Rise Fellowship

Empowering the Next Generation of Christian Leaders in Iowa City, IA

Developing Tomorrow's Christian Leaders Today

The Rise Fellowship is a one-year leadership development program through Parkview Church in Iowa City designed to prepare rising leaders from the University of Iowa for a life of influence. Through career-specific mentorship, spiritual growth, and leadership huddles, fellows will be equipped to glorify God and serve others in their careers and communities.

Join a community where you can deepen your faith, hone your leadership skills, and discover your God-given calling.

We're looking for someone who...

• will be an undergraduate at the University of Iowa in the Fall of 2025
• demonstrates the desire and capacity to lead others
• loves Jesus and longs to become more like Him
• loves serving others and being a force for good in his/her community

Fellows will receive...

• monthly mentorship sessions with experienced professionals
• leadership huddles to apply Christian leadership principles
• discipleship through Parkview's 24:7 college ministry
• a $3,000 scholarship (based on need and merit)

To apply, you need...

• a completed online application
• two references: one from a leader in the applicant's home church, and one from an individual who has discipled, mentored, or trained the applicant
• A complete FAFSA and/or snapshot of your financial picture (if applying for scholarship as well)

Application Process

Prospective Fellows should apply between March 10 and May 30. You can see an overview of the application process below, as well as required materials.

Required Materials

In addition to submitting an online application, all prospective fellows must submit contact information for two references. We request that one reference be from a leader in your home church and one be from an individual who has discipled, mentored, or trained you in some way (coach, small group leader, teacher, etc.).

Those desiring to be considered for a scholarship will be requested to submit their FAFSA as well as a brief snapshot of their financial situation. This will allow reviewers to have a complete financial picture when evaluating need for scholarship.

If you do not have a FAFSA, you can still apply for the scholarship. Please add more detail to your financial snapshot so that we can accurately gauge your need.

A Year as a Fellow

The Rise Fellowship includes a structured schedule to keep you engaged and growing.

A simple timeline graphic with key milestones for a leadership program. The timeline consists of a horizontal yellow dashed line with small circular markers indicating important dates. The milestones are labeled as follows:  'SUMMER 2025': Meet your mentor virtually or on campus. 'AUGUST 2025': Program convocation. 'SEPTEMBER 2025': Monthly leadership huddles begin. 'APRIL 2026': Final monthly leadership huddle. 'MAY 2026': Program commencement.

Year at a Glance

The official program dates are August 2025-May 2026, following the University of Iowa academic schedule. We encourage you to schedule an informal meeting with your mentor before the program kickoff in late August. Fellows will be commissioned at Parkview Church in the Sunday worship service on August 24, 2025.

Huddles will meet monthly throughout the year. We will take December off so fellows and mentors may travel and rest over winter break.

Monthly Time Commitment

The fellowship requires 6-10 hours of engagement per month.

By accepting a Rise Fellowship, you’re committing to an intentional year of growth through:
• Weekly college ministry gatherings to be spiritually formed in community (1–2 hours per week)
• Monthly leadership huddles for equipping in leadership skills and connecting with career-specific mentors (2 hours per month)
• Once-per-semester service opportunities to make a tangible impact in the community (time varies)

Each of these commitments is designed to help you grow in faith, leadership, and calling as part of a Christ-centered community.

Who is Parkview Church?

Parkview Church is an Evangelical Free Church in Iowa City, IA committed to glorifying God through the whole church forming whole disciples of Jesus for the good of all people.

We have a vision of saturating the University of Iowa network with a transformative Gospel presence in order to form and send rising leaders who bring whole-life flourishing wherever they go. The Rise Fellowship program is a key part of this vision.

FAQs

Scholarships are awarded based on merit and need alongside program acceptance on July 1. As part of the application process, you will be able to submit your FAFSA paperwork as well as a brief snapshot of your financial situation so that we can have a complete picture of need.

Mentors are assigned based on your selected degree/career-path as shared in your application. Rise Mentors are experts in their given field, often with decades of experience and education under their belt.

Fellows and Mentors will schedule a meeting in July or early August 2025 to meet virtually or in person.

We will do our best to pair you with a Mentor that is a good fit, but if you are not happy with your mentorship pairing for any reason, please let us know and we will try to get you reassigned.

Applications are due on May 30, 2025 by midnight, but you can always submit it early! Order of application submission does not impact admission. All applications will be reviewed after the application deadline.

Wonderful! We admire your curiosity and dedication to learning. We would love to answer any questions you may have. Please email college@parkviewchurch.org, and we'll be in touch.

Become a Rise Fellow

Apply today to become a rising Christian leader at the University of Iowa.