The Colson Center equips Christians with the clarity, confidence, and courage they need to live like Christians in this cultural moment. By training believers in Christian worldview, and building on the legacy of its’ founder, Chuck Colson, the Colson Center works to help all Jesus followers live aligned to what they believe. The Colson Center combines broad-reaching content, deep discipleship programs, and multiplying networks to equip Christians for cultural engagement. The Center is in Colorado Springs and utilizes both a hybrid and remote staff structure.
The Church is God’s primary instrument for discipleship and cultural witness. The Colson Fellows Church Affiliate Program exists to come alongside the local church, equipping believers to understand the times and live faithfully under the reign of Christ. This role is essential to that vision—helping extend the reach of Christian worldview formation into congregations across the country, strengthening the Church for faithful presence in a rapidly changing culture.
THE COLSON CENTER STORY
Chuck Colson served as an advisor in the Nixon administration before being convicted and sentenced to prison for his involvement in the Watergate scandal. After his conviction, the Gospel was shared with him, and he immediately responded. He served out a prison sentence as he grew in his faith, and upon release, began doing prison ministry which ultimately resulted in the founding of Prison Fellowship in 1976.
In 1991, the ministry expanded as he established the Colson Center for Christian Worldview to help Christians understand how their faith connects to all parts of life and motivate them to effective cultural engagement. In 2004, to provide broader and deeper training, he initiated the Centurions, an entrepreneurial program designed to educate Christian men and women in worldview, culture, and biblical theology. Under Chuck’s leadership, he had them read the best books, listen to the best teachers and speakers, and develop their own personal plan for serving the Lord in unique ministries in their communities. When Chuck Colson passed away in 2012, the program was renamed Colson Fellows to honor his legacy. Today, it continues to fulfil his vision. Through the robust program content, participants grow in their faith and in a Biblical understanding of culture, then the process culminates as they prepare their own personal mission plan for serving the Lord.
WHAT THEY DO
The Colson Center has two primary initiatives – Media and Training. The Colson media programs include among others the Breakpoint podcast, and the What Would You Say podcast. Each program equips believers on how to navigate specific cultural topics, in relation to their Christian faith.
Colson training programs are more in-depth, equipping believers in how to live according to a scriptural worldview, and utilize scripture to provide the clarity, confidence, and courage to live as Jesus followers in the world. The training initiative includes the Colson Fellows program, the Colson Educators program, and the Truth Rising Curriculum.
Each year, the Colson Fellows program trains participants through a discipleship journey of Christian worldview formation, through regional and online cohorts that begin each August and conclude each May. These cohorts are run by volunteers who are trained by the Colson Center, and include monthly cohort meetings, an extensive reading syllabus with 12-14 books, online webinars each month, and an online learning platform for group discussions, writing assignments, and more. In recent years, the program has averaged 1900 Fellows each year, coordinated by 1200 volunteer leaders. The capacity is there to be able to successfully accommodate 5300 fellow participants each year with the current number of volunteer staff. The program runs from August – May each year and concludes with a commissioning event each May at the National Conference. The Colson Center seeks to maintain and expand the fellowship program in two specific ways:
By recruiting, training, and equipping the current volunteer workforce, which will be the primary responsibility of the Director of Colson Fellow Cohorts.
By partnering closely with churches, which will be the primary responsibility of the Director of Church Engagement.
POSITION DESCRIPTION
TITLE: Director of Church Engagement
REPORTS TO: Vice President & Dean of the Colson Fellowship
STATUS: Full-time, Remote
TRAVEL: Up to 25% of the time to visit church partners and various conferences.
POSITION SUMMARY
This role builds on the proven success of the Colson Fellows Program. The Church is God’s primary instrument for discipleship and cultural witness. The Colson Fellows Church Affiliate Program exists to come alongside the local church, equipping believers to understand the times and live faithfully under the reign of Christ. This role is essential to that vision—helping extend the reach of Christian worldview formation into congregations across the country, strengthening the Church for faithful presence in a rapidly changing culture.
The Director of the Church Engagement serves as a key strategic leader within the Colson Center, responsible for the expansion, health, and long-term effectiveness of church-based partnerships delivering the Colson Fellows Program. This role builds on the proven success of the Colson Fellows Church Affiliate model by cultivating, equipping, and sustaining a growing network of Church Affiliates committed to Christian worldview formation within their congregations.
