Do you feel called to be a lead pastor? Want to get hands-on ministry training, learn from Pastor Mark and other Mars Hill leaders, and plant a Mars Hill Church? Learn more about the Mars Hill Lead Pastor Residency Program.

At Mars Hill Church, our greatest desire is for our churches to be healthy. And we know there is a direct correlation between the health of a church and the health of its Lead Pastor.

That’s why we have our Lead Pastor Residency Program. If we want Lead Pastors who know how to keep a close watch on themselves and their teaching (1 Tim. 4:16), they will need extensive training as well as hands-on practical ministry experience. The Lead Pastor Residency’s goal is to plant healthy churches by sending out healthy Lead Pastors.

The Plan

Each year, beginning in August, Lead Pastor Residents arrive in Seattle from various places. These men become full-time paid employees of the church upon the start of the program. Typically, some are from within Mars Hill, while others have served in other churches and ministries. They will spend the next nine months being trained to launch new churches.

Training consists of several big categories. During their residency, Residents are always learning, observing, and doing pastoral ministry.

There is a direct correlation between the health of a church and the health of its Lead Pastor.

Learning

Mars Hill Lead Pastor Residents spend considerable time learning from Pastor Mark Driscoll and other key leaders. They learn about the theology, philosophy, and priorities of our weekly services. They spend time becoming familiar with core ministries such as Community Groups, Redemption Groups, Biblical Counseling, Kids Ministry, Student Ministry, and Women’s Ministry so that they are prepared to lead those leading these crucial ministries as a church is launched.

Additionally, Residents have access to accredited, graduate-level theological education so that they will have a solid theological foundation from which to serve others.

Observing

Effective ministry is both taught and caught. Our Residents are assigned to shadow experienced Mars Hill Lead Pastors. They learn how to function as the Lead Pastor, Lead Teacher, and Lead Evangelist by watching someone else who has proven fruitful do the job. And they benefit by observing the successes and failures of these men.

Mars Hill Lead Pastor Residents spend considerable time learning from Pastor Mark Driscoll and other key leaders.

Doing

Residents do a lot of heavy lifting right away. They are assigned to oversee significant aspects of mission at Mars Hill. They lead other leaders. They open up their Bibles and proclaim Jesus. They engage those who don’t yet know Jesus with his good news. And they spend the second half of the program planting a Mars Hill Church.

The Man

Do you feel called to serve as a Mars Hill Lead Pastor Resident? If so, please fill out an application. We would be most honored to have the privilege of evaluating your call to ministry with you. We are asking Jesus to raise up Lead Pastors so that we can plant more churches. You may be an answer to our prayers.