When your church or nonprofit is ready for a staff member to lead ministry with young people, MLC can help you find, form, and support a leader for the long haul through our three-year Ministry Residency.
You need more than someone who can fill a role. You need a leader who can build trust with young people, partner well with families, recruit and equip volunteers, and help your ministry grow in healthy ways.
But early-career ministry leaders need support, too. Without coaching, formation, and clear guidance, even gifted leaders can become overwhelmed.
That is why the Ministry Leadership Center’s Ministry Residency is designed as a partnership. Your ministry receives a dedicated resident, and MLC walks alongside both the resident and your leadership team so the ministry can grow with clarity, care, and sustainability.
A Partner Ministry is a church or nonprofit that hosts an MLC Ministry Resident.
Your resident serves in your ministry context for 30 hours per week while participating in a three-year leadership development program that includes theological education, professional coaching, on-the-job training, and spiritual formation. In all ways possible, this is not just a staffing placement – it is a partnership. One in where there is shared investment in the future of your ministry and the future of a ministry leader.
As a Partner Ministry, you receive:
Many churches and nonprofits know they need a staff member to minister to young people, but the hiring process is fraught with uncertainty.
How do you find the right person?
How do you support them once they begin?
How do you help them build a ministry that lasts?
MLC helps answer those questions with a residency model that combines real ministry experience with structured support. Your resident is not left to figure it out alone, and neither are you.
Your Ministry Resident serves 30 hours per week in your church or nonprofit, helping lead ministry with young people in your context.
Residents receive weekly professional coaching, and your ministry leadership team receives support as you clarify goals, expectations, and next steps.
Your residents grows through theological education that deepens their ministry practice and prepares them for long-term leadership.
MLC supports the whole leader through spiritual formation and a personal care plan designed to strengthen emotional and spiritual health.
From placement and onboarding through the three-year residency, MLC helps your ministry work toward a clear mission and vision, a stronger volunteer strategy, and a contextual discipleship plan for your young people.
Since 2006, MLC has educated and trained more than 200 ministry leaders through our residency program.
In a field where burnout is common and many leaders leave ministry early, 73% of MLC alumni are still serving in ministry. That matters because your ministry does not simply need someone for this year. You need a leader who is being formed for faithful, sustainable ministry over the long haul.
Schedule a Conversation – We begin by learning about your ministry context, staffing needs, hopes, and timing.
Discern the Right Fit – Together, we explore whether the Ministry Residency is a good fit for your church or nonprofit.
Prepare for Placement – MLC supports the resident search, interviews, onboarding, and launch process.
Walk Together for Three Years – Your resident serves in your ministry while MLC provides coaching, education, care, and support for the resident and your leadership team.
Partnering with MLC includes both a one-time Partner Ministry Fee and an annual Residency Fee.
Partner Ministry Fee – $5,400 one-time fee
This supports the resident search, interviews, coaching, and preparation needed for a successful launch.
Annual Residency Fee – $45,000 per year
This covers the full cost of your Ministry Resident, including salary, medical insurance option, housing and utilities, weekly coaching, and full graduate education costs such as tuition, books, travel, room, and board.
MLC can help you explore whether a Ministry Resident is the right next step for your church or nonprofit.
No. A Ministry Resident serves 30 hours per week in your ministry context while receiving graduate-level education, coaching, and formation through MLC. The residency is designed for meaningful ministry leadership, not short-term observation.
Churches and nonprofits that are ready to invest in ministry with young people may be a fit for the residency. The best next step is a conversation with MLC so we can learn more about your context and help you assess fit.
MLC supports both. Your resident receives weekly coaching, education, care, and formation, while your ministry leadership team receives coaching and support to help the partnership begin and grow well.
Your resident serves 30 hours per week in your ministry context. Their specific responsibilities are shaped by your ministry’s needs, the resident’s gifts, and the goals of the partnership.
We will learn more about your ministry, answer your questions, talk through the investment, and help you determine whether becoming a Partner Ministry is the right fit.
If your church or nonprofit needs a next-gen ministry staff member, MLC’s Ministry Residency can help you invest in a leader while strengthening the ministry they serve.
Or contact Nick Guerra at Nick@ministryleadership.org
If you have already spoken with an MLC team member, begin the Partner Ministry application to continue the process.
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