6 Marks of a Teaching Church

Leadership Pathway is looking for one thousand churches to take up the call of launching formal residency programs to help ensure the future pipeline of leadership is hirable and highly desired. There appear to be a few hundred churches doing residency…we’re on our way.

When we think of the types of places that should be doing this we think in terms of what it means to be a TEACHING CHURCH.

Much like in the medical field some hospitals are teaching hospitals, and some are not.

So what are the marks of a teaching church and how do you know if you should be one?

Consider the following characteristics. How are you doing in each of these?

These are the six qualities that we look for.

COACHING: We want more for them than from them.

This cannot be about cheap labor or the intern who is going to make your copies & wash the van. Are you ready for the time it will take in the coaching area to bring on a resident?

OBLIGATION:This is on us.

Your resident is not yet ready for ministry. You know best how to get them to that point.

Your resident will have a clear plan because the course of action is always in front of them due to your efforts.

ENDGAME: The only win is for them to be hirable and highly desired.

This is not a gap year program…this is more than an internship.

Your resident will be employed full time when their time is finished.

FILLING THE GAPS: We address what education and spiritual formation doesn’t.

Education and Spiritual formation are necessary, and we assume this is happening.

Your resident has a better shot at surviving their first three years of full-time employment.

BEST PRACTICES: We believe in what you are doing.

They will observe, and gain experience in a church that is advancing

in the core functions of a modern church.

Your resident can make an immediate impact in a church

that is growing and advancing because of this experience.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: The church needs leaders & will only work best when it is led well.

Your resident must feel the weight of volunteer leadership early in the process.

After two years your resident will have great answers to the question:

“What have you been leading & building?”

If your church is this type of place we’d love to talk. If you want to be this type of place - we’d love to talk with you as well & lay out a plan to do this together.