Biblical Mandate
The essential nature of apostleship follows on Jesus’ mandate given to the apostles. Five renditions of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; John 20:21; and Acts 1:8), all spoken after the resurrection and just prior to His ascension. What is prominent is that in four out of five passages, what is chiefly emphasized is the scope of his mandate: all the nations, all the world, all creation, all the nations, and to the remotest part of the earth. At the core of the apostolic mandate is to extend the borders of the gospel to regions beyond its’ current reach, to break new ground (cut a path and blaze a trail for the gospel to go where it has never gone before), to extend the boundaries of the church, to make disciples and plant healthy reproducing churches among population segments that have been outside the focus of the church. This sets apart apostolic work from other ministry and missionary tasks! So, an apostolic worker (church planting catalyst) boldly planting new churches among a people group where churches already exist is not apostolic. The issue is not a work being cross-cultural or same-cultural. Rather, apostolic workers work among unreached peoples or places in which the gospel and the church have yet to gain a sufficient foothold. They work towards progress on the “all the nations” directive of Jesus. As such, the mission strategy of First Baptist Rogers begins in our Jerusalem (local), extends to our Judea and Samaria (national), and it doesn’t stop until it reaches the ends of the earth (global). We will seek to blaze a trail for the gospel and the church to go to the last frontiers of mission (Romans 15:20).

Ideal Candidate

1. Strong sense of calling to vocational ministry.
2. Godly character and conduct
3. Love for the Lord, His church, and the lost
4. Humble and teachable spirit
5. Servant Leadership—ministry is giving your life away to others
6. Embraces the mission, vision, and values of First Baptist Rogers
7. Fits into the culture of First Baptist Rogers
8. Demonstrates the competencies and confidence needed to be successful in ministry
9. Some combination of theological education and commensurate ministry experience.
10. All applicants must be authorized to work in the USA.

Duration of Church Planting Residency
Two years. Church Planting Residents are expected to complete the full two years. There will be two ministry assessments in the first year (six-month intervals), and they will have the possibility of opting out of the residency at the end of the first year. Future staffing opportunities beyond the residency will be considered between the 18-to-24-month mark.

How many Church Planting Residents are there?
Currently, there are six Church Planting Residents within the program that are focused on the largest population segments of unreached people groups and/or emerging population centers in northwest Arkansas. We have three units focused on Hispanic/Latinos, two units focused on South Asians, and one unit focused on Siloam Springs. We envision additional units focused on Marshallese, Hmong, and Vietnamese, while also considering population growth in places like Bella Vista, Garfield, Gravette, and Pea Ridge.

Supervision
Every Church Planting Resident will be selected and supervised by the Executive Pastor for Church Planting & Missions. Most of the church planting residency experience will be under the mentorship, guidance, and strategic oversight of your supervisor, although
there will be investment made by other pastoral, executive, and lay leadership of First Baptist Rogers.

Seminary Education
We value theological training in addition to ministry experience, so scholarships will be available for Church Planting Residents, and giving preference to those pursuing their first Master’s degree.

Trainers
There will be training on Tuesday of each week over the course of two years, except for official holidays. There will be required readings, reflection papers, and small groupdiscussion. There will be accountability and support for the duration of these two years.
There will be continuing education training provided by pastoral, executive, and lay leadership specific to the local church ministry, administration, finances, and other relevant fields.
 

Ministry Contexts
There are over 72 unreached people groups (UPGs) in the state of Arkansas with many of them being resident in Benton and Washington counties. Some population segments group together in certain cities and neighborhoods, while others have fully integrated into mixed communities. Church Planting Residents will need to survey neighborhoods and conduct research to determine areas of strategic focus for launching small groups and churches.

Learning Structure

• The first Church Planting Residency began on January 1, 2023, and finishes on December 31, 2024. The second Church Planting Residency will begin on January 1, 2025, and end on December 31, 2026.
• Required reading (a minimum of one book per month), reflection papers, and small group discussion during weekly meetings.
• One professional conference and/or training event outside of First Baptist Rogers to enhance your knowledge, skills, and abilities as Church Planting Catalysts.

If you are interested in learning more about the residency or want to apply for it yourself, contact Steve Ellis below.