Why a residency?
Feeling called to plant a church? We encourage you to start with a church planting residency here with us. In our experience, church planters going through a church planting residency is a key factor in planting a successful church. Church planters who complete a church planting residency at a church committed to sending them out well have a much higher chance of their church plant both surviving and thriving!
What’s a residency?
Church planting residencies give church planters the opportunity to prepare to plant while being coached and encouraged every step of the way under the care of a sending church. During a 9 to 18 month church planting residency, residents create a vision, develop a planting team, establish a location, grow as preachers and pastors, raise financial support, and begin to reach their target neighborhoods with the gospel. At the end of the residency the church planting team will be commissioned and sent out by their stakeholder church.
What about apprenticeship?
Apprenticeships are very similar to church planting residencies, with the only substantial difference being the readiness of the planter. Some may sense a call to church planting, but have no background or training in vocational ministry. Where a resident would be ready to plant in 9-18 months, an apprentice would need longer to prepare. The goal of an apprenticeship is to come alongside a potential planter and help them grow into a planter who is ready for a residency.