www.gospelforchicago.org
Table of Contents
About GOSPEL for Chicago ................................................................. 2
Overview ............................................................................................ 3
Objectives .......................................................................................... 4
Syllabus .............................................................................................. 7
Sample Contract................................................................................. 13
Application ......................................................................................... 15
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About GOSPEL for Chicago
The mission of GOSPEL for Chicago (GFC) is to discover, develop, and deploy likeminded pastors/planters to help further the cause of Gospel-centered church
planting in Chicago.
Our vision is to see our churches strengthened and many new Gospel-centered
churches started in Chicago. We want to be aggressive, while avoiding a
triumphalistic spirit and while also being responsible. We will focus primarily on
training and equipping pastors/planters (2Tim. 2:2). We will collaborate to raise
up pastors/planters from within our own churches as well as offer a program that
could attract potential leaders to our mission field. We seek to cross-pollinate
with other evangelical networks and denominations in the city while being up
front about our own distinct flavor and desire to plant churches that explicitly
share it.
We value…
 …the BIBLE as inerrant, authoritative, and fully sufficient for life and
ministry.
 …the GOSPEL as the main thrust of the whole Bible.
 …JUSTIFICATION by faith alone, through grace alone, on the basis of
Christ alone as central to the Gospel.
 …local CHURCHES as the necessary entailment of the Gospel.
 …DIVERSITY as the demonstration of the power of the Gospel.
 …expository, Christ-centered PREACHING as the backbone of every
church.
 …BAPTISM, the LORD’S TABLE, and CHURCH DISCIPLINE as necessary
marks of each church.
 …plural ELDERSHIP as the method of leading individual churches.
 …personal DISCIPLESHIP as an integral part of the culture of a church.
 …PRAYER as the appropriate posture of a church.
 …CHURCH PLANTING as the constant priority of all churches.
 …the CITY as an exciting and strategic place for church planting.
 …GLOBAL MISSIONS as the responsibity of every church, not to be
ignored in the pursuit of local church planting.
 …the GLORY OF GOD as the end goal of everything.
We subscribe to the Baptist Faith and Message (2000) as our Statement of Faith.
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Overview
GFC is a Church Planting Network currently comprised of six churches in Chicago –
Church of the Beloved, Cristo El Redentor, Edgewater Baptist Church, Evanston
Baptist Church, Immanuel Baptist Church, and Pilsen Community Church.
Believing that a movement of multiplication is dependent on intentional
leadership development, we focus primarily on training pastors/planters.
GFC has two major components:
(1) Pastoral Apprenticeship Track. This is a year-long exposure to the
responsibilities of pastoral ministry while immersed in the context of a local
church and working closely with a lead pastor. This track is for men who sense
a call to pastoral ministry of some kind. The pre-requisites are: a college
degree or senior status in college, some prior biblical training, a commitment
to at least one semester of apprenticeship, a completed application with
references, and residence in the neighborhood of the church he will be
working with. Admittance is allowed in September and March only. The
Pastoral Apprenticeship Track is ideally for current members within our
churches but also open to applicants from without who are willing to come
and join us. Apprentices will participate fully in the life of the church; meet
monthly one-on-one with their lead pastor for mentoring that delves deep into
character and heart issues; meet monthly with the other participants in a
Cohort for discussion of topics pertaining to full-time ministry not learned well
in the classroom (i.e. sermon prep, counseling, leadership, exegeting culture,
time management, etc…); complete reading and writing assignments; sit in on
Elder Meetings; attend other leadership team meetings; preach at least once
during the year; and help with other responsibilities.
(2) Church Planter Track. This is for men who are already in the process of
planting a church in the city and are looking for further training, coaching,
support, and fellowship. The pre-requisites are: recommendation from a
recognized assessment center or other network, commitment to a year of
participation, a completed application with references. Admittance is allowed
in March and September only. Church Planters will participate in the life of
one of the churches as much as appropriate for their stage in the church
planting process; touch base twice a month for gospel coaching with their
coach; join monthly Cohorts; and complete agreed upon reading and writing
assignments.
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Objectives
From each church’s perspective, the top goal of the Pastoral Apprenticeship Track
is to raise up potential lead Elders in future church plants. We also expect that in
the process some may find they fit best as a lay Elder. And others may come
through the program and go on to ministry at another church plant or existing
church, which we also welcome as an oppportunity to be part of a movement
larger than our churches and city. The goal of the Church Planter Track is to
further train, support, and resource current church planters so that they and their
new churches are healthy.
From the participant’s perspective, as a result of his involvement he can expect to
discern more clearly his Calling in ministry as his Character is tested, his
Convictions are observed and developed, and his Competency is measured and
honed, all along gauging what is the right Contextual fit for long-term ministry
(the Five Cs).
