introduction. I am the “Eagle Scout who knows every movie/show,” loves numbers, and has introverted tendencies. Despite that, I really enjoy connecting deeply with people around me, even if it means exploring brokenness. I am a very broken person living among people who have been touched by darkness in different ways.
Before the Capital Fellows had known each other for 24 hours, we started giving 20+ minute testimonies about our lives. I remember talking about my close-knit family of six and coming to faith in Christ, but also how I separated myself from my family and friends in high school/college and didn’t have a clear path forward, getting stuck working at the Home Depot. As we all shared our stories, the way we presented ourselves always led to vulnerability with lows, such as struggles with sin and life choices, seeing the people we love unable to care for themselves, and not being accepted by fellow Christians. The ways darkness had strangled our lives were evident.
For me, after graduating college I found myself unable to put the work in to move forward. Even in darkness such as this, God was present. The game Destiny 2 has a quote that goes, “The Light lives in all places, in all things. You can block it, even try to trap it, but the Light will find its way.” Though said in a video game, this exemplifies how God works. He is always there, calling to us, no matter if we are lost in or choosing darkness. He was there through people that became close to me, experiences that I couldn’t have predicted, and providing a way forward for me through Capital Fellows.
For many of us fellows, this program has already been a way God has shown us His light. We’ve been brought into a group where we are seen and loved by the fellows and staff around us. Our jobs, friendships, dinners, roundtables, lessons, game nights, and conversations are all places God can and has been working.
“The light shines in the darkness, and darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5 ESV). My prayer for this year and beyond is that we can continue to choose to hold fast to this light as we are relentlessly pursued by it.
Movie of the Week: Thunderbolts*
Song of the Week: Cave In - Owl City
Andrew Stine is a member of the Capital Fellows class of 2026-27. He is from Leesburg, VA, and is a graduate of the Grove City College. This year, he is working at Council of Christian Colleges & Universities.
Pictures From The Week
Know a Potential Capital Fellow?
If you know a college senior or recent graduate who should consider joining the Capital Fellows program in 2027-28, please encourage them to get in touch with us. The easiest way to express interest in the program is through our Contact Us Form. You can learn more about the program, including application deadlines, by visiting the Capital Fellows website.
About Capital Fellows. Capital Fellows is an advanced leadership and discipleship program for recent college graduates. Through graduate courses, a paid internship, one-on-one mentoring, and many leadership and community service opportunities, fellows develop and apply their gifts in real-world situations while learning to integrate a Christian worldview into all areas of life. Capital Fellows is a unique opportunity to live and work in the Washington DC area and to be an active member of a supportive community that seeks to serve the city with the love of Christ. It is also a unique opportunity to get hands-on experience in the workplace while deeply exploring God’s design for us as workers and contributors to human flourishing.
Pray for the Capital Fellows
Thank you for praying for the Capital Fellows each week!
It's October already! This is the time of year that many fellows start to feel tired and a bit worn down. This is a key aspect of the transition from college to post-college life. In college, a student has a lot of freedom to spend time as they choose. After college, whether someone is in a Fellows program or not, this dynamic changes. They now have to bend to the schedule of the working world, while maintaining friendships at longer distances, investing in important things like church life and serving others. Like the Capital Fellows before them, Season 20 will find their rhythm in all of this, but the transition is hard and keenly felt in October. Please pray that they would make this transition well, embracing all that God has for them in this season of life.
Want to learn more about Season 20? Click the button below to read through their bios!
About The Fellows Initiative
Capital Fellows is part of a network of similar programs across the country. This network is called The Fellows Initiative. There are 34 Fellows programs in TFI, roughly 3,200 alumni living around the world, and more Fellows programs on the way.
If you know a church in the US or Canada that would benefit from joining TFI by launching a new Fellows program. Please contact TFI by visiting their website.
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