Welcome to the Pursuit, a series documenting the experiences of a Colson Fellow-in-Training as they seek to walk wisely in this time and place. Each segment will provide an insider’s look at what a prospective participant can actually expect should they choose to embark on the journey themselves.
In this segment, we sat down with Mason Young, a husband, father, grandfather, and Christian educator working with K-12 faculty, and asked him to share his experience with the Colson Fellows program. The Colson Fellows program is designed for busy men and women from all walks of life in mind. Here's a glimpse inside. Enjoy!
The Pursuit: Mason Young
How a full-time Christian educator does the Colson Fellows program
As told to the Colson Center communications staff
Where are you from? Colorado Springs, Colorado.
What is your occupation? I’m an educator at Colorado Springs Christian School. I was formerly a principal but now I serve as the Worldview Advancement Leader, working with all of the K-12 faculty to integrate faith into their classrooms.
What season of life are you in? I’m in my mid-60s and working full-time. I’m also a husband, father of one adult child, and a grandpa.
What led to your interest in the Colson Fellows program? I sought out the Colson Fellows program due to a gap I noticed at my school. I wanted my educators to learn worldview so they could integrate it into their classrooms. From my time at Summit Ministries, I knew of John Stonestreet and was very familiar with the Colson Fellows program. Knowing what the program provides, I felt it would be a great resource for me to launch worldview training in my school. I felt a burden on my heart as a principal when I saw that fewer and fewer of our teachers were equipped with the training they needed to integrate their Christian faith into their classrooms. I wanted to step in and teach them to how to integrate a biblical worldview in their lesson plan.
What Colson Fellows cohort are you in? I participated in the Colorado Springs Cohort. It was a great experience.
How did you approach the workload for the Colson Fellows program? I approached the work very methodically, because I’m a teacher by training and I knew that I was going to have to schedule my time to keep up with the work. It probably took me 10-15 hours of reading each week and then extra discussion time on top of that. I was serious about it. It was purposeful, and I knew what I wanted to get out of it, so I put in the time to be sure I accomplished it. I felt like I had an advantage because I am an educator. I love reading, and setting a pace to complete the work was easy for me.
What was your favorite book or topic to study? I can’t pick just one. There wasn’t a bad book in the whole mix. I saw each of them as having valuable insights. Each one of them has something so significant in it. Just like building a house, each one is foundational in building the structure and making it stronger.
Most challenging moment? None for myself, because I felt like I knew what I was getting into. I know some others in my cohort struggled more with the personal mission plan because they found it to be intimidating, that the plan they came up with wasn’t impactful enough. But nothing is too small!
Where has the Colson Fellows program most impacted you? What transformation did it bring about in your life? Being able to take worldview training into the school and see that transfer to teachers and then to the students. What we do not only affects now; it affects eternity. There’s nothing more important than affecting eternity from a biblical worldview.
What did you do for your personal mission plan as a commissioned Colson Fellow? I set out to go through the program for the reasons above, to equip my teachers to integrate worldview curriculum into their lesson plans.
What would you say to someone considering the program? Any advice? Don’t do it because you were talked into it. This must be something that God has put a calling upon your heart to do. Be sure your heart is in the right place. We’ve got to take that influence before we can share it with someone else. You are like a pitcher of lemonade: You need to have a full pitcher so that you can pour something of worth out to others.