Become a Church Planter:
The Redeemer Fellows Program
The Redeemer Church Planting Fellows Program is a church planting training program and leadership development program designed for individuals preparing for church planting in New York City. The Fellowship is designed to give participants a realistic experience of life and ministry within the city context. The program is a full time one-year residential program in New York City for those who have completed or nearly completed their formal theological education.
Church Planting: Redeemer is committed to planting churches throughout the New York metropolitan area and in other global cities. The program is designed to prepare leaders for planting churches in New York City through pastoral, theological and leadership formation, and when needed urban enculturation. The program could fulfill credentialing internship requirements for ordination.
Application: Applications for the Fellows Program for 2009-10 are due by May 15, 2009. The program runs August 15, 2009 through July 31, 2010. Fellows Program PDF available for download
Cost: Fellows can qualify for a $35,000 stipend. Participants in the program are encouraged to raise additional funds (up to $50,000) that can be applied to the cost of their living expenses. Fellows are responsible for their own health insurance. Fellows are not charged program or materials fees.
To receive an Application for 2009 Fellows Program, forward email address to:
Structure of the Program: The Program consists of supervised ministry, seminars, and ministry in a church planting project in greater New York City. With feedback from the Fellow, each Fellow will be assigned to a church planting project for ministry. During orientation Fellows will be evaluated regarding their ministry and educational experiences, interests, gifts and needs in order to determine the appropriate program of study and ministry assignments.
Ministry Experience & Supervision: Fellows will spend most of their time in ministry at their assigned church. Fellows will meet as a group with the director once a month to present case studies of experiences and issues they are facing in ministry for instruction, leadership formation and theological reflection.
The program is designed to expose participants to a range of ministry experiences and needs in urban ministry, for example: Small Group Ministry, Leadership Training, diaconate & mercy ministries, church plants, worship leading, teaching, evangelism, Redeemer’s Center for Faith & Work, Christianity and Arts ministry, and in some cases inner-city ministry.
Seminars & Modules: Fellows participate in a Theology and Practice of Urban Church Ministry seminar taught by Dr. Tim Keller. Other seminars and learning experiences include Leadership seminars, DNA modules and orientations on Redeemer and the city. These seminars are taught by Redeemer staff and Redeemer Church Planting Center staff and other subject matter experts in the city.
Seminars and Modules include the following:
Orientation: Orientation to Redeemer and to the city, Leadership Assessment.
Fall Semester: Urban Church Ministry Seminar: Ministry & Leadership in the City; Leadership Modules 1-3; DNA modules
Winter Semester: Urban Church Ministry Seminar: Pastoring & Evangelism in the City; Leadership Modules 4-5; DNA modules
Spring Semester: Urban Church Ministry Seminar: Worship & Preaching in the City; Leadership Modules 6-8; DNA modules
Specific Topics in Theology and Practice of Urban Church Ministry:
Gospel Renewal Ministry
Contextualization and Culture
Cities and City-Ministry
Church Models and Ministry
Church Leadership
Evangelism and Justice
Pastoring
Worship
Preaching (1)
Preaching (2)
Leadership Module
All fellows will take a leadership assessment instrument (at least 4 references included) at the beginning of the program and then provided individual feedback, analysis and learning contracts based on the leadership profile.
Eight monthly seminars will address various leadership competencies important for church planters. These seminars will be facilitated by numerous lay leadership subject matter experts within the Redeemer community and Redeemer staff. These seminars will include reading assignments, learning exercises, and occasional writing assignments. Topics covered: managing vision and purpose, developing teams, difficult conversations, developing others, managing change, and self management.