Within the realm of Character we will cover: biblical qualifications for Eldership,
family, the devotional life of a pastor/planter, dealing with criticism/failure, time
management, accountability, maintaining purity, avoiding pride, etc…
By Convictions we are referring to whether someone holds dearly the same values
as us.
We look at Competency tri-perspectivally (Prophet, Priest, and King).
Within the Prophetic Competency (authoritative teaching and preaching of
the Word of God) we will cover: gospel-centeredness, exegesis, biblical
theology, sermon prep, preaching, application, etc…
Within the Priestly Competency (compassionate shepherding of souls) we
will cover: counseling (pre-marital, crisis, ‘regular’), discipleship, dealing
with people and their needs, pastoral ‘calls’, intercessory prayer, etc…
Within the Kingly Competency (wise oversight of the church’s structure and
direction) we will cover: leadership, vision casting, strategic planning, urban
church planting, exegeting culture, creating a culture of evangelism, church
government, running meetings, working with volunteers, etc…
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Character will be covered primarily in one-on-ones. Competencies will be covered
primarily in the Cohorts.
Participants will write a self-assessment at the midpoint of the year on how they
see themselves with each of the Five Cs. At the end of the year the lead Pastor
working with each Apprentice or Planter will provide him with a detailed,
personal assessment based on the Five Cs and where they see the apprentice with
regards to Major/Minor Prophet – High Priest/Priest – King/Prince.
Major Prophet: someone who really understands the gospel and is uniquely
gifted to write and deliver high caliber, inspiring sermons week in and week
out; has a rare combination of intellect, spiritual acumen, and the ability to
synthesize
Minor Prophet: someone who can preach if he has to, but would not thrive
doing it every week and is more effective in one-on-one and small group
settings; is theological but not a theologian
High Priest: someone that has an uncanny ability to make people feel loved;
listens well and helps people get to the bottom of their problems; would
almost always choose to be with people over reading a book; regularly
makes disciples
Priest: someone that genuinely cares for people and has had success in
helping them, but may not be the most extroverted or empathetic
King: someone who thinks all the way from the big picture to the details
and motivates people to get things done; enjoys creating systems,
strategies, and organization; is easily respected as a leader
Prince: someone who has demonstrated responsibility with small things
and can accurately assess the overall health and direction of the church;
thrives best as an advisor instead of main architect and point person
Based upon this assessment, recommendations and assistance will be given in
finding the appropriate next place of ministry for Apprentices. For example, a
Minor Prophet – Priest – Prince will probably be encouraged to be a lay Elder.
Other combinations may lend themselves to different settings or roles. For
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Church Planters they will know better what their strengths and weaknesses are
and how to compensate with further training or coaching.
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Syllabus
This is for those in the Pastoral Apprenticeship Track at Immanuel (details will vary
depending on which church in GFC the participant is paired with). For those in the
Church Planter Track, they will just participate in the Cohort, bi-monthly coaching,
and complete agreed upon reading assignments.
Elder Meetings: The Elders of Immanuel officially meet twice a month.
Apprentices will sit in on one of these every month, observing how a plurality of
Elders functions in pastoring the church.
Table Talks: Over lunch on the third Sunday of every month the whole church is
invited to food and a rigorous round table discussion of some theological topic.
Apprentices are expected to participate in these.
Small Groups: Small Groups meet weekly. Small Group Leaders meet a few times
a year for training and peer-coaching. Apprentices will participate in both of
these.
Prayer Meetings: Church Prayer Meetings are held every Sunday morning at 9:30
AM. Apprentices may be asked to share devotionals or lead during these times.
One-On-One Meetings: You will set up a convenient time to meet monthly with
your lead pastor for private discussion on pastoral ministry and issues of the
heart.
