As a College Pastor, I have spoken to many folks interested in a Church Residency. I am often asked something similar, “If I do a Church Residency but don’t decide to go into vocational ministry afterward, will that put me behind in looking for a job in the marketplace?”. I get asked a lot of questions in these conversations, but this is one of the easiest to answer. The answer is unequivocally no.
Prior to going into vocational ministry, I spent three years as a Technical Recruiter for the largest IT staffing agency in the United States. My job was to sift through hundreds of resumes, connect with hundreds of technical professionals, find opportunities for them, and then prepare them to apply and interview for those opportunities. I also had relationships with dozens of hiring managers in my territory that I was working with to learn exactly what they were looking for and give reasons why my candidates were great for their open roles before my candidates even interviewed. What happened so often is that the applications and resumes of so many candidates looked so similar. So many of them had the degrees and the certifications that were required to qualify for the role. What I was asked by so many hiring managers were questions like, “What sets this person apart?”, “How are they at working with a team?”, “Are they self-starting, or do they need to be micro-managed?”, “How are their communication skills”, “Are they self-aware”, “Are they able to work with people different than them?”. In such a competitive marketplace, hiring managers are looking for the “intangibles.” Yes, the degrees and the certifications and the experience are important, but when everyone else has those, what gives someone the edge to get the job offer? It is a proven ability to communicate experience in a team environment, it is experience-building and maintaining a network of people around them, it’s experience being in an environment where they are able to intentionally develop self-awareness, it’s demonstrating the initiative to be self-starting instead of a dependence on micro-management. This is what gives a true edge and at Mercy Hill, this is what a Church Residency can give you.
At Mercy Hill, a Church Residency has a specific ministry focus. That can be, College Ministry, Student Ministry, Kids Ministry, Worship Ministry, Pastoral Ministry, Missions, etc. But all our Church Residency consist of the same two-year development plan focusing on 6 categories: Doctrine, Disciple-making, Communication, Leadership, Administration, and Character. No matter the ministry-specific focus, each of our Church Residents are given ownership over a specific ministry area. This is key for developing them and observing their ability to take initiative and be self-starting. They work closely in a team dynamic and are specifically trained in conflict resolution. They are trained in their ability to build and maintain a network of people. How to counsel others and interpersonally communicate. They are taught and given opportunities to teach/communicate in small and large settings. They are intentionally trained in self-awareness, discovering their gifts, passions, strengths, and weaknesses. They are exposed to working with a multitude of different personalities, backgrounds, and cultures. This includes cross-cultural ministry both domestic and international. Being able to develop, and gain experience in, these competencies gives Mercy Hill Church Residents a significant edge whether they enter vocational ministry or pursue another career in the marketplace.
–Brandon Newton (College Ministry Director)