Gordon College Collaborates with Denver Institute to Launch the 5280 Fellowship

The Denver Institute for Faith & Work and Gordon College have partnered to offer the 5280 Fellowship, a rigorous and selective nine-month leadership program for full-time professionals in the Denver metro area. Managed and offered through the Denver Institute, the 5280 Fellowship is derived in part from President Lindsay’s study of the highly successful White House Fellowship program, featuring its most effective elements—a diverse cohort, substantive work assignments, a broadening education and public recognition.

Each year, Gordon faculty will serve as guest presenters at the Fellowship, including President Lindsay during the inaugural 2016–17 session. Upon successful completion of the program, Gordon College and Denver Institute for Faith & Work will present Fellows with a Certificate in Theology, Work & Culture.

“In research interviews with 550 top leaders, I learned that what happens in your life before age 20 doesn’t matter a whole lot. And once you reach about age 40, your trajectory is set. But those critical decades of your 20s and 30s are the catalytic season that makes a difference,” says President Lindsay. “I’m excited about the ways the 5280 Fellowship is helping to serve that particular demographic.”

The Fellowship will form participants under three “umbrellas” of focus: leadership and service, Christian theology and spiritual formation, and community networks and American culture. Named for Denver’s location at 5,280 feet above sea level, the 5280 Fellowship will accept 48 applicants for the inaugural 2016–17 session.

Throughout the program, Fellows will interact with top local leaders, gaining an inside look at their workplaces and engaging in discussion about their work and influence. More than 40 leaders will participate in the 2016–17 session, including John Coors (CoorsTek), Dan Dye (Ardent Mills), Helen Hayes (Janus Funds, retired), Bill Kurtz (Denver School of Science and Technology), Dayne Matthew (University of Colorado Law School) and John Beeble (Saunders Construction). Designed with a full-time professional in mind, the program schedule involves weekly cohort meetings, one weekend teaching session or retreat per month, four gatherings with senior leaders in Denver, and regular assignments.

Learn more about the curriculum, faculty and the application process >>