Cohort Meetings: All the Apprentices gather monthly for a couple hours with the
lead pastors in GFC to discuss critical topics related to pastoral ministry. We will
spend 2 months each on Prophet, Priest, and King in that order and then go back
through them again. Topics include –
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Cohort #1 (September):
Prophet – Overview | Introductions | Tri-perspectivalism | Priority of the Prophetic | Ministry of the
Word | Exegesis | Biblical Theology | Discuss ‘Fundamentalism’ and the Word of God by J.I. Packer
Cohort #2 (October):
Prophet – What is preaching? | Is it really the centerpiece of church life? | How do you know what to
preach? | How to move from exegesis to homiletics | How-tos of preaching | Discuss The Priority of
Preaching and Listen Up! by Christopher Ash and Preaching & Preachers by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Cohort #3 (November):
Priest – Counseling | How do we deal with people’s problems? | Crisis Counseling | Medication,
Integration, Referrals, etc… | Discuss Counsel from the Cross by Elyse Fitzpatrick & Dennis Johnson and
“The Centrality of the Gospel” by Tim Keller
Cohort #4 (December):
Priest – Discuss Holiness (abridged) by J.C. Ryle | Discipleship | Marriage Counseling | Pastoral Prayer Life
Cohort #5 (January):
King – Intro to the Kingly | Discuss Biblical Eldership (abridged) by Alexander Strauch | Diversity in
Leadership | Deacons | Church Structure: programs, meetings, reports, budgets, children’s ministry…
Cohort #6 (February):
King – Leadership | Strategic Planning (Mission, Vision, Values) | Execution | Discipleship & Leadership
Development | Discuss Good to Great by Jim Collins | Peer Coaching
Cohort #7 (March):
Prophet – What is the Gospel? | Creating a Gospel Culture | Discuss Christless Christianity and The GospelCentered Life by Michael Horton | Means of Grace | Cultural Engagement
Cohort #8 (April):
Prophet – What Makes for Good Preaching? | Discuss sermons listened to | The Need for Preaching |
Sermon Prep | Sermon Delivery | Sermon Feedback
Cohort #9 (May):
Priest – What Makes for Good Pastoring? | Practicalities | The Need for Soul Care | Case Studies | Discuss
Words to Winners of Souls by Horatius Bonar and The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter
Cohort #10 (June):
Priest – What Makes for Good Community? | Discuss Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer | Community
Among the Leaders | Community Among the Church | Corporate Prayer | Small Groups | Case Studies
Cohort #11 (July):
King – What Makes for Good Leadership? | Leading Change | Understanding Multi-Ethnic America | The
Multi-Ethnic Church | Discuss Letters to a Birmingham Jail edited by Bryan Lorritts | Present proposal for
[The]
Church
Cohort #12 (August):
King – Being On Mission | Cultural Exegesis | Contextualization | Cities | Impacting Culture? |
Implementation | Discuss Center Church by Tim Keller
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Assignments:
Prophet
 Read ‘Fundamentalism’ and the Word of God (J.I. Packer) and write 1page interaction by Cohort #1
 Complete
by 1st one-on-one
 Read The Priority of Preaching and Listen Up! (Christopher Ash) OR
Preaching & Preachers (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones) and write 1-page
interaction by Cohort #2
 Complete
by 2nd one-on-one
Priest
 Read Counsel from the Cross (Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson) and
“The Centrality of the Gospel” (Tim Keller) and write a mock counseling
session by Cohort #3
 Complete
by 3rd one-on-one
 Read abridged version of Holiness (J.C. Ryle) and write 1-page
interaction by Cohort #4
 Complete
by 4th one-on-one
King
 Read abridged version of Biblical Eldership (Alexander Strauch) and write
a position paper on church government by Cohort #5
 Complete
by 5th one-on-one
 Read Good to Great (Jim Collins) and write 1-page interaction by Cohort
#6
 Complete Mid-Course Self-Assessment by 6th one-on-one
Prophet
 Read Christless Christianity AND/OR The Gospel-Centered Life (Michael
Horton) and write 1-page interaction by Cohort #7
 Complete
by 7th one-on-one
 Listen to four sermons from a different style/approach than your own
and come with a summary and critique to Cohort #8
 Complete
by 8th one-on-one
Priest
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 Read Words to Winners of Souls (Horatius Bonar) OR The Reformed
Pastor (Richard Baxter) and write a strategy for Soul Care in the church
by Cohort #9
 Complete
by 9th one-on-one
 Read Life Together (Dietrich Bonhoeffer) and write 1-page evaluation of
community life at Immanuel by Cohort #10
 Complete
by 10th one-on-one
King
 Read Letters to a Birmingham Jail (Bryan Lorritts ed.) and write a 1-page
proposal for a new book called [The] ______ Church (fill-in-the-blank)
by Cohort #11
 Complete
by 11th one-on-one
 Read assigned portions of Center-Church: Doing Balanced, GospelCentered Ministry in Your City by Tim Keller and write a personal
‘Philosophy of Ministry’ or ‘Strategic Plan’ by Cohort #12
 Complete
by 12th one-on-one
 Presented with Final Assessment
*Substitutions may be made for any of the above books with permission.
