Residency

Training the next generation of future church leaders.

The Residency is the capstone mobilization program of the Central Institute. It is a whole-life discipleship and formation program lasting 1 or 2 years designed to propel the next generation of Christian leaders into their future.

Apply for Residency

PILLARS
These are the foundations of The Central Institute Residency:

  • C O N S E C R A T I O N
    The Residency is for young leaders graduating from college or with a few years of professional experience who are considering vocational ministry or just want to set aside an intentional season growing to equip them for the future.
  • C R A F T
    Residents will hone their craft within the life of the local church under the supervision of experienced ministry leaders through the Central Ministry Experience.
  • C H A R A C T E R
    Residents will form their character journeying through a carefully-curated set of experiences designed to maximize their training in the Central Leadership Experience.

CENTRAL MINISTRY EXPERIENCE
Residents will discover their gifts in one of four customized tracks:

  • Pastoral Track
    Focusing on Christ-centered expository preaching, effective church leadership, biblical church governance, and faithful biblical exegesis—for men who aspire to serve a local church in the office of pastor.
  • Ministry Track
    Focusing on hands-on training within the life of a key ministry, customized to your skills and aspirations—for men and women who desire to be a key vocational leader of any kind within the local church.
  • Creative Track
    Focusing on intergenerational worship, biblical service design, effective production, strategic communications, compelling events, and gospel-focused songwriting—for men and women who want to help shepherd worshipers and steward the gospel through song, design, and technical skill.
  • Global Track
    Focusing on engaging people with the message of the gospel, strategic church planting, international missions, faithful disciple-making, personal evangelism, marketplace presence, and biblical missiology—for men and women who want to leverage their lives in ministry, missions, or the marketplace for the sake of the gospel.

CENTRAL LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
Residents will uncover their capacity through a transformational set of experiences providing:

  • Seminary Training
    Become a more deeply-rooted disciple pursuing graduate-level theological education and receiving 24 hours of seminary credit.
  • Professional Development
    Broaden your competencies through a nine-month apprenticeship in leadership designed to sharpen your professional and personal skills.
  • Personal Formation
    Consecrate your future ministry through a year-long spiritual prehab program where you’ll grow in self-knowledge and learn the essentials of spiritual health.
  • Global Engagement
    Explore the world + experience the Great Commission by participating in a short-term trip.

DISTINCTIVES
Here’s what makes the Central Institute Residency unique:

  • Intentionality
    You are a whole person and you’ll be best prepared for life and ministry if you’re actively engaged in mind, soul, and body, and cared for within community. That’s why the Residency is carefully-designed to provide a transformative set of experiences aimed at every dimension of who you are and what you need for long and faithful ministry.
  • Integrative
    Faithful ministry requires deep roots in the spaces God gives to fuel and form us. That’s why the Residency explores the Bible, theology, and spiritual formation simultaneously. This approach is designed to show how all of these are vitally connected together and vital for you to connect to in order to be a faithful and fruitful apprentice of Jesus.
  • Ordination Track
    A second-year track available for men who wish to pursue ordination. For too many, the process for ordination is unclear and unstructured. We provide a clear, thoughtful pathway for the church to prepare you for ministry, examine your life and doctrine, and vote to affirm that you meet the qualifications for service in the office of pastor.

FAQ

What are the dates of The Reisdency?

The Residency will run one calendar year.

• Start date: August 1
• End date: July 31 of the next year

Who leads the Residency?

Residents will have three primary touchpoints:

Daniel Patterson
Pastor Daniel serves as Central’s Executive Pastor and directs the entire Central Institute, including The Residency. Day to day, he will take primary lead over most aspects of the Central Leadership Experience.

Ministry Area Lead
Residents will be placed into one of four tracks and then assigned to one of our senior ministry staff as their Ministry Area Lead. These experienced leaders will direct most aspects of the Central Ministry Experience for Residents.

Matthew Emery
Matthew serves as Central’s Pastoral Associate, and he manages the day to day operations of The Residency. He will be the key touchpoint for Residents in matters related to onboarding, logistics, support-raising, and the like.

What will a typical week look like?

