Vertical Residency


what is residency?

A Vertical Residency is a 9 to 12 month Church Planting Intensive at Vertical Church or an approved Vertical Network Church. A Vertical Resident is a church planter who has identified their mission field, has a tentative launch date, and is in the process of preparing to begin the work in that field. While occasional scholarships and fundings are available, Vertical Church Planting Residency is self-funded.


The goal of our Residency is to give them an immersive experience, apprenticing with a Pastor or Location Pastor. As our residents are learning the fundamentals of church planting we will pour into them everything that we have learned about planting churches that plant churches: How to discover God’s vision for their church; how to build a strong core/launch team; how to develop systems; how to raise the necessary funds to launch. We are insistent about instilling in them the values of reproduction and residency that they will pass on to a church planter within the next 2 - 3 years.


what does it consist of?

Church Planting Residents will:

  • Complete Church Planter Assessment Center

  • Complete Strength-Finders Survey and operating in your strengths conversation.

  • Commit to the core-value of Reproducing and Residency.

  • Participate in Monthly Evening Vertical Pastor / Staff Meeting (if work scheduling allows).

  • Have secured additional Pastor / Elder who will carry executive leadership of the church with them. Can carry the title of Executive Pastor, Worship Pastor, Co-Pastor, ect. Must be a trusted co-laborer in the Gospel.

  • Participate in weekly (or bi-weekly depending on scheduling needs) Multiply church planter training with a trainer/Pastor. Homework is HOME-work, is intensive and requires hours of study and preparation in order to maximize training time with their leader. All reading and homework is to be completed on schedule in order to complete training prior to launch.

  • Work to secure start-up funding from a partnering network.

  • Apprentice weekly with a Vertical Location Pastor (or approved Vertical Network Pastor who is committed to the value of Reproducing and Residency.)

  • Serve as a member of our staff at their assigned Vertical Location. As far as Vertical Attendees are concerned, the Resident is one of their Pastors.

  • Build a core team that will hopefully become a launch team. Team will have weekly meetings to process what the planter is working with their team.

  • Lead his launch team (if local) to participate and train in their respective areas at Vertical (or approved Vertical Network Church).

  • Learn to develop an effective teaching calendar.

  • Develop with the core team effective systems and strategies. All Vertical Systems are available for viewing and application.

  • Attend various meetings, trainings or conferences in the area of church planting (funded by the church or network)

  • Will work with Vertical Church Planting Network to secure additional start-up funding through appropriate sources


“How Residencies Prepare Emerging Leaders” 

http://leadnet.org/how-residencies-prepare-emerging-church-leaders/