New City Fellows
Discipleship, fellowship & leadership development for emerging leaders & professionals at the intersection of Faith, Work & Culture

New City Fellows is a life-changing experience. It is a year-long discipleship, fellowship, and leadership development program for emerging leaders and professionals in their mid-20s to mid-40s that equips them to connect faith, work, and culture, and to rediscover the goodness, beauty, and truth of the Christian faith for life in our world and culture today.
The program equips Fellows to become Christians and leaders who have greater confidence and wisdom in their faith and witness, who bring the fullness of the gospel to bear on all of life, and who join God in working for the renewal of their workplaces, churches, and cities. As an immersive program, it provides Fellows with four foundational areas of growth.
Foundational Areas of Growth
Theological Training
Through reading, classes, discussion, and reflection, Fellows gain a robust vision for how the Gospel affects every aspect of life, and how they can engage the rapidly changing and diverse culture of Raleigh. Areas of study include:
- Theology from traditions across historic, global Christianity (seminary-level overview for lay leaders)
- Bible and worldview
- Apologetics, public theology, missiology, and a theology of culture
- Christian approaches to various vocations and cultural issues
- Works read include those by St. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, C.S. Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, John Stott, N.T. Wright, Abraham Kuyper, Christopher Wright, Tim Keller, James Davison Hunter, Martin Luther King Jr., James K.A. Smith, Dorothy Sayers, Vince Bacote, Andy Crouch, Karen Swallow Prior, and many contemporary writers.
Community Formation
The program brings together a community of peers from diverse backgrounds, churches, and vocations and forms them into a life-changing fellowship of friends who are committed to each other’s spiritual growth. This is often the most life-changing part of the program, a surprise to many Fellows. The program fosters relationships through:
- One-on-one mentorship with a seasoned leader
- A prayer partner (or two) to walk through the program with
- Group discussion, prayer, and discussion
- A culture of vulnerability and caring for one another
- Learning from and networking with prominent local leaders in various fields and the local church (see Faculty below)
Spiritual and Personal Development
The program cultivates character formation and spiritual growth in our fellows through:
- Devotional practices and spiritual disciplines drawn from throughout Christian history
- Quarterly retreats
Cultural Renewal
We train our Fellow to understand and effectively engage and impact the culture of their workplace and the city with the gospel by developing a theologically informed imagination and vision of renewal, culminating with a project for implementing that vision.
Join the next class of New City Fellows
ADMISSIONS CALENDAR
Apply at any time for the next class of New City Fellows. Applications will be reviewed starting March 1, when the Admissions season opens each year. There are benefits to applying early; see FAQ section below for details.
- April 15 – Early Round 1 Deadline
- May 15 – Early Round 2 Deadline
- May 30 – Standard Deadline
- June – Decisions Announced & Welcome Reception
- June-August – Onboarding & Summer Assignments
- Late August-Early May – Official Program Year
FAQs
- Applicants should be in their mid-20s to mid-40s who are members of or actively involved in their church. We welcome applications from members of any church in Raleigh or the Triangle that holds to the historic Christian beliefs outlined in the Nicene Creed.
- Each class typically includes 12-15 men and 12-15 women from a broad range of backgrounds, including full-time parents, students, those in career transitions, and working professionals in various industries (law, finance, technology, nonprofit leadership, vocational ministry, education, government, medicine, real estate, and the arts).
New City Fellows is an immersive program that is meant to foster spiritual transformation and deep relationships, so it is a significant but worthwhile investment. It is designed to be manageable even for those with full-time responsibilities, such as professionals, students, and parents.
Admitted Fellows begin their summer assignments in June or July.
The program year begins in earnest late August or early September, with:
- Weekly 2-hour cohort meetings (cohorts typically meet Sunday afternoon, Monday evening, or Tuesday evening)
- Monthly Saturday programs in the city focusing on a different industry/vocation
- Three quarterly weekend retreats, typically in September, midwinter, and late April/early May
- Extensive reading (15-20 pages per day) and several projects
- Guided daily devotionals (5 days a week)
- Monthly meeting with a New City mentor
All tuition goes towards program expenses, including: seminary or MBA-level weekly teaching for nine months from world-class local and national leaders; books and materials; online learning management system; and weekend retreat and Saturday program costs, including many meals, snacks, facilities, and room-and-board. Tuition covers roughly 40% of the cost required to run the program. The remainder of the cost of the program is heavily subsidized by generous supporters and partners.
While the program tuition is not an insignificant amount of money for most individuals, for perspective, it may be helpful to consider that the average tuition for one seminary class is $2,000, one 3-hour credit MBA class is $3,500, and a typical executive-level leadership development course costs from $3,500 to $7,000 for a five-day program.
Gross tuition rates for New City Fellows, before scholarships and discounts are applied, are as follows. Early applications receive an automatic discount.
- Early Round 1 Deadline Applications (April 15) – $1,850
- Early Round 2 Deadline Applications (May 15) – $2,000
- Standard Deadline Applications (May 30) – $2,100
Discounts and Scholarships are available and are typically awarded generously.
- Need-based scholarships – of either 1/2 or 1/4 reductions off of gross tuition. Requests for scholarships should be submitted in writing with application materials, in a letter indicating the amount requested and outlining the need for a scholarship.
- Couples discount – of either 50% off of gross tuition for the second spouse if sharing books, or 40% off if not sharing books. Each spouse should submit a separate application to the program. Couples should request either this couples discount, or a need-based scholarship, but not both.
- Payment plans are also available.
Apply at any time for the next class of New City Fellows. Applications will be reviewed starting March 1, when the Admissions season opens each year. There are benefits to applying early. See FAQ tab “What is the cost?” above for details.
- April 15 – Early Round 1 Deadline
- May 15 – Early Round 2 Deadline
- May 30 – Standard Deadline
- June – Decisions Announced & Welcome Reception
- June-August – Onboarding & Summer Assignments
- Late August-Early May – Official Program Year
Fellows are selected by our admissions committee on the basis of several criteria, including:
- emerging leaders in their mid-20s to mid-40s;
- commitment to the gospel, the church, and the renewal of our cities;
- spiritual maturity; and
- ability to fulfill their commitment to the Fellows program.
Email us with questions or schedule a coffee or call on us to explore joining the program.
You can also attend one of our Info Sessions, which take place every February through April.
Faculty

