church planting

Church Planting

Residency

Planting churches to reach the South Sound with the Gospel.

Why a residency?

The Residency exists to see the gospel proclaimed and Christ’s kingdom expanded in the Greater Puget Sound.

The Greater Puget Sound region remains one of the most unreached and unchurched regions in the United States of America. According to recent research, the Puget Sound region is the 8th least churched region (52%) with the 3rd most unchurched residents (45%). Simply put, most people in the Puget Sound don’t know Jesus and never will unless something changes.

Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:18-20 give us clarity on our mission. We are commanded by Jesus to go make disciples of all nations. This includes reaching the Pacific Northwest. It has been proven that planting new churches is the single most critical strategy for reaching new people for Jesus and seeing a communal transformation. However, the need in the Puget Sound region is much too great for any one church to address. This is why we believe there must be a collaborative effort across Christian denominations, tribes, networks, and cities for a unified regional movement of church planting.

The Church Planting Residency is the way we will collaborate to plant more churches and make disciples in the Puget Sound. Resurrection Church in partnership with other local churches will raise up church planters and train them together to be sent out with equipping and training in Preaching, Disciple-Making, Shepherding, and Missional Living. By partnering with other churches, we will create a network of church planters and established churches that can support each other spiritually, emotionally, and financially.

Residency Overview

Why do it?

Vision for a Church Planter Residency

The prerequisites

Who can be a Resident?

The Residency exists to see the gospel proclaimed and Christ’s kingdom expanded in the Greater Puget Sound.

Character

The prospective resident should fulfill the character qualifications of Elder/Pastor as taught in the Scriptures in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Peter 5:1-4, and Titus 1:5-9.

Call

The prospective resident should desire to be a church planter and be guided by the Holy Spirit to pursue this role.

Commitment

The prospective resident should be committed to the work of church planting. The residency is an intense two-year equipping program designed to train, apprentice, and immerse the resident in all major aspects of planting and overseeing a new church plant. The prospective resident will not only need to be committed to two years of immersive study, but also to planting a church that will make disciples and multiply.

Confirmation

Above all, the prospective resident will need to have confirmation from the elders at his local church that he has godly character, a distinct call, and has demonstrated commitment to the church. A prospective resident must be sponsored by his sending church and assessed by an approved organization.

admission requirements

The process

How to become a Resident?

Church Planting Residents need to follow the 4 step formal admission process.

Step 1: Interest

The candidate will express interest to his pastors, or a pastor at a host church will express interest in a candidate. The candidate must be competent in Biblical knowledge with a spiritual gift of preaching/teaching. If a candidate meets the above qualifications with a pastoral reference from his existing church, then the candidate will be invited to formally apply to the residency.

Step 2: Apply

The application must include: a resume, personal theological overview, two sermon samples (video or audio), a written recommendation from a ministry leader, and a one-page letter sharing why he feels called to plant a church.

Step 3: Interview

The first interview will be with the Church Planting Residency Director at the flagship church within the church planting hub. If the candidate is affirmed, there will be a second interview with the candidate, Residency Director, and the lead pastor of the host church. If married, the candidate’s spouse will participate in the second interview. If the couple is affirmed to proceed the couple will be invited to Step 4.

Step 4: Assessment

During this step, the candidate and spouse will go through a formal church planting assessment. Since the host church pastor will be primarily responsible for the development of the church planter, he must attend and participate in the formal church planting assessment. If the church planter is formally approved for church planting the candidate will be invited to participate in the Church Planting Residency.

apply to be a resident