THE ORGANIZATION
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 OPPORTUNITY
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.
Today, 14 years after Chuck Colson’s passing, the program has grown in its reach and impact. Over 7,355 people have completed the Fellows program since 2004, and these numbers are growing. While the numbers of participants are encouraging, the Colson center seeks to increase this program further, by growing enrollment numbers significantly. This will be done through expanding their church partnerships program, cultivating churches who will send their church members through the Fellows program.
THE COLSON CENTER DISTINCTIVE
While many in the contemporary church consider their faith walk purely a private matter, the Colson Center believes that though deeply personal, faith was never intended to be private. The Colson Fellows program teaches believers how to live out their faith in the public sphere by teaching the scriptural arc of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. Through this training, participants come to understand that God doesn’t just fit into their lives, but they fit into His. This foundational belief shapes the way believers explain God’s story, discern their place in it, and approach the realities of the world around them as a result.
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 Colson Fellows Cohorts
REPORTS TO: Vice President & Dean of the Colson Fellowship
STATUS: Full-time, Remote
TRAVEL: Extensive travel both within the US and internationally to attend conferences and to meet with volunteers and/or church partners.
POSITION SUMMARY
As a key strategic leader within the Colson Center, the Director of Colson Fellow Cohorts is responsible for maximizing the effectiveness, leadership capacity, and long-term growth of the Colson Fellows Cohort ecosystem. To do this, the Director will expand and equip the volunteer leader network, which currently includes nearly 1200 cohort leaders. As the chief steward of the cohort ecosystem, the Director will provide strategic leadership for the volunteer staffing, the fellowship recruitment, and the operational excellence across the fellowship program. The primary objective of this role is to recruit, develop, support, and multiply volunteer leaders capable of expanding the reach and effectiveness of the Colson Fellows Program.
KEY RESPONSIBILITES
Strategic Leadership & Program Expansion
Lead the national strategy for the growth and development of Regional and Online Cohorts.
Develop and execute initiatives designed to maximize the program’s existing and future enrollment capacity.
Establish annual growth objectives related to cohort expansion, enrollment, leadership development, and retention.
Identify opportunities to strengthen existing cohorts and launch new cohorts in strategic locations.
Monitor cohort health, performance, and growth metrics, making data-informed recommendations and adjustments.
Collaborate with senior leadership to identify and implement strategic improvements that increase the reach and effectiveness of the Colson Fellows Program.
Support innovation and continuous improvement efforts that enhance student experience, leadership effectiveness, and program scalability.
Cohort Leadership Development
Recruit, develop, equip, and support Cohort Directors and Leadership Teams.
Create systems for identifying and cultivating future volunteer leaders from among Colson Fellows alumni.
Foster a culture of servant leadership, excellence, hospitality, and mission alignment throughout the cohort network.
Develop leadership training, coaching, and support structures that strengthen cohort effectiveness.
Ensure leadership teams understand and faithfully implement the vision, values, standards, and expectations of the Colson Fellows Program.
Strengthen leadership retention through ongoing encouragement, recognition, coaching, and support.
Cohort Performance & Growth Management
Oversee the health and effectiveness of Regional and Online Cohorts nationwide.
Work directly with Cohort Directors to improve recruiting efforts, leadership team development, and cohort growth.
Identify underperforming cohorts and develop strategic plans for strengthening their effectiveness.
Recognize and replicate best practices from high-performing cohorts across the network.
Assist cohorts in building local awareness and expanding their influence within their communities.
Establish systems for measuring cohort effectiveness, leadership engagement, and enrollment outcomes.
Volunteer Leadership Engagement
Cultivate strong relationships with volunteer leaders throughout the cohort network.
Provide ongoing encouragement, support, and pastoral care to Cohort Directors and leadership teams.
Develop strategies for increasing volunteer engagement, ownership, and long-term commitment.
Facilitate leadership gatherings, training opportunities, and community-building initiatives.
Help ensure volunteer leaders remain connected to the broader mission and vision of the Colson Fellows Program.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Partner closely with the Dean of the Colson Fellows Program to implement strategic initiatives and advance program growth.
Collaborate with Program Operations, Marketing, Development, and Communications teams to support recruitment and engagement efforts.
Work alongside administrative staff to ensure consistent execution of cohort-related processes and support systems.
Coordinate with other Colson Center initiatives to maximize organizational effectiveness and ministry impact.