Dr. Jack Carson
Executive Director of the Center for Public Christianity

Daniel J. Lee
Director of New City Fellows

Rev. Dr. John Yates III
Rector of Holy Trinity Anglican Church
Visiting Faculty
Our faculty each year is comprised of our staff, partner church leaders, Fellows, and visiting lecturers and speakers. Visiting faculty in past years has included:

Dr. Josh D. Chatraw
Billy Graham Chair of Evangelism and Cultural Engagement, Beeson Divinity School

Rev. Dr. Jonathan Pennington
Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Southern Seminary; Teaching Pastor at Sojourn East

Dr. Molly Worthen
Associate Professor of History at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill; Freelance Journalist

Rev. Dr. Walter R. Strickland II
Assistant Professor of Systematic and Contextual Theology; Pastor at Imago Dei Church

Katherine Leary Alsdorf
Co-Founder of New City Fellows, Founder of Center for Faith & Work

John Alsdorf
Co-Founder of New City Fellows

Dr. Wesley Burks
Dean of UNC School of Medicine and CEO of UNC Health Care

Rev. Tripp Gordon
Curate at Holy Trinity Anglican Church

Michele Suffridge
Executive Director of Refugee Hope Partners

Frank Hill
Director of The Institute for the Public Trust

John Kane
Founder & CEO of Kane Realty Corporation

Dr. Warren Kinghorn
Associate Research Professor of Pastoral and Moral Theology at Duke Divinity School; Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center

LaToya Montague
Executive Director of Communities in Schools Wake County

Benjamin Quinn
Associate Professor of Theology, Director of the Bush Center for Faith and Culture, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Joy Currey
Founder & President of Corral Riding Academy

Dr. Gil Greggs
Director of Academic Symposia & Upper School History Teacher at St. David’s School

Rev. Geoff Bradford
Senior Pastor at Christ the King Presbyterian Church

Anissa Ferris
Psychotherapist

David Spickard
Founder of 11 Ten Leadership, former CEO of Jobs for Life

Matt Miglarese
Executive Pastor, Summit Church; Faith-Driven Investor; Trajektory Advisors
Testimonials and Endorsements
“We at CtK (Christ the King Presbyterian) are thrilled at the chance to partner with Holy Trinity and Vintage—two other churches that share a common context and vision. We believe that the New City Fellows will provide first-rate discipleship training for many. But what really makes this program so exciting is that it provides unique opportunities for Kingdom-minded Christians in our distinct churches to develop friendships and partnerships for the common good. ”
Geoff Bradford, Senior Pastor at Christ the King Presbyterian
“I cannot think of a more strategic ministry initiative than New City Fellows. It helps young professionals to take the most important thing in the world – the Gospel – and allow it to shape the place where they spend the most time – Work. If the gospel truly changes our hearts then it will profoundly shape our work. And gospel-centered work will change our city and culture. This is what New City Fellows is all about… it’s what Holy Trinity is all about.”
Rev. John W. Yates III, Rector, Holy Trinity Anglican Church
“At first, I was hesitant to make such a big commitment, but having been through the program, I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions of my life. It completely transformed my personal relationship with God, my approach to work and allowed me to see how deeply connected they are.”
Katie Henderson, Financial Advisor & Gotham Fellow, Class of 2015
“New City Fellows helps young professionals see their vocation as an act of worship and mission, not just self-fulfillment and self-realization.”
Katherine Leary Alsdorf, New City Fellows Founding Director and co-author of Every Good Endeavor
“I am so excited to be involved in this endeavor to teach and equip young leaders how to navigate their faith, work and personal lives. I wish this opportunity had been available to me as a young Christian trying to understand the integration of work culture and faith commitment.”
John Kane, Chairman & CEO of Kane Realty Corp.
“The New City Fellows program is addressing a significant need and I am pleased to be a part of this new initiative in Raleigh. I would have jumped at the chance to participate in something like New City when I was a young professional.”
Bill Roper, Interim President of UNC System