Pastoral Residency
OUR AIM: COMPETENT PASTORS FOR
POST-CHRISTIAN AMERICA
Go therefore and make disciples. -Jesus
The art of leadership dwells a good deal in the future ...in planting and growing other leaders who will look to the future beyond their own. - Max De Free
Our society is experiencing a sea-change. The spiritual landscape of the United States has been altering at a steady clip, resulting in a decline of Christian faith and a rapid increase in the religiously unaffiliated. To address this, church leaders must rebuild evangelism and discipleship in light of the world's real needs and the congregation's real Monday to Friday experience. But if we are to take a long-term perspective, this is not enough. We must also raise up the next generation of pastors who take on this vision — a passionate, mature, capable, and theologically grounded generation of leaders who are able to effectively reach post-Christian America with the gospel.
Christ Church is a historic evangelical church in the greater Pasadena/Los Angeles region. In the last few years, with the full blessing of its leadership and support of its people, Christ Church has undergone significant changes in order to position itself as a gospel-vibrant, missional church able to reach our increasingly post-Christian culture. Central to Christ Church's strategy has been the critical task of developing the next generation of Christian leaders. Under the leadership of Robert Covolo, Pastor of Theological Formation, Christ Church has poured itself into young adults interested in ministry, many of whom have taken on internship positions within the church. But Christ Church needs more. In line with its mission to train the next generation of leaders, Christ Church aims to establish a "teaching hospital" model of pastoral residency wherein emerging leaders can learn the vocational art of pastoring within our distinct cultural moment.