Shepherding Resident – Church for the Church
We will be accepting applications will be accepted through 1/31/27.
We exist to love God, love one another, love our neighbors, and love the nations.
Purpose: The Church for the Church Shepherding Residency is a two-year ministry training program designed to develop, challenge, and grow Shepherding Residents through mentored ministry and ministry training.
Goals: The Church for the Church Shepherding Residency has three goals:
- help future shepherds establish their calling to ministry,
- foster the development of healthy habits for longevity in ministry, and
- immerse Shepherding Residents in the culture of a gospel-centered, intercultural, missions-mobilizing local church.
Reports to: Designated Ministry Team Lead
Collaborates Closely With: Pastor of Church for the Church; Designated Ministry Team; Church for the Church Shepherding Interns and Residents
Scope:
- Applications are accepted annually, beginning the Fall.
- Typically 1 to 2 residents are accepted yearly
- Start Date: May 24, 2027
- Completion: Last Sunday in May of your second year
Opportunities:
Ministry Experience
We believe the best way to establish your calling to ministry is to serve and shepherd in a local church context. Here are some examples of how you will do that in this Shepherding Residency:
- All Shepherding Residents will participate in weekly ministry execution according to the rhythms of your designated ministry team.
- Shepherding Residents will collaborate with their designated ministry team to continue to develop healthy serving teams.
- Each Shepherding Resident will have an opportunity to teach or lead in different settings as applicable to your designated ministry team.
- Each Shepherding Resident will gain real ministry experience and ownership over the course of their time with us. Opportunities will be different depending on your designated ministry team but our commitment to you is to engage you in meaningful ministry experience.
Development
- We believe that longevity in ministry is a result of healthy spiritual practices and consistent learning habits that increase dependence on the Holy Spirit. Here are some examples of how we plan to cultivate that with you in this Shepherding Residency:
- Weekly mentorship meetings with your designated Ministry Team Lead
- Timely, constructive feedback from your Ministry Team Lead
- Weekly Learning cohort led by different shepherds on staff intended to offer Shepherding Residents a practical inside look on the various aspects of shepherding in a local church context
- Weekly Reading Assignments and Book Discussions with the Pastor of Church for the Church using books from a carefully curated list intended to connect orthodoxy to orthopraxy
- Participation in normal staff rhythms such as Weekly Staff Prayer and Monthly Staff Lunch
- Observation in a variety of settings such as the Ministry Leadership Team, Council of Elders, and First and Next Steps Classes
- Check-in with the Senior Pastor twice a year
- Assessments at the midpoint and end of the Shepherding Residency to affirm, encourage, and challenge Shepherding Residents as they grow as disciples of Jesus and shepherds in the local church
Core Competencies:
- Live out a commitment to holiness and developing your personal walk with God in order to model and lead others in their faith and in making disciples. Character is paramount.
- Demonstrate commitment to prayer and the Word.
- Pursue professional, personal, and spiritual development.
- Shepherd and lead others to make disciples who make disciples.
- Display enthusiasm and passion for the local church.
- Communicate a clear calling into vocational shepherding ministry.
Job Requirements:
- Believer: Professes Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and consistently pursues a personal relationship with Jesus through prayer, Scripture reading, and community within the local church.
- Called: Gifted and motivated men and women who already have a call to some form of vocational ministry.
- Qualified: Meet the requirements for church leadership (Pastors – 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Ministers – 1 Timothy 3:8-13)
- Experience: Previous meaningful ministry experience as a lay shepherd in a local church setting.
- Training: Undergraduate College Degree in Biblical or Ministerial studies is highly preferred.
- Graduate degree in Biblical, Theological Studies, or equivalent is preferred
- Life and ministry experience will be taken into account for those do not have either of the above.
- Church Support: Strong commendation from a church currently or previously served.
- Alignment
- Affirm the WBC Beliefs and Values as well as the WBC Statement of Christian Lifestyle.
- Align with and is committed to assisting the shepherding ministries of the church in living out our Beliefs and Values.
- Become an active member in the life of WBC throughout the Shepherding Residency.
- Committed: Fully committed to serve full-time for the duration of the Shepherding Residency.
Residency Compensation:
- 2-year salary with allowance for study time, books, admin expenses
- Eligible for some benefits, including group health insurance
Status: Full-time, exempt
Benefits: All full-time positions are eligible for our full benefit package which includes: Medical and Dental insurance; PTO, sick time, holidays, 403B with up to 7% match; Life Insurance and Long-term disability.
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