The Traders Point residency program just completed its ninth year of developing 10 young leaders for a career in ministry or non-profit work. We care about the next generation because we care about the Church, and the next generation will be leading the church.
The mission of our year-long residency program is a response to Jesus' words: "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest that He would send workers into the harvest" (Matthew 9:37-38).
We want to do our part to send out healthy leaders into the Kingdom, and residency is one of the most concrete ways we do that.
The residency exists to bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world ministry experience. Most residents are college graduates who feel a nudge from God to dive into vocational ministry but need more experience. The residency is a 40-hour-per-week intensive environment where residents get the knowledge, experience and coaching necessary to take the leap into full-time vocational ministry. Some of the graduating residents will come on staff at Traders Point, while others will join the staff of another church or serve in the marketplace or non-profit sector.
The residents’ leadership and skills training are taken seriously; we see residents beyond the standard role of interns. They don’t just shadow ministry leaders and perform menial tasks—they have ownership and responsibility. For example, our residents this year created the inventory system for our Foster & Adoption Ministry Resource Center, taught at Youth’s Midweek, led weekend production at a campus, and wrote Daily Bible Reading.
But before we equip residents to “lead well,” we want them to “be well,” so the cohort programming focuses on mental, emotional and spiritual health, culminating in a 2-day silent retreat, prioritizing solitude with the Lord.
Recent residency graduate Hannah Geissinger shared her biggest takeaway from the program: “Self-awareness and spiritual health go hand in hand,” she said. “The more that you grow in self awareness, the more that you'll start seeing God in your life.”
Thanks to your Awaken generosity, the residency program continues to flourish. This fall, we’re bringing in 10 new residents, who are diverse in age, gender, theological background, ethnicity and passion. We’re looking forward to walking alongside another group of humble, hungry and healthy young leaders.