Are you ready to plant a new church that’s healthy, growing, and focused on making disciples? This Church Planting Residency Cohort is designed to equip leaders like you with the skills, strategies, and support you need to launch strong. Over nine months, you’ll dive into key church planting principles and leave with a custom strategy tailored to your target community.
This cohort kicks off in September 2025 and runs through early June 2026. It’s a peer-driven experience, limited to 12 participants, so spots are competitive. You’ll need a strong endorsement from a sponsoring church or network, plus a local church where you can serve and train as you prepare.
Download the info packet for more details
Bonus: Residents who complete the 9-month program successfully are eligible to receive a $5,000 grant 1 to help fuel their church plant!
Application Deadline August 1
Limited to 12 Leaders
With only 12 spots available, we accept applications on a first-come, first-served basis—so don’t wait too long! If the cohort fills up before the deadline, applications will close early.
Counting the Cost
This residency isn’t just a program—it’s a serious commitment. It requires time, energy, and dedication from you, your sponsor, and the Passion for Planting team.
Church planting isn’t easy. It demands conviction, perseverance, and the ability to navigate challenges—both spiritual and practical. This journey comes with sacrifices, so take some time to honestly assess whether this is the right fit for you.
If you have questions, let’s talk before you apply!
Application Process
1. Get a Sponsor Endorsement
Ask your sponsoring church or network to write a 200-500 word referral for you. You’ll upload that into your online application below.
2. Assess Your Fit
After receiving an endorsement from a sponsor, take a hard look at the qualifications and expectations below. Make sure you’re ready for the commitment before moving forward.
3. Submit Online Application
Once steps 1 and 2 are done, fill out the online application below. You’ll upload your sponsor endorsement as part of the application. Set aside as much as 60-90 minutes to complete it.
We’ll review your application and let you know within 7 days if you’ve been selected for a final interview.
4. Interview and Acceptance
The last step is a compatibility interview. This is where we’ll go over expectations and confirm your full commitment.
Once your application is approved, you and your supervising sponsor will be invited to an onboarding call with Passion for Planting. On the call, you’ll receive a book list and pre-course assignments to complete before the in-person kickoff in September 2025.
Questions? Email us at residency@church-planting.net
Applicant Qualifications
Candidates that are a good fit will have the following qualifications affirmed by their sponsors and their own self-assessment. Because this is a significant commitment of time and energy, you must verify, along with your sponsor, that you meet the following qualifications:
- Spiritually Mature & Mission-Driven – Passionate about disciple-making and committed to advancing the Gospel through church planting.
- Entrepreneurial Mindset – Comfortable with pioneering a new ministry, developing strategies, and taking calculated risks for Kingdom growth.
- Self-Motivated & Teachable – Willing to take initiative, receive feedback, and grow through structured training and mentorship.
- Resilient & Adaptable – Able to navigate challenges, setbacks, and the unpredictable nature of church planting with perseverance and faith.
- Collaborative & Relational – Thrives in a team environment, values peer learning, and can build strong relationships with mentors and church communities.
- Active Ministry Experience – Prior involvement in relational disciple-making and local church leadership or ministry roles (staff or volunteer).
Participant Expectations
You must agree to the following expectations to be accepted into this Church Planting Residency Cohort. We want to be clear up front about the commitment required for this journey.
Before the Cohort Starts
- Complete Online Application: The online application below will take 60-90 minutes and require a $500 registration fee.
- Affirm Theological Alignment: The online application includes theology for you to assess and affirm your alignment. You can preview the Faith Statement for Leaders here.
- Receive Final Approval and Acceptance: Passion for Planting will review each application, conduct interviews, and check references. We will communicate formal approval to residents accepted into the cohort.
- Join Onboarding Call: You and your supervising sponsor will join a Zoom call in late August 2025 to talk through the program, get the syllabus and discuss sponsor church expectations (sponsor MUST participate).
During the Cohort
- Attend the In-Person Kickoff: You’ll come for a 1-day in-person orientation event in September 2025 (mandatory).
- Participate in Weekly Cohort Day: You’ll participate in the weekly 6-hour group Zoom calls (9am-3pm Eastern) from the first Wednesday in September 2025 to the first Wednesday in June 2026. No more than five absences are allowed during the term.
- Attend Two On-Site Intensives: You’ll come to two 4-day in-person gatherings – December 2025 and March 2026 (mandatory).
- Complete Homework and Presentations: Your homework assignments must be completed between Zoom calls. Assignments are due weekly and presented to the group.
- Build Camaraderie: Build relationships, collaborate, and learn from one another.
- Use PlanterPlan App: You will develop and manage your custom church launch plan using this web tool.
- Stay Teachable: You must maintain a teachable and coachable posture with peers, sponsors, coaches, and facilitators.
- Be Accountable: Your sponsor is your primary line of authority for accountability during the cohort journey.
To Successfully Complete the Residency
- Develop a Comprehensive Church Planting Strategy: Along the journey, you will prayerfully craft over 20 strategy documents, covering everything from Disciple Making and Fundraising to Marketing and Budget. All of these culminate in an overarching Launch Strategy document tailored to your target community.
- Create a Custom Launch Plan: Using Passion for Planting’s proprietary church planting web app, PlanterPlan, you’ll put together a custom action plan with everything you need to organize the dates, the doers, and the dollars for your real-world church planting project.
- Give a Final Presentation: At the end of the Cohort, you’ll present your strategy and your plan to peers and church planting leaders (think of it like defending a thesis—minus the academic stress).
Ready to Apply?
This multi-page application for the Church Planting Residency Cohort may take as much as 60-90 minutes to complete. You will need your sponsor endorsement / referral to complete this application. You can save your progress and return to finish it later.
1 grant conditions apply