Weekend Cohorts
Our desire in the Irish Church Planting Incubator is not only to see you understand church planting theory and, at the end of the process, to see a church planted. It is more to see you transformed to be the leader and follower of Christ that God intends. A large aspect of Incubator is “soul-care.” Our goal goes beyond information or even skills transfer. In City To City we use the concept of “heart to head to hands” flow of holistic change. That is reflected in each session.
The weekend cohorts are designed to provide space. They are an ‘in-depth’ learning community. Part of that is learning from others from different contexts, backgrounds and gospel traditions but joined in this unique calling to plant a church.
The weekend is broken into two 6 hour sessions (Friday afternoon to evening and Saturday morning to afternoon) and follow the flow of heart to head to hand.
Gospel Community
We orient our hearts to the Gospel and Christ and one another. (1 hour).
Theology of Church Planting.
We review the reading to deepen our understanding, deal with any questions or discuss new insights and further process them. (1-2 hours).
Practical Ministry Training
We use various forms of learning with high participation levels. This takes up the bulk of each session. The goal is to help you grow in competencies necessary for effective church planting (rather than lecturing on theory). (3+ hours)
Ministry Portfolios Review
These are designed to help you apply what you are learning and growing, in you, to your specific church plant. Your projects will be ‘hands-on,’ specific and helpful to what you’re doing in your context. (Under 1 hour).
“Church planting is painful. Some of that pain is unavoidable. But some of it can be avoided with a gospel-centred community of trainers and other planters who will support you and walk with you through the process, helping you to discover the tools and skills that will help you. That’s what Incubator is all about.”
Why a weekend retreat out of the city?
creates an oasis of learning in a restful location
provides distance from the myriad of demands on participants’ time
provides time outside formal training where participants can connect, share and support one another during food and conversation.
allows a training venue that is more easily reached from most of Ireland.
participants do not travel as often during the year.