CHURCH PLANTING LAB

Start a church that fits your unique convictions, leadership, and mission field.

In recent North American history, “church planting” has largely centered around helping a planter find a place and team to start a Sunday service. This common view prioritizes one gift profile, one set of metrics, and a context that is less and less like the one that surrounds us today. Our changing culture necessitates a different method of starting a church if we’re truly seeking Jesus’ command to make disciples.

Take your next step in becoming a TEG Resident.
Fill out a form by clicking the button below, or keep scrolling to learn more.

About The Lab

Equipping Group’s Early Years Church Planting Lab is a collaborative, experiential training designed for you. This 10-month training equips you in practical areas of starting a gospel-centered, Spirit-led, multiplying church. You’ll learn, discuss, practice, and glean from many trainers in a cohort of peers, as your spiritual confidence and ability are bolstered in time-tested church planting/leadership competencies.

Our unique Lab process is designed to train you for disciple-making while you remain in your current job or ministry (6-8 hrs/week training with bi-monthly, on-site Lab Weeks.) And while we collaborate for the training, you contextualize it to your specific vision, in part by getting to remain embedded in your local church whose leaders work with The Equipping Group to provide opportunities, practice, and development specific to your needs.

How does it work?

  • The customized component is a ~3-4 hrs/wk immersion into your church, where you learn ministry by doing it, and create a Development Plan around specific areas of growth in your personal/family life, beliefs/convictions, leadership, mission, and ministry.

  • The self-driven component involves ~3-4 hrs/wk of reading, watching, listening, writing, and practice, before and after from each Lab Week. You’ll gain exclusive trainings from noted experts such as Rick McKinley, Jeff Vanderstelt, Bob & Nikki Roberts, Alex & Hannah Absolom, Dhati Lewis, Matt Carter, Gerry Breshears, Daniel & Linda Yang, JR Woodward, and more.

  • This unified component is a two-to-three-day gathering during each class, where you discuss prep work, learn and pray together, and hear from experienced trainers on various competencies. You also carry out practical exercises per each class's theme. Once you arrive, all lodging/food/costs are covered.

  • The collaborative component recognizes and appreciates the nuances of different churches/sending organizations. We work with yours to create space for training org-specific values, doctrine, and/or ministry philosophy. Additionally, we encourage a formal assessment through your sending organization (or we can recommend an Assessment Center if you don't have one).

  • The couples’ component acknowledges that no one is more impacted by ministry than the pastor’s family. If married, the design for this process is for couples participate together in all Lab Weeks, as well as some components of the internship/assignments, as well as to participate in some spouse-specific coaching. We'll discuss details during your application process.


Nine-Month Schedule

Schedule

  • (Lab Week: during the week of Sept. 9)
This class considers the ins and outs a church’s vision and org
culture, based on the gospel, your convictions, & mission field.

  • (Lab Week: During the Week of Nov 4)
This class equips you to shape everything in your church 
around discipleship, Spirit-ledness, and kingdom priorities.

  • (Lab Week: During the Week of Jan 13)
We consider various realities (like trust, conflict, etc) of working as a growing, changing team — and developing new leaders too.

  • (Lab Week: During the Week of Mar 17)
We consider gatherings and various ministry strategies, and their place in your church's mission & ministry.

  • (Lab Week: During the Week of May 5)
We wrap up by looking beyond Day one of the plant, considering growth, change, and personal/church health “for the long haul.”

What’s a Lab Week?

Most Lab Weeks begin at 9:30am Day 1 and end at 4pm Day 2; exceptions are communicated in advance. You must be present the whole time. Participants stay overnight together. A sample Lab Week schedule looks like this:

DAY 1

You arrive for intentional coffee & catch-up. Then you spend time in scripture & prayer together, before discussing your prep work then having lunch. A regional or national expert in that class’s topics leads an afternoon training, which includes Q&A & exercises. Then we leave for dinner, a little fun, & hanging out together. 

Day 2

Day 2 begins with a resident’s sermon & peer feedback, then a morning of experiential learning & lunch. The afternoon involves more discussion, training, & exercises. Then you’re sent out with prayer and assignments.

FAQs

  • The Church Planting Lab is not general leader training; it’s for those who feel compelled to plant and/or lead a gospel-centered, Spirit-led, missional church, and whose gifts have been affirmed by your wife and by ministry leaders. The process is designed for the “working man or woman” to fit within ~6-8 hrs/wk, other than Lab Weeks.

    Applicants should be at least 24-years-old, with confirmed leadership experience, who is hoping to plant within 1–2 years (or is within 12 months of having planted).

  • We are working on academic credit through Western Seminary (Portland, OR), which would transfer variably by institution. We are also coordinating with Grimké Seminary (Richmond, VA) on receiving course credit for your Lab work. Email hi@equippinggroup.com for more info. Academic credit incurs institutional charges.

  • The Ministry Discernment Lab costs $4500 ($450/mo, Aug - May). Tuition covers online and print materials, administrative and coaching costs, and all Lab expenses (incl. food, trainers, trainers, activities, etc.). Residents/churches cover travel costs to Lab Weeks, and any expenses for your local church internship. As part of the training, we encourage you to raise 100% of tuition and costs, and scholarships may be available

    Assessment costs exist separate from the Lab process, and vary per sending organization. And resident stipends/salaries vary per sending church, and are worked out between a resident and church. We are happy to discuss funding and support options with you.


Take your next step in becoming a TEG Resident.
Fill out a form by clicking the button below.