The CMC’s 4-year vicarage program is unique in its emphasis on student formation in areas of pastoral, mission, and leadership skills. The goal of the program is to form - even produce - a person with sufficient personal and spiritual disciplines, as well as effective entrepreneurial, church-planting skills that can make any environment, be it urban, multicultural, or cross-cultural, a fertile ground for a confessional LCMS church start. This program combines the best in “special operations” type training (from a spiritual and physical perspective), pastoral functions training (under the guidance of a field mentor), and mission planting/team-building training. This program not only makes the student aware of the necessary skills but monitors and assesses the students’ abilities in using those skills in ethnic and urban environments.
Vicarage Year One – Personal Formation
- Yearly Bible, focused prayer and personal devotions.
- Pastoral mentoring and observation, work with mentor pastor.
- Leadership Development.
Vicarage Year Two – Pastoral Functions
- Involvement in the local congregation with the goal of preaching, teaching, and team building in service to the existing strategic plan of the congregation.
- The student is to grow in all 14 function areas of ministry and mission, developing as both a pastor and a missionary to the surrounding community.
- Leadership Development.
Vicarage Year Three – Mission Church Planting/New Ministry Launch
- Entrepreneurial church plant or new ministry launched from a host congregation utilizing a committed launch team to cross cultures and reach the lost with the Gospel. This is the capstone project of this program and is to be a significant undertaking and robust part of the vicarage.
- Leadership Development.
Vicarage Year Four – Leadership/Team Building
- Community outreach and internal team building continues.
- Careful and intentional leadership identification, training, and development are key.
- The goal of each student is to have a team that will continue to grow the new start into a viable church and/or enduring ministry that crosses cultures and reaches the lost.
- Leadership Development continues.