Following Up with the Fellows: Mentor Father Kenji Kuramitsu
By Mentor Father Kenji Kuramitsu
Over the past months, I have been moved to see this group of Fellows come together from various backgrounds, united by prayer, Christian faith, and a desire to further the work of peace and justice in the Church. As we have met, both online and in person, something tender and strong has been taking shape among us. Fellows are learning how to recognize the presence of God in one another’s stories and how to carry that awareness back into their own communities.
When we gathered in person for the retreat, I witnessed Fellows finding similarities among the apparently different, and differences among the apparently similar. In that shared space, members practiced crucial skills. They negotiated conflict and interpersonal boundaries. They discerned when and how to share about themselves. They narrated faith histories and worked to integrate difficult moments on life’s journey while being witnessed by peers. All of these are crucial skills connected to the fellowship’s three goals: leadership development, faith formation, and community building.
I recall with fondness Fellows getting to know one another’s unique strengths and growth edges*. We could see this unfolding as we engaged in activities like a biblical scavenger hunt, sharing the stories of our faith development, morning and evening prayer, and Bible study. An increased level of comfort and playfulness deepened the connections identified across many distinct identities, experiences, and goals for the fellowship experience. In small conversations over meals, in quiet moments of prayer, and in bursts of laughter during group activities, Fellows were practicing what it means to be the Church together.
One fun moment I can recall was hearing the ways that music, service, and education have been important themes for many Fellows’ journeys. Some spoke about songs that carried them through seasons of grief or change. Others described service experiences that opened their eyes to the needs of their neighbors. Still others shared how study and learning helped them see the work of peace and justice as central to following Christ. In listening to these stories, I sensed a shared longing for a Church that lives more fully into God’s justice and peace in every place.
As the fellowship continues, I am hopeful about how these practices will grow. Fellows are already asking how the skills they are developing together might shape their leadership in congregations, campus ministries, and communities. They are exploring
what it means to be formed in faith not only for their own spiritual lives, but for the sake of the wider Church and the world God loves.
Community Glossary
Growth Edge: a place in your life or faith where you feel both stretched (uncomfortable) and invited to grow (welcome to change). It is the area where you sense God nudging you beyond what feels comfortable or familiar, so that you can learn, deepen, or be changed.
Questions for our wider community
I would love to invite you, reading this, into reflection alongside the Fellows. You might hold these questions in prayer, discuss them with a small group, or respond in the comments below!
1. When you think about peace and justice in the Church/through the church, what experiences in your own faith journey have shaped your hopes or concerns?
2. Where have you seen a Christian community navigate difference or conflict in a way that felt honest, caring, and faithful?
3. When you consider your own “growth edges” as a follower of Christ, what comes to mind in relation to leadership, faith, or community?