Program | Highlandsfellows

Work & Service

Church & Friendships

Mission & Growth

Adventure & Rest

5
Counties

9
Months

4
Seasons

Work & Service

Job Placement

Our goal is to connect you with a meaningful job placement that aligns with your interests, strengths, and experience. There are a wide variety of potential job placements for highlands
fellows in the Laurel Highlands with many recognizable employers as well as moreregional workplaces like:

Trades & Skilled Labor

Hands-on opportunities in carpentry, landscaping, and agriculture.
Mentorship from local master craftsmen and community partners.
Practical skill-building and vocational training in a rural service setting.

Remote Work Support

Dedicated workspace and high-speed infrastructure for digital professionals.
Balance your current career while fully participating in the fellowship.
Small-town community benefits combined with modern remote flexibility.

Service Opportunities

Highland Farm

Highland farm is a breathtaking 60-acre farm purchased by St. Paul’s EPC in December 2025. The land adjoins the church property and includes two barns and three houses. St. Paul’s is committed to sustainable farming practices. Serving on our missional farm will be a significant way fellows serve our community. The farm is a means of engaging our local community outside the church walls by partnering together to help provide food for those in need. Every Thursday afternoon fellows will get their hands dirty with projects around the farm. You will have opportunities to take care of animals, crops, and general farm maintenance. You will learn and grow in unique ways as you actively engage this important work. You will also reap the fruit of your labor. When we gather for farmhouse dinners, some of the ingredients will be the product of your work on the farm. This farm work is also an important aspect of growing a greater appreciation for food production and enriching the experience of eating meals.

Crossroads Youth Ministry

On most Sunday evenings, fellows will volunteer with youth ministry and build relationships with students while helping run the Sunday evening program and investing in small groups of Jr. High and High School students. This service provides a critical link between the fellows and the next generation of leaders in our community, fostering mentorship and spiritual growth through consistent presence and investment.

Welcome to St. Paul’s

We are excited to welcome fellows into the life of St. Paul’s as you worship, serve, and fellowship alongside us. St. Paul’s is a multi-generational church body and has good representation of every age demographic from infant to 90-year-olds. Relationships
across age barriers has been a vital part of the growth and health of our congregation. There is a strong family atmosphere at St. Paul’s that is welcoming and nurturing. The highlands fellows’ first Sunday at worship will likely be our church-favorite outdoor
service and picnic.

“My connection at the church began when I was 22 years old. One of the greatest blessings, starting then and still today, are the deep friendships I’ve gained with people much older and younger than myself.” -Scott Steltzer

Host-Home Hospitality

Our church family is eager to host fellows in our homes. Life together and weekly meals with host families will be an important part of learning how to live out your faith in all aspects of life.

Church & Friendships

A critical component of the Highlands Fellows experience is deep integration into the local church and the formation of lifelong spiritual friendships that anchor your faith and promote growth.

Sunday Mornings

St. Paul’s has two blended services that include both contemporary/current songs played by a worship band and traditional hymns played on piano or organ. We also incorporate brass, violin, cello, banjo, mandolin, and upright bass on special occasions. Our bluegrass Sundays are a favorite for many in the congregation. We have both adult and youth choirs. Fostering an appreciation for diverse forms of music is an important part of the St. Paul’s community.

St. Paul’s has a strong emphasis on biblical literacy beginning as early as age three and extending to varied adult class options every Sunday morning. Fellows will have an opportunity to engage three different classes over their nine months with the program. Typically, our sermon series follow a book of the Bible that we are making our way through in an expository style. Preaching is shared amongst the three pastors.

Thursday Night Young Adult Fellowship

Alongside lots of fellowship opportunities with each other, fellows may choose to enjoy our young adults group that meets in homes on Thursday evenings for bible study and fellowship.

Fellows Community

There are many purposeful opportunities for fellows to grow healthy relationships with one another as well as time off to just enjoy casual hang out time. The following weekly
times are designed so that throughout the fellows year you can build a strong community.

Farm-Table Dinners – Every Wednesday night fellows will gather at the Highland Farmhouse to enjoy farm-table fellowship. This time is reserved for a meal and post-dinner guided discussion.

Working together on the Farm – There is nothing like sweat and hard work to bond a group together.

Friday Adventures – Fridays together is a time for recreational adventures oriented around spiritual growth, enjoying & engaging God’s glory in creation, biblical meditation, physical challenge, experiential education, leadership development, renewal & rest, group unity, and a whole lot of fun together.

Occasional Retreats – We will go on at least three retreats together over the course of the nine month program.

Mission & Growth

The Highlands Fellows is a part of a broader kingdom calling on St. Paul’s EPC to join God in redeeming and renewing our rural county and its towns/villages first and foremost by seeking to fulfill the Great Commission—making disciples through marketplace gospel witness, regenerative farming, church planting, building a community center, community service, and leadership development. We desire to remind our community that God is actively at work in small towns and rural places fulfilling his kingdom purposes.

Learning to live missionally in a rural community for nine-months will grow fellows hearts in accordance with God’s heart for the Laurel Highlands and its people as well as the world beyond.

Mentorship at Highlands Fellows isn’t just a scheduled meeting; it’s a shared life. We believe the deepest wisdom is passed down through the common rhythms of worship, study, work, rest, and adventure with other believers in the beauty of the Laurel Highlands.

Mentorship

"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another through the shared journey of the everyday." Proverbs 27:17

Weekly high-peaks hiking and theological reflection
Shared meals and fireside community discussions
Collaborative community service projects
One-on-one mentorship while learning a new hobby

Mentorship is available in areas such as hiking, hunting, fishing, skiing (downhill or cross-country), whitewater boating, mountain biking & repair, rock climbing, canning, maple syrup production, beekeeping, birding, animal husbandry, gardening, basic car repair, gun shooting and safety, etc.

Theological Learning

Each Fellow receives theological training through classes every Thursday morning. There will be a strong emphasis on immersion in the Scriptures over the nine months. The Fellows will also participate seminars where they will receive wisdom from godly men and women. Off-site retreats and a conference will also add to the fellows’ educational experience.

God did not create us to spend all our waking hours working, living, and playing in indoor and virtual spaces but to engage the wonders of his created world. The Laurel Highlands provide endless opportunities for outdoor adventures. Spend nine months with us cultivating a more outdoors-oriented lifestyle.

The Laurel Highlands is a five-county section of southwestern PA that is a part of the Allegheny Mountains and includes the highest elevation in the state. The region is known for great outdoor recreation and tremendous natural beauty of mountains, hills, rivers, streams, trees, and all four seasons.

Enjoying the Outdoors
The experience of cultivating a love for the outdoors and competence in adventure skills as a young adult will reap a lifetime of enjoyment of rich experiences engaging God’s created world.

Recreation is an important form of restful and restorative living. Fellows will also be encouraged to take specific sabbath rest from Saturday afternoon till Sunday afternoon.

Adventure & Rest

Fridays at Highlands Fellows

Every Friday we will embark on an outdoor adventure together. These Friday adventures will stretch us, grow us, push us beyond our perceived limits, draw us together, and be lots of fun. We will concentrate our time on experiential learning, leadership development, and biblical creation meditation. God will teach us and grow us in his outdoor classroom.

You do not need to come with a list of already developed wilderness skills, but you do need to come with an adventurous spirit and a willingness to engage new challenges. There will be times when we split the group and give two options. For instance, not everyone will have to engage whitewater kayaking. However, plan to engage the following activities in some manner – whitewater rafting, rock climbing, downhill skiing/boarding, mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, and overnight camping.