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One-On-One Options: The following list of books will be drawn from for use
in the one-on-ones as assigned by the pastor and tailored for each
participant –
Gospel
Prodigal God by Tim Keller
The Transforming Power of the Gospel by Jerry Bridges
A Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent
“Saved By His Precious Blood: An Introduction to John Owen’s The Death of Death in the
Death of Christ” by J.I. Packer
The Cross of Christ by John Stott
Disciplines
A Praying Life by Paul Miller
The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges
Pastoral Life
The Heart of a Servant Leader by C. John Miller
The Pastor’s Justification by Jared Wilson
The Contemplative Pastor by Eugene Peterson
Sensing Jesus by Zack Eswine
Dangerous Calling by Paul Tripp
The Contemplative Pastor by Eugene Peterson
Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon
Pastors in Literature
Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis
The Hammer of God by Bo Giertz
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Biography
Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor by D.A. Carson
Diversity
Divided by Faith by Christian Smith and Michael Emerson
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle
Alexander
The Elusive Dream: The Power of Race in Interracial Churches by Korie Edwards
Free at Last?: The Gospel in the African-American Experience by Carl Ellis
The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity by SoongChan Rah
Cities
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Why Cities Matter: To God, the Culture, and the Church by Justin Buzzard and Stephen
Um
Sidewalks in the Kingdom: New Urbanism and the Christian Faith by Eric Jacobsen
The Space Between: A Christian Engagement with the Built Environment by Eric Jacobsen
Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener,
Healthier, and Happier by Edward Glaeser
A Heart for the City: Effective Ministries to the Urban Community by John Fuder
A Theology as Big as the City by Ray Bakke
Scripture
God’s Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts
The Unfolding Mystery by Edmund Clowney
Calling
Am I Called? by Dave Harvey
Audio
“Preaching to the Heart” (Tim Keller; Oak Hill College Lectures)
“Preaching to Believers and Unbelievers” (Tim Keller; Covenant Seminary)
Exercises
Memorize 1 Peter 5:1-4 (ESV) and write 20 observations
Preaching: You will write at least one sermon on an assigned passage,
working closely with a lead pastor to develop it, and preach it at the church.
You will receive constructive feedback afterwards. A summer Preaching Lab
is offered for growth in the art and science of preaching.
Miscellaneous Duties: You may be asked to help with practical items in the
church.
Personal: You may specify additional personal goals in your Contract to work
on through the course of the program with your lead pastor.
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Sample Contract
Apprentice:
Pastor:
Email:
Email:
Address:
Address:
Phone:
Phone:
Dates of Apprenticeship:
Church’s Expectations of Apprentice/Planter
A. Description:
GOSPEL for Chicago (GFC) is designed to discover, develop, and deploy likeminded pastors/planters to help further the cause of Gospel-centered
church planting in Chicago.
B. General Expectations:
1. Abide by Church Covenant
2. Be teachable and open to input into your life
3. Attend Sunday Morning Services
4. Attend monthly Prayer Meetings
5. Attend weekly Small Group
6. Complete all assignments by agreed upon time
7. Meet monthly with Cohort
8. Meet monthly with lead Pastor one-on-one
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9. Attend monthly Table Talk
10.
Sit in on monthly Elder Meetings
11.
Attend Small Group Leader Meetings
12.
Preach at least once
13.
Maintain healthy living habits (sabbath, budget, eating, sleeping,
relationships, exercising,…).
Apprentice/Planter’s Expectations of Church and Goals of Involvement
A. Expectations:
1.
2.
3.
B. Goals:
1.
2.
3.
___________________________
____________________________
Date, Apprentice/Planter Signature
Date, Pastor Signature
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GOSPEL for Chicago (GFC)
APPLICATION
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Name
Phone
Present Address
Permanent Address
Age
Birthdate
Marital Status
Education
(please include school, degree, major, and year)
CHURCH HISTORY
Last Church You Were a Member Of
Address
Website
Denomination
Pastor’s Name
How Long?
Church You Are Presently Attending
(if different from above)
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Address
Website
Denomination
Pastor’s Name
How Long?
REFERENCES (please give name, address, email, and phone number)
Pastor
Friend
Professor/Employer
SPIRITUAL BACKGROUND (please answer completely, yet concisely)
Share how you came to hear and believe the gospel and how you see the
gospel affecting your life now as a Christian:
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Describe your family life:
Who have been your major spiritual influences and why?
Briefly describe your current devotional life:
What do you feel are your spiritual gifts?
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MINISTRY EXPERIENCE
Describe past areas of ministry service:
OBJECTIVES
Which track are you applying for?
What do you desire to get out of this program?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
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MISCELLANEOUS
Do you feel you are teachable and work well under authority?
How would you describe your physical and financial health?
Have you read the overview and objectives and do you foresee any
problems?
Do you agree with the Baptist Faith & Message (2000)?
Do you resonate with the mission, vision, and values of GOSPEL for Chicago?
Why? If you have reservations, please explain…
What is your preferred date of starting?
The information provided above is honest and accurate. I give the pastors in
GOSPEL for Chicago permission to contact my references.
(signature)
Please attach a current resume to this application.
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Please use the assessment tool at www.churchplanterprofiles.com and
attach results to this application.
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