Why should I consider a Church Residency?
When I get into conversations about our church residency, I can always count on a few questions to come up: What are the advantages of doing a church residency? Why do a residency instead of just starting in a traditional staff role? How can a church residency set me up for greater success in ministry? All three of those questions are valid and deserve an answer, especially for people who are considering jumping into a residency.
So, why residency?
The traditional route people use to find their way into vocational ministry is usually through some sort of volunteer leadership position that leads to a part-time position on a church staff that leads to a full-time position and so on. It’s not the only way! Some traditions require loads of education on the front end before a person ever steps into a ministry leadership role. Some other traditions place a “called” individual right into pastoral ministry. Residency, however, remains one of those newer entry points to ministry that seems new (and maybe even strange) to some people. My experience lines up with that more traditional beginning I outlined above. While studying English as an undergrad, I had an experience that turned my attention toward ministry preparation. I knew that meant seminary would be in my future, but, never one to wait around, I figured there was no time like the present to get some experience. So, I found a nearby church that was looking for a part-time youth minister, applied, and got the job. I’m still not sure why I got the job, and I have to question the wisdom of the committee that offered it to me, but I jumped in nonetheless with absolutely no experience outside of helping lead some youth ministry retreats with our campus ministry. I started out making $125/week for a 20-hour week, and after a year, they bumped me to $175 because things were starting to grow. I stayed there in that role for two years learning, making mistakes, figuring things out, and doing the best I could. Then another church reached out, and I jumped ship. It was a larger church that wanted me for 30 hours and wanted to pay me $350/week. I thought I was on top of the world! I stayed there while I finished undergrad and seminary, and they moved me to a full-time position. It was absolutely amazing. I was young. I was unwise. I made all kinds of mistakes. I had a lead pastor who was available to me, and he mentored me in ministry. But the youth ministry? That was mine to lead. Not much oversight. Just jump in the deep and figure it out. I found lots of potholes through trial and error. Some of them hurt. Some of them even hurt other people I was leading. I was getting better, but the collateral damage emerged as a real issue. That’s a dangerous way to start ministry. It’s only by the grace of God that I didn’t make the kinds of mistakes that would permanently disqualify me from ministry.
What if there is a better way?
Church residencies provide a space for people to explore ministry while gaining experience under the supervision and guidance of a seasoned ministry leader. Instead of finding one’s way in a struggling church that lacks the resources they need, church residents learn the ropes within healthy, growing ministries led by people with years of experience under their belts. Instead of figuring it out on one’s own, church residents learn how to do it by watching and doing it beside those who have already learned where the potholes are. At Mercy Hill, we see our residents graduate with much greater experience and competencies for ministry than most people who have simply jumped in and tried to figure things out. They are more networked; they are more familiar with best practices; and they know what health and success look and feel like because they’ve lived in it. People in church residencies still make mistakes. To be honest, we pretty much expect them to make those mistakes. The difference is the more controlled environment in which they make those mistakes. They still feel the weight of the mistakes, but they have the benefit of having someone mentor them and guide them through those mistakes. They have a mentor to help them process and learn from their mistakes. And what’s even better, they have a cheerleader in that same mentor who reinforces every single thing they do right with appropriate affirmation. Church residencies are the perfect opportunity for people starting out in ministry to learn by doing. Yes, they learn, but it’s more than a lecture in a classroom. Yes, they practice, but it’s more than a lab. Church residencies are the convergence of both of those things that together build a platform for a successful career in ministry leadership.
-Jonathan Yarboro (Executive Pastor of Sending at Mercy Hill Church)