Christ Fellowship’s residency for future church leaders is designed to assist men who desire to grow in their understanding of the Bible and the church. The men who take part in this residency have either pastoring and/or missionary work as their aim for future ministry, and will be eager to learn Christ Fellowship’s model of church life and distinctives so as to aid future ministry. Even though a “residency” is typically thought of as a stage of training in which the participant is only visiting on a temporary basis for the purpose of learning, men from within Christ Fellowship as well as outside of our church may apply.
Because this residency is designed for those who hope to serve as pastors or missionaries (those who will start churches), it is reserved for men. There are no promises to any participant that he will serve as a pastor within Christ Fellowship or be sent out from Christ Fellowship for ministry elsewhere, but the elders of Christ Fellowship are eager for this to happen for qualified, like-minded, aspiring men.
Our residency runs for a little more than 9 months (February through mid-November) with a two week break the first two weeks of July. A typical weekly schedule is below. Participants will engage in a variety of learning and ministry opportunities, such as participating in all of the normal gatherings of the church, attending a portion of the elders’ meeting most weeks, meeting at least once per semester with each elder, meeting regularly for both Bible study and to receive teaching from the elders on matters such as church life, leadership, and missiology, engaging in weekly evangelistic outreach, and shadowing an elder for various pastoral responsibilities.
Residents will also attend the annual elders’ retreat, attend at least one conference at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (typically either “For the Church” or “Nine Marks”), and participate in at least one local Bible intensive led by the ministry of Christian Communicators Worldwide. Additionally, they will have regular assignments from books, articles, and other resources as well as papers due related to readings and/or Bible study. Most weeks, Steve Burchett (and/or another elder[s]) will meet with the residents as a group to discuss their readings, writing, and what they are learning about church life.
Each resident will be assigned to a specific home congregation (if not already a member of Christ Fellowship), pursue regular fellowship beyond Sunday with that group of people (as well as others in the body), attend the weekly men’s meeting of that congregation, and receive additional opportunities for service and learning from his immediate elder.
If you have further questions about the residency, or desire to apply, please contact us and let us know. You can also read an overview of the Residency, see our sample schedule, or view our frequently asked questions. If you wish, you could even start the application process by clicking here.
Sincerely,
The CFKC elders
Sample Schedule
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| Morning: Synagogue evangelism (attend a liberal church for evangelism) OR Church revitalization (attend a dying church to help) | Whole Day: Self-directed work day — reading, writing, coffee or lunch with elder, etc. | 6:30-8 am: Residents gathering for discussion with one or more elders (could be a different time based on schedules) | 5:30-7 am OR 7-8:30 am: Elders’ Meeting | Breakfast OR Lunch: Meet with your immediate elder (could shift this to another day of the week) | 6:30-8 am: Congregation men’s meeting (could be different day of the week based on resident’s home congregation) |
| Evening: Home Congregation gathering (every 6 weeks, whole-church gathering) | 7-9 pm: CFKC Men’s meetings (not every Wednesday) | 7-9 pm: Class with CFKC elder(s) teaching (every other Thursday) |
More on Christ Fellowship’s Church Leader Residency: