MINISTRY DISCERNMENT LAB

Everyone has a role in God’s Kingdom. Let us help you find yours.

Whether you’re a church planter, pastor, counselor, student or worship minister, missionary, or gospel-centered, disciple-making accountant, we all have something in common. It can be really hard to discover your gifting and your fit for ministry. It takes time and coaching. We often have stereotypes of specific roles, and, if we’re honest, no one feels fully adequate for spiritual leadership. While classroom learning is necessary in any field, it’s in "the lab" that you get to put theory into practice, experiment in controlled environments, and truly gain hands-on experience in the roles and tasks for which you’re being trained.

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About The Lab

The Equipping Group’s Ministry Discernment Lab is a collaborative, experiential training designed for you. This 9-month training (Sept - May) considers aspects of spiritual life and family, personal leadership and gifting, all through the lens of mission and calling. You’ll learn, discuss, practice, and glean from many trainers in a cohort of peers, and discern your calling based on character, convictions, and 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 Oct. 14)
We get to know each other and lay the right foundations for any ministry/mission: no matter your role/vocation, all we do starts with gospel-centrality and kingdom-focus.

  • (Lab Week: During the Week of Dec. 9)
Each child of God is gifted to lead in unique ways; no one’s gifted in every way. We'll celebrate gifts and discuss needs.

  • (Lab Week: During the Week of Feb. 10)
We consider and navigate the vitality of relationships with God and self, and relationships in ministry and on mission.

  • (Lab Week: During the Week of Apr. 7)
Ministries vary depending on your mission field and people groups. We’ll discuss angles of engaging yours well.

  • Personalized Next Steps

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 Ministry Discernment Lab is not general leader training; it’s for group leaders, lay leaders, and ministry staff who feel compelled toward a further vocation in gospel-centered, Spirit-led, missional ministry. Your “raw materials” must be affirmed by your wife and by ministry leaders; you want help discerning your calling and fit on a ministry team. The process is designed for the “working man/woman,” to fit within ~6-8 hrs/wk, plus Lab Weeks.

    Applicants should be at least 22 years-old, with confirmed leadership experience, who is looking to lead/serve within a ministry organization the future.

  • 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 $4050 ($450/mo, Sept - 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.