Residents will split their time between the Central Ministry Experience, where they will serve in customized roles and and learn hands-on in the life of the local church, and the Central Leadership Experience, where they will receive spiritual, professional, personal, and theological training. Here’s a basic feel for how this all holds together:

• Sunday Experience: 5 hours
• Ministry Experience: 25 hours
• Seminary Training: 2 hours (+ assignments)
• Leadership Development: 2 hours
• Spiritual Formation: 2 hours
• Personal Coaching: 1 hour
• Meetings + Training: 1–2 hours
• Admin & Support-Raising: 1–2 hours

What if I'm not sure about full-time vocational ministry?

The Residency is a great place to explore that question! Many who complete the Residency will go directly to complete seminary, off to the mission field, or into a church staff role. But many others who complete the Residency can and will go on to serve in the marketplace as deeply-rooted disciples equipped to serve as faithful Christians in the workplace and as key lay leaders in their church. We’ve designed the residency to be a place that equips both ends of the spectrum and everywhere in between.

What will I learn in the Central Leadership Experience?

You’ll go through a carefully-curated set of experiences outside of your hands-on ministry responsibilities that we believe will maximize your training for ministry. This includes elements such as:

• Seminary Training
• Ministry Skill Workshops
• Executive Leadership Program
• Teaching Boot Camp
• Professional Life Skills Training
• Self-Understanding Analysis
• Soul Care Best Practices
• Cohort Discussions
• Guest Speakers
• Behind-the-scenes access to meetings
• Short-Term Trips

What kind of seminary training will I receive?

Residents will go through the Seminary Track of the Central Institute Training Program.

Central has a partnership with the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Residents will receive 24 hours of class credit through our Training Program for the following courses:

• Old Testament 1
• Old Testament 2
• New Testament 1
• New Testament 2
• Systematic Theology 1
• Systematic Theology 2
• Systematic Theology 3
• Personal Evangelism and Devotion

What is the spiritual prehab program you mention?

A perpetual danger in ministry is that your talent might take you where your character can’t keep you. We want to teach you skills on the front end of your life that help you recognize dangers and combat temptation proactively in order to remove obstacles to your future in advance and to invest in the longevity and health of your ministry. That’s why we call this spiritual prehab—preventing injuries to your soul and your ministry before they happen.

Is the residency a full-time job?

Yes. The Residency is a time when you are fully leveraging a season of your life to prepare for your future. As a result, this means you will not be able to have another form of employment on top of your responsibilities while you’re serving alongside the Central team.

Is the residency paid?

Central makes a monthly contribution to cover a portion of your salary, and Residents support raise the remainder of their salary.

 

How do residents raise support? And how much?

How?
Residents receive training with Reliant, a partnering organization. Reliant provides best-in-class training and support for our Residents, provides coaching, and helps make sure you meet your goals.

How much?
Residents raise support for the total cost of their employment—salary, benefits, and program costs. It is Reliant’s practice to work with Residents to help determine their individual needs and customize a fundraising goal accordingly.

What else?
Residents are responsible to reach 100% of their determined goals, but once they do there are no fees or additional costs with the sole exception of the need to acquire seminary textbooks.

Why do residents raise support?

For several reasons—all for your good.

Mobilization. The residency is a short-term role designed to propel you into your future. Unlike a salaried “job” where there can be a temptation to coast, raising support will give you a vested interest to get the most out of your time, will keep your eyes focused on the future, and will make sure you launch out well.

Association. Raising support will raise funds, but it will do much more than that. It will also produce a network of relationships that will be invaluable to you in your future. The people who support you in this season may very well grow to become a ministry support team that stays with you in prayer and encouragement for many years to come.

Formation. There is something about seeing God meet a concrete need that is life-giving and faith-building. On top of that, doing the work it takes to meet, persuade, and vision cast is a skill that all effective Christian leaders need to develop. There’s no better time to develop that than early in life.

What about housing?

Residents live throughout the Bryan/College Station area and are responsible for finding and providing their own housing. We will connect all accepted Residents so they can work together on possible roomate options.

What if I want to do a 2-year track?

The 2-year track is for those who want to commit to an expanded set of development and training experiences and/or pursue ordination through the church. There will be a segment on your application where you can signal that you’d like to be considered for a 2-year track. Additionally, the church reserves the right to invite high-performing residents into a 2-year track.

What if I have unanswered questions?

Please review the above FAQ. If you still have questions we’re happy to help! Just reach out to Matthew Emery with any questions you have.