The Church Planting Initiative is excited to partner with church planters who are engaging in new, innovative approaches to church planting in the 21st century. Each year, we will select qualified church planters to be a part of our fellows’ program. As a fellow, you will be a part of a one-year cohort with other planters from a variety of contexts and backgrounds. You will receive grant funding of up to $5,000, enjoy free resources, and receive regular coaching calls from an expert in a contextually appropriate area. If God is calling you to plant a church and you are in the first 1-3 years of planting a new church and desire to become a church-planting fellow, then we invite you to apply for our next cohort of Church Planting Fellows!

Qualifications

1. Applicants must have established a core group of 15 by the time of the application.
2. Applicants must be within 1-3 years of the launch of the proposed or existing church plant.
3. There are no educational prerequisites for the Fellows program.
4. While no ministry experience is strictly required for acceptance to the program, any relevant experience will strengthen your application.

Application Process

The application process for the fellowship consists of several steps that allow us to get to know each other. At each stage, if both parties decide that our visions and callings are in alignment, we will invite the planters to continue in the application. The process has multiple steps moving through four stages: Application, Assessment, Interview, and Award.

1. Apply – The initial applicant process begins when you submit the Church Planting Fellows Application. This application includes information about you and your past ministry experience as well as space to describe the vision for their church plant. Applications for the 2020-2021 Fellowship Cohort are due by August 7th, 2020.

2. Assess – The assessment phase involves taking the free online assessment at www.churchplantingeq.com to assess your potential fit for church planting. We will review the results prior to the interview stage.

3. Interview – If your application is accepted, you will be invited for a virtual interview to discuss your unique proposal for church planting and potential fit for being a fellow. The Church Planting Team will conduct these video interviews.

4. Award – If your proposal is approved, you will then be invited to become an official fellow and will be awarded a grant to assist with a new church plant. Some candidates may be required to attend our two-day church planting institute training offered on campus or in the field. Ask us for dates and details.  Approved candidates will also be required to participate in a coaching process with a member of our church planting team. Any grants awarded will be disbursed according to the following calendar. Both financial and narrative reports will also be due on the below dates.

Timeline

Open Application Window: June 1st, 2020 – August 7th, 2020

First Grant Disbursement: September 1st, 2020

First Reports Due: December 1st, 2020

Second Grant Disbursement: March 1st, 2021

Second Reports Due: June 1st, 2021