Throughout its history in Texas, Fellowship Church has worked hard to train the next generation of leaders in both the church and the community. Through its University of Next Level (UNL), Fellowship Church helps young people to make a difference on behalf of God and the church by equipping them with theological understanding, hands-on training, and knowledge of leadership principles. Located on the church’s campus in Grapevine, Texas, UNL also offers a distance-learning program for students across the world.

In terms of its degree offerings, Fellowship Church University of Next Level offers an associate degree and a diploma in church leadership and ministry. Participants in the program typically take courses in areas such as leadership development, theological studies, and spiritual formation. For students who are not pursuing a degree but are interested in enriching their spiritual lives, UNL welcomes audits of its classes. During their time at UNL, students also have the opportunity to complete internships at various locations across Texas. 

Longtime pastor Ed Young Jr. has written numerous books about the challenges facing the world. In The Creative Leader: Unleashing the Power of Your Creative Potential, he looks at the importance of implementing creativity in the local church. Young’s thesis in the book breaks down into four simple statements: “God invented creativity. Jesus modeled it. The Holy Spirit empowers it. And people desperately need it.”

At Fellowship Church, Young has made creativity a keystone of the worship experience. People frequently ask him what he’s done to stay creative over 20 years in a growing church, and The Creative Leader bundles together many of his answers. The book offers advice on message development and the creation of illustrations. It teaches ways to keep an audience engaged and develop a staff of creative people. It breaks down obstacles that get in the way of innovation and offers tips on avoiding burnout. In addition, it delves into the lessons Young had to learn outside of seminary school. To illustrate the techniques in the book, Young ends each section with a case study and a question-and-answer session with a creative leader.                             

Ed Young, Jr. founded Fellowship Church in the Dallas area in 1990, and since then, he has expanded his popular ministry to six additional locations, and has cultivated a strong presence in cyberspace. At the Creative Pastors website, one of his several online destinations devoted to helping people grow in faith, he archives numerous sermons and other resources for fellow church leaders and the public.

In his sermon series titled “Ignite: Fanning the Flames of Faith,” Pastor Young notes both the positive and destructive aspects of fire: It can burn, but can also refine and purify an individual’s soul. In exploring “fiery” topics of interest to modern audiences, who often feel disillusioned, he hopes to help them realize the possibilities that often present themselves during times of trial and difficulty. 

The “Ignite” sermons discuss the figure of fire in the Bible’s account of the prophet Elijah, who called down fire from heaven to demonstrate the power of God to the priests of the Canaanite deity Baal. The sermons go on to relate the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, whose steadfastness in refusing to renounce their beliefs can bring a sense of encouragement and inspiration to people today, who may feel as if they live in a world devoid of faith.