Born out of Imago Dei’s Missional Grants program, the Nitin Fellowship has gathered an intentional community from Imago Dei — called the “Fellowship Core” — which is committed to funding, supporting, equipping, and walking alongside two Fellows for a minimum of 1 year of service abroad.

For the Fellowship Core (and our wider church community), this is not just about sending individuals, but about participating together: learning, praying, and leveraging our collective resources to support the Fellows doing meaningful, sustainable work.

For the Fellows, this is an opportunity to spend a year serving with an existing trusted ministry in a low-resource community somewhere in the world. The vision is for the two Fellows to live together. The Fellowship Core provides oversight of the Fellows, supporting them in their work and undertaking the fellowship’s logistics.

Nitin Fellowship

To be eligible for the Nitin Fellowship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  1. Age 18 or over

  2. Apply as a pair or family

  3. Have a commitment to serving in a broadly low-resource setting with an existing organization.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

WHAT KIND OF SERVICE WILL FELLOWS PARTICIPATE IN?

The service must be directly connected to an existing organization already working in the local community. Any type of service is of interest to the program (e.g. ministry, healthcare, education, infrastructure, business development, etc.). Fellows could apply with an organization already identified, or Fellows could apply with simply an idea of how they hope to serve. If needed, the Fellowship Core is committed to helping prospective Fellows discern opportunities and connect with trusted organizations around the world.

The Imago Dei Missional Grants program has provided funds to cover international travel insurance and liability protection for the Fellows. The funds also facilitate Fellowship Core functions. The Fellowship Core has committed to covering travel costs and a living stipend for the Fellows during their time of service.

FUNDING

Nitin was the small, humble security guard at the front gate of our hospital’s compound in rural India. I pass by him a dozen times a day for over a year. He patiently endured a speech impediment. I eventually learned he was a Jesus follower and a contemplative. All day he sat and observed the hospital’s happenings. One day I wrote the following in my journal after sitting with Nitin at the front gate:

“Today, Nitin’s eyes were bloodshot red, and I asked him why. ‘Because [I] cry out [to] God. Cry.’ He went on to talk about prayer and crying out to God for the whole world. Then he prayed. His passion and simplicity move me. He pointed around and said, ‘God is there, there, there, there, here,’ and then he touched his eyes, head, ears. ‘He is everywhere.’ I want to see God like Nitin sees God.”

who is nitin?

If you’re interested, know someone who might be, or would like to learn more, please reach out or connect with Conor and Melanie McWade (conor.m.mcwade@gmail.com or 503-880-9954).

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