Operational Oversight
Develop and maintain systems for tracking cohort performance, leadership engagement, enrollment trends, and expansion opportunities.
Ensure effective use of CRM systems, reporting tools, and program metrics.
Oversee cohort onboarding, leadership transitions, and operational standards.
Contribute to annual planning, budgeting, forecasting, and strategic reporting processes.
Other Responsibilities as Assigned
Attend annual Core Week all-staff gathering.
Attend annual Colson Center National Conference.
Participate in strategic planning initiatives across the Colson Center.
Represent the Colson Fellows Program at conferences, meetings, churches, and ministry events as assigned.
Pursue ongoing professional, leadership, and theological development.
25% expected travel
QUALIFICATIONS
Required:
Demonstrated commitment to the Christian faith and alignment with the mission, statement of faith, and worldview commitments of the Colson Center.
Demonstrated theological depth and spiritual maturity, evidenced by a well-formed Christian worldview, faithful Christian character, and the ability to engage leaders with biblical wisdom, theological discernment, and pastoral sensitivity.
Significant leadership experience in pastoral ministry, church administration, nonprofit leadership, discipleship ministries, or comparable organizational leadership roles.
Proven ability to recruit, develop, and lead leaders and volunteer teams.
Strong understanding of Christian formation, discipleship, leadership development, and ministry effectiveness.
Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Demonstrated strategic thinking and organizational leadership capabilities.
Proven ability to manage multiple initiatives, projects, and priorities simultaneously.
Strong project management and execution skills.
Ability to analyze data and translate insights into actionable growth strategies.
Preferred:
Senior pastoral experience or equivalent leadership within a local church context.
Familiarity with denominational structures, ministry networks, and church leadership dynamics.
Experience leading multi-site ministries, distributed teams, or volunteer-driven organizations.
Experience in Christian worldview formation, theological education, or adult discipleship.
Experience with CRM systems, performance metrics, and organizational growth strategies.
Graduate theological education or equivalent ministry training.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
Deeply committed to the mission of forming Christians to live faithfully and lead redemptively in this cultural moment.
A leader of leaders who enjoys developing people and multiplying leadership capacity.
Strategically minded and growth-oriented, while remaining committed to ministry excellence and faithfulness.
Relationally warm, encouraging, and skilled at building trust with volunteers and ministry leaders.
Highly organized and capable of translating vision into scalable systems and measurable outcomes.
A servant leader who leads with humility, wisdom, and conviction.
Resilient, adaptable, and energized by building and strengthening healthy ministry structures.
Able to balance strategic leadership with practical execution.
WHAT SUCCESS IN THIS ROLE LOOKS LIKE
Sustained year-over-year growth in Regional and Online Cohort enrollment.
Increased utilization of existing cohort capacity.
A growing pipeline of qualified Cohort Directors and leadership team members.
High levels of volunteer leader engagement, effectiveness, and retention.
Healthy, thriving cohorts that consistently deliver an exceptional formational experience.
Strong leadership development systems that support future expansion.
Effective implementation of strategic initiatives that strengthen the reach and impact of the Colson Fellows Program.
Greater organizational capacity for growth without sacrificing culture, theological fidelity, or personal engagement.
WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS
The Colson Fellows Program has experienced extraordinary growth over the past decade and now possesses significant untapped capacity within its existing cohort structure. This role exists to provide the strategic leadership necessary to maximize that capacity, strengthen the volunteer leadership network, and position the program for its next phase of expansion.
The future growth of the Colson Fellows Program will depend less on curriculum development and more on leadership multiplication. This role exists to identity, develop, and support the leaders who will make that growth possible.
Through faithful leadership and strategic execution, this role contributes directly to advancing the mission of the Colson Center: equipping Christians with the clarity, confidence, and courage they need to live like Christians in this cultural moment.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Competitive compensation package commensurate to experience. Qualified candidates can consider $115,000 as an appropriate salary midpoint.
Comprehensive premium benefits package including Guidestone medical, retirement 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.
Help 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.
Unlock high-potential relationships: Partner with a strong senior leadership team, to unleash already existing opportunities.
Build while leading from the front: Establishing the systems and discipline for scale while actively cultivating and stewarding key relationships.
Multiply 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.
To learn more about the work of The Colson Center, please visit their website at colsoncenter.org.
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:
Josiah “JJ” Harling
Search Consultant
mobile: (719) 235-8580
email: josiah@missionleadership.org