Many people find themselves graduating college and asking if the need to gain needed experience or move further in their education with a graduate degree. In reality you need both. One of the most dangerous things people in ministry can do is wait to serve. Your call as a pastor, leader, missionary, servant is not to get a degree, it's to make a difference in the Kingdom of God. Yes, you need education but you also need to get your hands dirty and filter your knowledge through serving. Here at Grace Community Church we are launching a program to help young leaders serve and learn at the same time. Yes we know it sounds odd but we’re calling it, for now, our Residency in Ministry program. Similar to a medical residency, we view this as a post-college “residency” where those in the program will be doing real
ministry alongside pastors who are a little further down the road.
They’ll be entrusted not with making copies (though, as we all know,
that is a small slice of ministry, too) but with life-changing ministry.
They’ll be viewed as full-on staff members, held to the expectations of
the rest of our staff team. They’ll also receive a small stipend and
have their housing covered.
In addition to doing the work of ministry, one major benefit of the
program is that seminary tuition will be included. Clarksville is 45
minutes from the new Nashville campus of Southern Seminary.
We’ve already had staff members (myself included) who have worked
full-time at Grace and attended classes concurrently. And as I said
above, I believe that this is a great way to learn and do ministry: in
the classroom and in the “lab.”
We’re receiving applications now, looking to have residents in place by August, 2012.
If you’re interested, just head right HERE
and start the application process. If you know someone who would fit
the bill, send this info along. If you have any questions, we’ve tried
to answer the most frequently asked HERE.
We’re stoked about this program, and are convinced it will be a great benefit to a great number of young leaders.
No comments:
Post a Comment