The Director will lead the vision, strategy, and execution of the Church Affiliate Program—
driving growth in new partnerships, strengthening existing relationships, and ensuring excellence in program delivery at the local church level. This individual will work closely with the Dean of the Colson Fellowship, and program teams to align church engagement with the broader mission of the Colson Center.
This is a management-level position requiring both strategic leadership and hands-on execution, with a particular emphasis on pastoral relationships, organizational leadership, and ministry expansion.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Leadership & Program Growth
Lead the national strategy for the growth and development of the Church Affiliate Program.
Identify, develop, and execute scalable pathways for expanding church partnerships across diverse denominations, church networks and associations by building strategic relationships and partnerships.
Establish annual growth goals for new affiliates, retention, and program effectiveness.
Monitor and evaluate program health, making data-informed adjustments to strengthen outcomes.
Collaborate with executive leadership to ensure alignment with the Colson Center’s mission and long-term strategic priorities.
Church Partnership Development
Cultivate relationships with senior pastors, church leaders, and denominational influencers to establish new Church Affiliate partnerships.
Represent the Colson Center in meetings, conferences, and speaking engagements to promote the Church Affiliate Program.
Guide prospective churches through the discernment process within the local church.
Leverage existing networks and build new relational pathways within key denominations and ministry ecosystems.
Affiliate Success & Relationship Management
Oversee the health and effectiveness of existing Church Affiliate partnerships.
Ensure affiliates are equipped, supported, and aligned with program expectations and standards.
Maximize systems for ongoing communication, training, and encouragement of affiliate
leaders.
Strengthen retention through proactive engagement, problem-solving, and pastoral care.
Partner with internal teams to ensure a consistent and excellent experience for Church Affiliates and students.
Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration
Lead and manage staff or contractors supporting the Church Affiliate Program.
Collaborate with the Colson Fellows team to ensure fidelity to curriculum and program design.
Coordinate with Communications and Marketing to develop effective outreach,
communication, and promotional resources.
Operational Oversight
Develop and maintain systems for tracking affiliate partnerships, program metrics, and growth pipelines.
Ensure consistent use of CRM systems and reporting tools to support strategic decision-making.
Oversee onboarding processes, agreements, and compliance with Church Affiliate expectations.
Manage budgets related to program growth and affiliate support.
Other Responsibilities as Assigned
Attend annual Core Week all-staff gathering.
Attend annual Colson Center National Conference.
Contribute to special initiatives and strategic projects as assigned by senior leadership.
Maintain ongoing professional and theological development relevant to ministry leadership.
QUALIFICATIONS
Required:
Demonstrated theological depth and spiritual maturity, evidenced by a well-formed Christian worldview, a life marked by faithful obedience to Christ, and the ability to engage pastors and church leaders with biblical clarity, theological discernment, and pastoral wisdom.
Significant leadership experience in pastoral ministry, church administration, or ministry-based organizational leadership.
Proven ability to build and lead strategic relationships, particularly within church or ministry contexts.
Strong understanding of church dynamics, leadership structures, and congregational life.
Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal.
Demonstrated ability to think strategically and execute effectively.
Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
Experience working collaboratively across teams and functions.
Preferred:
Senior pastoral experience or equivalent leadership within a local church context.
Familiarity with denominational structures, networks, and leadership ecosystems.
Experience in program development, expansion, or multi-site ministry leadership.
Experience in Christian worldview formation, discipleship, or theological education.
Experience with CRM systems and data-driven decision-making. CHARACTERISTICS OF AN IDEAL CANDIDATE
Deeply committed to the mission of forming Christians to live faithfully and lead redemptively in this cultural moment.
A relational leader who can engage pastors and church leaders with credibility, clarity, and conviction.
Strategically-minded with the ability to translate vision into scalable systems and measurable outcomes.
Pastoral in presence, yet organizationally disciplined.
A builder—energized by growth, expansion, and Kingdom impact.
Collaborative, humble, and servant-hearted in leadership.
Resilient, adaptable, and able to navigate complexity with wisdom and steadiness.
SUCCESS IN THE ROLE LOOKS LIKE
Measurable growth in the number and geographic reach of Church Affiliate partnerships.
Strong, healthy, and enduring relationships with church leaders and affiliates.
High levels of affiliate retention, satisfaction, and program effectiveness.
Clear systems and processes that support scalable program expansion.
