Fellowship Associates Church Planting Residency Program
About six weeks ago I was invited to take part in a church planter training program through Fellowship Associates. I count this a huge honor. Twice a month I fly to Little Rock, Arkansas (and sometimes other cities) for the leaders of Fellowship Associates to pour into me and five other guys everything they know about church planting.So far we've had two of these three-day trips. It has been incredible. I'm learning so much and I'm making great friends. Our new church plant (we launch Garden City Church in three weeks!) will be far healthier because of how Fellowship Associates is investing in us.Here is more info about the Fellowship Associates Church Planting Residency Program:
We believe that church planting is the most powerful agency for evangelism, discipleship and advancing God’s Kingdom in our world. For over 10 years we have seen God accomplish this reality. We also believe almost everything rises and falls on leadership. Our Church Planting Residency Program is a year-long intensive designed to equip and prepare church planters for maximum impact through church planting.
FA Residency Program Methodology
Jesus calls His followers to a big vision – to be His church. He calls His children to share His hope with the world and to equip believers for service. Accomplishing such a great vision requires servant leadership. From the beginning, God has used gifted leaders to build His church — leaders who bless people; who inspire and encourage; who help others become part of something bigger than themselves; leaders who are known not only by their character, but also by their effectiveness. Our Church Planting Leadership Residency Program is designed to come alongside such leaders and help them win.Residents begin the program with the dream of planting a new church. They leave ten months later much better prepared to begin their great adventure. Typically, we will invite four to five participants to join the program each year. During their time here, we share with them everything we’ve ever learned about planting and leading a community-influencing church. Our goal is to set them up for success by equipping them with proven ministry tools and strategies, a network of relationships, greater personal awareness, team ministry skills, and insights from those who have been there.We like to think of the Leadership Residency as a church-planting incubator. It allows young entrepreneurial leaders who know they’ve been called to the directional leadership of a new church plant to take their first steps toward doing so while being coached and encouraged every step of the way. It is a “safe” environment where they are not being pressured to “do” church as they are building their foundation, but are free to dream, shape, sharpen and grow alongside other leaders who are doing the same thing.
Good leadership is at the heart of any successful organization. The Church is not any different. God has always moved in the Church through strong leaders. Our desire is to take a select few of the top emerging leaders in the country and equip them to plant churches of significant influence.
The main goal of our Residency program is to plant churches. It is not an internship where Residents spend the year making copies or doing research or acting as “gophers” for a year. Much like medical students after they graduate from medical school, our Residents are focused on exploring both the theological “why’s” and practical “how-to’s” of church leadership before launching out to plant a new church of their own.The Residency Program runs much like a school year, typically August to May. It focuses on Leadership issues such as Self-Awareness, Gospel-centered Ecclesiology, Leadership Development, proven “best practices” and “how to’s” of local church leadership. Along with the Fellowship Associates principals and staff, the Fellowship Network of 40 + church leaders and other strategic partners share wisdom and invest in our Residents.
Click here to learn about the five other guys who are in this program with me. I'm growing to really love these guys. We're having a blast being in this program together.