Volunteer Status: The Faith at the Crossroads  fellow position is a volunteer position. This means that, if you accept the role, you perform all duties on a voluntary basis, and you will not receive any remuneration or payment for your work. Instead, your benefits will consist of program-provided housing, a shared grocery allowance for the house, a $400/month cost-of-living stipend, and participation in the Episcopal Church’s health insurance program, if you are not already covered under your parents’ plan.

Length of Service and Time Off: Faith at the Crossroads begins August 11th, 2024 and ends on June 8th, 2025. Move-in happens between August 6th- August 10th. Orientation and training will begin August 11th, and the first day of site work will be August 19th. All Faith at the Crossroads fellows receive up to two weeks of time off to use at their discretion, time off between December 20, 2024—January 4th, 2025 and up to 10 sick days. Additionally, fellows receive holidays as determined by their work site. Time off must be approved at least fourteen (14) days in advance, by both the host site supervisor and the Faith at the Crossroads Program Director. 

Stipend, Healthcare, Transportation, and Housing: During your eleven (11) months of service, you will stay in furnished housing at no cost to you, with all utilities paid, receive health care coverage (if you are not already covered), and also receive a monthly stipend intended to cover basic living expenses ($400 per month, before taxes). Each fellow will also receive $250/month food allowance, which will be loaded on a shared grocery card for the house. If you are bringing a car, we will reimburse you for gas up to $60 per month (same price as a monthly bus pass). If you do not have a vehicle, we will provide you with a monthly IndyGo bus pass. The TSC house is very close to IndyGo’s Red Line. 

Loan Deferment and Payment: Episcopal Service Corps not an AmeriCorps program, so there is no automatic student loan forbearance for fellows. Fellows can apply to their student lender or loan servicer for loan deferment or forbearance, which many have done successfully in the past. Loan deferment or forbearance suspends required loan repayment for a period of time. For more information and resources related to student loans, visit the following links: ● https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/deferment-forbearance ● https://www.asa.org/about-us-orig/ ● https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/ 

Site Placements: Fellows will serve in a variety of non-profit organizations in Indianapolis, including Trinity Haven, Indiana Youth Group, Christ Church Cathedral, St. Richard’s Episcopal School, Horizons at St. Richard’s, Mid-North Food Pantry, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and others. Each fellow serves thirty-two (32) hours per week in their site placement as part of their leadership development and training. 

Faith at the Crossroads will place all fellows at one of our partner sites through a process of mutual discernment. By signing this acceptance offer the fellow agrees to abide by this placement site decision and participate fully in the opportunities given to the fellow. You will be given an opportunity to have a conversation with partner sites you are interested in. Placement decisions will be made by the Program Director following these conversations.  

Spiritual Formation and Leadership Training: Along with their site placement work, all fellows will participate in leadership training, personal development, and spiritual formation. Training and formation will take place in different forms which can include some Wednesday evenings, Sunday afternoons, weekend workshops. As well as three retreats throughout the year covering our major programmatic themes of reconciliation, contemplative practices, and liberation theology. During this time of formation we hope you will learn and practice skills that help you to become faith-rooted reconciling leaders who work for justice and healing in your community. Fellows are encouraged to attend Sunday worship at Trinity or another faith community of their choosing. Fellows will also be expected to attend occasional Sunday adult forum sessions and/or Wednesday special events at Trinity to share their experiences with Trinity parishioners.  

Intentional Community: All Faith at the Crossroads Fellows make the choice to live in an intentional Christian community for eleven (11) months. This means fellows share meals and pray together at least a few times each week, and pursue opportunities for study and discernment together. A few times during the year, fellows and program staff also enjoy retreats to strengthen community and deepen personal discernment. At the beginning of the year, each house will craft a Community Covenant based on the 12 Habits of a Reconciler created by The Rose Castle Foundation in England. The community covenant will serve as a guide for fellows to navigate the challenging and rich experience of intentional community. As part of this commitment, fellows will meet weekly on Tuesday evenings (or some other consistent day that works best for the community) for dinner and house meetings with a Chaplain who will offer practices for living in community and provide space for the community to check-in. 

Travel:  Each year, Trinity Service Corps Fellows will go on a pilgrimage to a site significant to movements for peace, justice, and reconciliation. ​​In 2023, fellows joined Trinity Episcopal Church Parishioners on a 3-day equal justice pilgrimage to Alabama to visit The Legacy Museum, The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

For the 2024-2025 year we plan to take fellows on a 1-week pilgrimage to Rose Castle in England, UK. While the cost of this trip will be covered by the program, fellows will be expected to bring or secure their own passports and cover any additional expenses outside travel, room, and board.  

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