residency at Central Church
Our residency program provides college graduates experience working in ministry, going beyond the academic environment and leaning into practical application of a ministry setting.
The residency program helps shepherd aspiring ministry leaders by providing real ministry experience with oversight and guidance—personally, professionally, and spiritually.
You can check out the details and FAQs below, or email Austin Arends, College & Residency Pastor, with any questions
Your Residency Experience
With Central Church’s Residency Program, you’ll have opportunities to grow as an individual and gain hands-on ministry experience.
We’ll spend two years equipping you as a ministry leader with both the heart and skills to serve in a variety of ministry contexts. You’ll develop and learn how to be a servant leader and confidently be able to go wherever God calls you next. Here's what special about our program:
- Hands-on ministry. You'll learn, serve, and lead in multiple ministry areas within the church, including (but not limited to):
- NextGen (kids, youth, & college)
- Worship
- Community Life
- Prayer & Care
- Recovery
- Downtown
- Outreach, including global and local partners
- & more
- Personal Development. Our goal isn’t to just crank out pastors or worship leaders. We want to help you grow as a person during your two years with us. This includes mentoring, relationship-building, conflict resolution, and more. Personal growth is just as important as spiritual growth when it comes to ministry.
- Academic Instruction. People in ministry should always be growing and learning in the academic sense, not just spiritually, and our Residency Program embraces that mindset. We offer tuition assistance for residents pursuing a degree in ministry, as well as host classes on-site for all of our residents.
- Cohort Experience. One of the best ways to grow is with others around you walking the same road you are. Our Residency Program provides a cohort experience so you can work with, learn from, and help teach other peers, leading to lasting relationships that will serve you after you begin your work in the ministry field.