The Pastoral Training Program

Goal

The primary goal of the The Pastoral Training Program is to equip men to start, lead, and multiply churches. Put differently, participants will gain skills in evangelism, discipleship, and leadership development so they can shepherd 20 to 40 people in their neighborhood.

When God raises up men to start and lead churches, the process is always supernatural, but it is also normal. It is supernatural because God calls men in and through Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit to lead on his behalf. But it is also normal because God chooses ordinary men (like police officers, fire fighters, and repairmen) to accomplish his work. Particularly during the first 300 years of the church, the gospel spread from house to house and from meal to meal—in churches that were led by ordinary men. And it has always been that way: “[The religious leaders] observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). When we question if God can use us for his glory, we are doubting God and the head of the church, Jesus Christ.

The Gathering Network (as opposed to The Gathering Church of Gurnee, IL) does not ordain men as pastors/elders/overseers (which is one office in the New Testament). Instead, it is the responsibility of individual churches to discern the desires and qualifications of men for that office, and then ordain some as pastors. However, the goal of our network is to help church leaders to move men through “The Path of Church Leaders.”

Therefore, participating in The Pastoral Training Program does not guarantee that you will start or lead a house church. However:

  • All of you will gain additional skills to make disciples of your family members, friends, and neighbors—skills that will help you as you lead within a church and in your community.

  • Most of you will start and lead individual house churches, particularly as you discern that call within your current church.

  • Many of you will train and send out a handful of church planters.

  • Some of you will train and send out many church planters, thereby creating one or more networks of churches. The main way you will do this is by recruiting and starting cohorts of men who enter The Pastoral Training Program—which you will lead for them—approximately one year after you plant your church.

This program will help you think through and gain skills in each of those areas. But regardless of how God uses you, our goal is to set you up for a lifetime of faithful, multiplying ministry. We trust God to move in you and through you as he sees fit.

This program is for men. Both men and women are made in God’s image, and, because of that, have equal dignity and worth in the eyes of God (Gen. 1:26–28). Additionally, God uses both men and women to contribute to the strengthening of local churches, families, and neighborhoods (Rom. 12:1–8; Titus 2:1–10). However, God restricts the office of pastor/elder/overseer to qualified men (1 Tim. 2:12–14; 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9). Therefore, in an effort to equip men for this office, we created The Pastoral Training Program.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completing this program, participants will be able to:

  1. evaluate and cultivate their own character in light of the qualifications for pastors/elders/overseers as outlined in Scripture

  2. analyze the apostles’ leadership and teaching within the church from individual passages of the Bible

  3. proclaim and explain the gospel, and call for a response of turning from sin and trusting in Jesus

  4. teach the Bible in the context of house churches, small groups, and one-on-one relationships

  5. shepherd others through common problems (such as struggles within marriage, in parenting, and with addictions)

  6. lead others through a process of conflict resolution

  7. train others to evangelize, disciple, and develop leaders

Curriculum

Together we will reflect on biblical teaching in the following categories with representative books and topics listed below, which we will study over the course of three years.

ESV Study Bible (a resource we will use in one or more of the following categories)

Year One

  1. Apostolic Teaching and Leadership (Acts, Paul’s Letters, and the General Letters): ESV Study Bible

  2. Leadership: The Core Documents of The Gathering Network; Elders and Leaders by Getz;

  3. Evangelism, Discipleship, and/or Teaching the Bible: The Master Plan of Evangelism by Coleman; Christian Beliefs by Grudem

  4. Biblical Counseling: The Gospel for Disordered Lives by Jones, Kellen, and Green

  5. Learning by Teaching: Teaching The Discipleship Series: Foundations of the Faith

Year Two

  1. Apostolic Teaching and Leadership (Acts, Paul’s Letters, and the General Letters): ESV Study Bible

  2. Leadership: The Core Documents of The Gathering Network; 40 Questions about Elders and Deacons by Merkle

  3. Evangelism, Discipleship, and/or Teaching the Bible: Invitation to Evangelism by Beougher; All That Jesus Commanded by John Piper

  4. Biblical Counseling: The Gospel for Disordered Lives by Jones, Kellen, and Green (cont.); This Momentary Marriage by Piper; The Gospel-centered Parent by Miller

  5. Learning by Teaching: Teaching The Discipleship Series: Ministering to Others

Year Three

  1. Apostolic Teaching and Leadership (Acts, Paul’s Letters, and the General Letters): ESV Study Bible

  2. Leadership: The Core Documents of The Gathering Network; The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner

  3. Evangelism, Discipleship, and/or Teaching the Bible: The Peacemaker by Sande; Getting the Message by Doriani; Creative Bible Teaching by Richards & Bredfeldt

  4. Biblical Counseling: The Complete Guide to Crisis & Trauma Counseling by Wright; Marriage by Tripp; Parenting by Tripp

  5. Learning by Teaching: Teaching The Discipleship Series: The Word in Community

Time Investment

The total time investment is four to five hours per week. We meet by videoconference for ten months out of the year, three times a month, for two hours each meeting; please do not schedule any other events or meetings during that time. You can also expect to read about two to three hours a week—three weeks a month.

On the weeks we do not meet, (1) you can catch up on your reading and teaching others The Discipleship Series, and (2) you will type up reflections on your development as a leader and teacher.

Well before entering the program, it is worth considering (1) what you will need to give up (what you will put on your “stop doing” list) and (2) how you can block off two or more hours for reading during the week (for example, during your lunch breaks).

More Information

If you are interested in joining the training program and our videoconference meetings, email Pastor Jay at jpsimala@gmail.com.