Meaningful integration of Church Affiliates into the broader mission and impact of the Colson Center.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Competitive compensation package commensurate to experience. Qualified candidates can consider $115,000 as an appropriate salary midpoint.
Comprehensive premium benefits package including medical and retirement from Guidestone, and flexible time off.
OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES
OPPORTUNITIES
Scaling and shaping the Colson Center’s next season of growth. TCC has grown 20-25% on average the last several years. This is an opportunity to scale healthy growth in an organization already experiencing strong traction by converting that momentum into sustainable growth.
Building and leveraging on what’s been built. TCC now serves 150+ churches, 550+ Schools and has over 7,355 fellows. This a great opportunity to build and leverage the mission of TCC and the existing and future relationships with the Fellows, cohorts, churches and schools they serve.
Grow the mission’s reach and impact. Increasing program utilization and connecting more people to TCC’s life-changing work. As the organization continues to grow, this is an opportunity to strengthen volunteer mobilization, leadership capacity, and operational consistency in ways that support both ministry effectiveness and long-term organizational health.
Bringing greater visibility and strength to a trusted ministry. The Colson Center has established deep credibility and meaningful trust with the individuals and communities they serve. This is an opportunity to help the mission, vision and strategy of TCC become more widely known and experienced.
CHALLENGES
Strengthening systems and scaling for growth while preserving the Colson Center culture. Culture is currency! The Colson Center has been built through deep trust of individuals, partners, and volunteers by building a healthy culture and employing a relational approach to ministry. A challenge will be as TCC continues to grow to strengthen systems, maintain relationships and scale leadership without losing the warmth and healthy ministry centered culture of TCC.
Helping define the future growth engine at a pivotal moment. A challenge will be to scale the growth of The Colson Center by shaping the strategy, structure, and systems needed for long-term success and sustainability.
Unlocking high-potential relationships. Partner with a strong senior leadership team, to unleash already existing opportunities.
Building while leading from the front. Establishing the systems and discipline for scale while actively cultivating and stewarding key relationships.
Multiplying leadership while maintaining theological fidelity. As the cohort network expands, the challenge will be to develop and empower leaders while preserving the theological depth, formational excellence, and mission alignment that distinguish the Colson Fellows Program.
Being successful and effective in a missionally-driven organization. The Colson Center is a mission-first, values-driven culture where team members take high ownership in advancing a shared Christian worldview mission with excellence and accountability.
WHAT THE COLSON CENTER BELIEVES
We believe that the Bible is God’s inspired and authoritative Word. It is without error in all its teachings, including creation, history, its own origins, morality, and salvation. Christians must submit to its divine authority, both individually and corporately, in all matters of belief and conduct, which is demonstrated by true righteous living.
We believe in one God, Creator and Lord of the Universe, the co-eternal Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary death on the cross, rose bodily from the dead and ascended to heaven where, as truly God and truly man, He is the only mediator between God and man.
We believe God has created each human being, embodied as a male or a female, in His image, and that this gives sanctity to all human life from conception to natural death and moral significance to our conduct of our bodies.
We uphold the institution of marriage as the exclusive union of one man and one woman and as the sole relationship designed by God for sexual intimacy, as delineated in the Bible, which teaches that marriage is rooted in creation and points to the union of Christ and His Church.
We believe that all people are lost sinners and cannot see the Kingdom of God except through the new birth. Justification is by grace through faith in Christ alone.
We believe in the necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit for the individual’s new birth and growth to maturity, and for the Church’s constant renewal in truth, wisdom, faith, holiness, love, power, and mission.
We believe in one holy, universal, and apostolic church. Christians are called to gather as the church to worship God and witness concerning Jesus Christ, the Head of the church, preaching the gospel among all nations, demonstrating compassionate service to the needs of human beings, and promoting righteousness and justice.
We believe that Jesus Christ will personally and visibly return in glory to raise the dead and bring salvation and judgment to completion. God will fully manifest His kingdom when He establishes a new heaven and new earth, in which He will be glorified forever, and exclude all evil, suffering, and death.
To learn more about the work of the Colson Center and what they believe, click here. If, after prayerfully reviewing this information, you believe the role may fit you well, or if you know of someone else you would like to recommend, please contact:
Chris Lagerlof
Search Consultant
mobile: 714.931.4893
email: chris@missionleadership.org