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in the story of the church. |
Welcome to Brazos FellowsWhat is it?
Each year, Brazos Fellows invites a small cohort of emerging adults to commit to a common Rule of Life, embracing a rhythm of prayer, study, work, Sabbath, and community, all rooted in the life and worship of a local parish, Christ Church Waco (ACNA). Why do it? Those who come to Brazos Fellows desire to form lifelong habits of prayer, to drink deeply from the Christian tradition, to belong within a genuine community, and to learn to hear God's call to follow Jesus. |
Who should consider Brazos Fellows?
If you want to make space for deep growth and holistic transformation, Brazos Fellows might be for you.
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Brazos Fellows can be a great fit for those who:
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Watch our new trailer to get a feel for the program:
Video Credit: Eric Guel Photography
A fellows program recommended by:
DR. JESSICA HOOTEN WILSON
"The answer to our lament over the loneliness and isolation of our current culture is creating space for deep Christian community. That's what Brazos Fellows does, and it does so with intellectual vigor, religious devotion, and a passion for beauty. Like a bootcamp for the soul, Brazos Fellows refines those in its communion through carefully curated reading, focus on spiritual practices, and friendships that will last a lifetime."
"The answer to our lament over the loneliness and isolation of our current culture is creating space for deep Christian community. That's what Brazos Fellows does, and it does so with intellectual vigor, religious devotion, and a passion for beauty. Like a bootcamp for the soul, Brazos Fellows refines those in its communion through carefully curated reading, focus on spiritual practices, and friendships that will last a lifetime."
DR. HANS BOERSMA
"Brazos Fellows is a trustworthy guide to lifelong discipleship. The directors are devoted to Christ and model Christian commitment in scholarship, in the church, and in everyday life."
"Brazos Fellows is a trustworthy guide to lifelong discipleship. The directors are devoted to Christ and model Christian commitment in scholarship, in the church, and in everyday life."
DR. RALPH WOOD
"Brazos Fellows combines an excellent regiment of corporate worship together with serious study of the great texts and teachings of the Christian tradition."
"Brazos Fellows combines an excellent regiment of corporate worship together with serious study of the great texts and teachings of the Christian tradition."
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Why 'Brazos'? /braz-us/
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Centuries ago, not far from here, lost Spanish adventurers thirsted and despaired for their lives. When they saw the river — wide eyes straining, cracked lips bleeding, dry hands reaching — they knew a miracle had taken place: they had fallen into los Brazos de Dios, the arms of God. That slow, wide river, christened fully in crisis though now called 'the Brazos,' still speaks its half-forgotten name.
Echoing our neighbor, the Rio de Los Brazos de Dios, Brazos Fellows looks to those same Arms with wide eyes, parched lips, and reaching hands, desiring to testify to another modern-day miracle: one in which God bends down and encircles us in his embrace. May we find there that we, too, need not despair. |
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Our VisionWe desire to see fellows grow like trees planted by streams of water bearing fruit in their season (Psalm 1).
Rooted in God’s Word and nourished by the Sacraments, we pray fellows will be assured of their identity as God’s child, committed to the local church, confident in the Christian tradition, devoted to prayer, and ready to follow Christ to the cross. Growing into maturity, fellows will bear fruit that builds up the Body of Christ and brings life to the world. |
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How alumni describe their experience:
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"Brazos Fellows gave me the space to attend to God's work in my life, alongside a patient, wise, and hospitable community that has continued to shape me even after the program's conclusion. Fellows has made me a more integrated person, holistically attending not just to the life of the mind, but also to the thoughts of my heart and my embodied existence, all of which (it turns out!) the Lord is redeeming." —Taylor S. (2021-2022)
"As a Brazos Fellow, I was drawn into the life of the local church. Singing hymns, meeting for morning prayer, being welcomed into family’s living rooms and to their tables, walking through the church calendar—I really fell in love with this local body of Christians."
—Mitchell E. (2020-2021) "I applied for Brazos Fellows during a time of acute, unexpected transition in my early 30s. Not only did this beautiful program offer me a generous community, a restful rhythm of regular prayer, and nourishing intellectual study, it also facilitated some extraordinary, deeply personal breakthroughs in my life—from a profound sense of God's love for me to a rekindling of my vocation as a writer to a deeper understanding of my place as a Christian in the story of the church."
—Lizzie H. (2023-2024) 
"Taking nine months to engage in Brazos Fellows’ common Rule of Life — including prayer, shared meals, theological study, and Sabbath rest — gave me time to discern my vocation in a prayerful and thoughtful manner, while the fellowship served as a model for the way I hope to continue living the Christian life."
—Hannah N. (2022-2023) |
"I grew up in church, went off to Christian college, graduated from seminary, and spent a decade in ministry before burning out, and finally taking a Sabbatical year to be a Brazos Fellow. Through all those years of Christian education, I have never experienced anything as holistically transformative—not to mention healing—as Brazos Fellows. Becoming a fellow was one of the best decisions I've ever made and I cannot recommend it enough."
—Joel T. (2022-2023) "During my time at Brazos Fellows I was invited into a life of warmhearted hospitality. Our study and communal prayer were rich, and the opening up of people’s homes gave space for these good things to take deep root in me."
—Emily V. (2019-2020) "Brazos Fellows provided the structure, time, and guidance to practice spiritual disciplines and grow in virtue. I learned to live liturgically, shaping my life as one belonging to God and not to myself.”
—Emily E. (2019-2020) "Brazos Fellows was the most formative year of my life to date. The program equipped me with a spiritual foundation that will last long beyond the nine months in Waco."
—Jess S. (2018-2019) |
Coming soon:
The Brazos Societies Project
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The Brazos Societies Project seeks to inspire and empower Anglican churches to establish communities of emerging adults who will discern their vocation as lifelong followers of Jesus and grow to maturity as members of the church by participating together in four foundational spiritual practices: common prayer, shared meals, theological study, and sabbath keeping.
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