Last semester, the Center for Rural Ministry launched a fellowship program for Grove City College students looking to use their vocational talents to serve the rural church. The fellowship program is designed to give students the opportunity to continue to cultivate and use the skills they’ve developed through their education to share what God is doing in rural places while receiving mentorship from CRM staff members. This fall, the CRM has hired three additional fellows specializing in videography and ambassadorship.
Gabriella Hallam | Student Ambassador
What year are you, and what is your major?
I am a freshman majoring in Biblical and Theological Studies with a minor in Communication Arts.
Where are you from, and what is your church background?
I am from Buffalo New York, and I come from a smaller Assembly of God church, where I was very involved in helping with their kids' church and making videos for the church as well.
How did you hear about the CRM?
I heard about it through the organization fair in the first week of school.
What made you decide you wanted to get involved with the Fellows Program?
When I was at the organization fair, I saw ministry and media combined into one internship, and I thought it would be a perfect fit!
What else are you involved in on campus?
I am also a part of the lacrosse team here.
What do you hope to gain from this experience?
I hope to gain a better experience for when I can apply these media skills to my work at a church in the future.
Jonathan Maher | Media Fellow
What year are you, and what is your major?
I am a freshman psychology major.
Where are you from, and what is your church background?
I’m from Northern Virginia, and I grew up in the Anglican Church, attending Church of the Apostles as a kid, and then Christ Church Vienna for the past 10 years or so.
How did you hear about the CRM?
I first heard about CRM at the ministry fair at the beginning of this semester.
What made you decide you wanted to get involved with the Fellows Program?
I saw that there was an opportunity to work in media, which was something I had been actively looking for, and getting to do it for a ministry was a bonus.
What else are you involved in on campus?
I’m regularly attending Met By Love, Crimsonprov, the dance clubs, and Young Life.
What do you hope to gain from this experience?
I hope to grow in my understanding of what rural ministry is and what can be done to best support them. Ideally, I would grow in my media skills as well.
Julia Truesdell | Media Fellow
What year are you, and what is your major?
I’m a sophomore English major.
Where are you from, and what is your church background?
I’m from a small town in coastal Maine called Wiscasset, and I attend a non-denominational church of about 30 regular attendees.
How did you hear about the CRM?
I heard about the CRM from a friend on campus whose church is involved with the ministry.
What made you decide you wanted to get involved with the Fellows Program?
I chatted with Garrett Heath at the ministry fair and loved the vision he has for creating documentaries that illuminate what God is doing in rural communities.
What else are you involved in on campus?
I’m involved in the outing club, orchestra and wind ensembles (playing the clarinet), and work as a Spanish TA.
What do you hope to gain from this experience?
I hope to grow as a storyteller and become more missionally minded.
Emily Fox | Writing Fellow
What year are you, and what is your major?
I am a senior English major with minors in Professional Writing and Digital Marketing.
Where are you from and what is your church background?
I am from Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and I grew up in a small, rural church in Ellwood City.
How did you hear about the CRM?
I first heard about the CRM from one of my friends who was a communications major doing a service learning project with her research methods class in collaboration with the ministry. I also remember researching the Center myself when I was asked to write an article about the CRM for the college newspaper, but I had limited knowledge about all of the ways the Center serves local rural churches until my professor, Dr. Loretto, asked me to intern with the organization the summer before my junior year. I've been so blessed during my time working with the CRM and learning from Dr. Cotherman, Dr. Loretto, Garrett and Adelia.
What made you decide you wanted to get involved with the Fellows Program?
I was actually hired before the Fellows Program was launched. When I first agreed to be an intern with the CRM, I was hoping it would be an opportunity for me to build connections with my professors and pad my resume, but the experience I got has been so much more than that. The time I've spent listening to speakers at our annual conference, interviewing pastors, and learning about rural mission has been formative for my faith. I would go as far to say that of all my experiences at Grove City College, this one has helped me grow in my relationship with God the most.
What else are you involved in on campus?
I am the Editor-in-Chief of the Grove City College Collegian.
What do you hope to gain from this experience?
I hope to continue growing vocationally and spiritually my final year of college. I'm looking forward to taking what I've learned with me out into the world and to be a voice spreading the mission and value of the rural church.
Emily Fox is a senior at Grove City College and a CRM Student Fellow. She grew up in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and is studying English with minors in Writing and Digital Marketing at the college. Post-grad, she hopes to pursue a career in Public Relations.
