The C. S. Lewis Institute is coming to Central PA.
With branches in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia — along with 11 other states, plus such countries as Ireland, Japan and Kenya — CSLI was named for the British writer whose radio talks and bestselling novels made him one of the 20th century’s most beloved Christian figures. His works include Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters and the popular seven-book fantasy series Chronicles of Narnia.
Founded in 1976, the institute seeks to bring Lewis’s unique blend of intellectual rigor and depth to the practice of Christian discipleship.
“The opportunity to grow in Christ and participate in the Lord’s command to make disciples is the very heart of the CSLI discipleship program,” says Melissa Rising, who heads the effort to get CSLI off the ground in Lycoming County.
Rising, a retired nurse in the Williamsport area, said there was sufficient interest last year, but with the closest available site near Carlisle, the distance was prohibitive.
For 2025, Rising has enlisted New Life Presbyterian Church in Montoursville to host regular meetings, which will take place on the first Saturday of the month starting this fall.
Those meetings are part of CSLI’s flagship offering, the year-long “Fellows Program.”
Designed to be manageable even for busy professionals with families, this course of study, according to CSLI’s brochure, “challenges and guides participants to a strong understanding of discipleship, personal mission and conversational apologetics through Bible study, classic readings, lectures, group processing, spiritual mentoring and accountability — all in the context of a small group of like-minded believers.”
Dr. Neil Olcott is a Carlisle-area pastor with 45 years’ experience and a DMin from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; spearheading that region’s branch of CSLI, Olcott sums up the institute’s overall vision:
“We are a non-profit organization that is endeavoring to provide a means for Christian adults to move past the current avenues of discipleship they might be experiencing and come together with other like-minded individuals who are hungering to go a bit deeper in their pursuit of knowing God more fully.”
In a recent interview, Rising describes her own experience with CSLI in similar language:
“For many years, I had a greater hunger and thirst to be more obedient and follow God. When I started the CSLI Discipleship Year One Fellows program, I realized a lot of my theology was based on feelings, incorrect knowledge and application of God’s word. CSLI discipleship program challenged my mind and heart to align with God’s word. As my mind and heart were transformed, I had greater understanding of God’s calling on my life and the purpose He made me for.
“I completed the Fellows Program last year,” Rising added. “I’m involved this year with our Inklings program. The group usually reads the same book during the month and meets to discuss it. In addition, I am mentoring a woman who is in the Year One program.”
Along with the intensive Fellows Program, CSLI offers a variety of other options for study and growth: small-group discipleship; newsletters and messages in both email and hard-copy format; regular conferences; and a free course in “Basic Apologetics.”
That information is from the CSLI’s official brochure, which — invoking Lewis’s most famous character, Aslan from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe — ends with this injunction:
“With the church facing significant headwinds in the future, we need a growing number of authentic disciples who can train more disciples. These are the people God will use to bring real change in our churches, our government, our culture, our business and our world.”
Applications for the Fellows Program and other information are available at cslewisinstitute.org/Central_Pennsylvania. Those interested can also contact Rising directly: mdrising@windstream.net.
