F.A.Q.

What are the requirements for being a part of the Summer Intensive?

1. You must already be leading in some capacity in your local church.
   
   
2. You must have a letter of recommendation from a pastor at your local church (letter of recommendation form on the application).
   
   
3. You must have a desire to serve in leadership in your local church and a sense that you may have a calling to Pastoral ministry.
   
   
4. You must be able to attend 90% of meetings. This Summer Intensive will be a bit like drinking from a fire-hose. Like anything else in life, you will get out of it what you are willing to put into it. If you cannot commit to this level of participation, contact us to find out about other training opportunities throughout the year.
   
   
5. You must be committed to serving the local church while you are here. Come ready to serve others, to lead, to love and pray for people, and keep your heart open to what God asks of you.
   
   
6. Use your less structured days well. What you do on “off days” will have a huge impact on your in-class experience.
   
   
7. Live with integrity.
   
   
   

How much will this Summer Intensive cost?

The total cost for this program will be $399.00 for our local students and $799.00 for our out-of-town students. This will include all your books, class materials, retreats, guest speakers, and food at our evening classes.

How many hours will I be committing to each week?

Some weeks will have more hours than others, but you can plan on around 20-25. Between reading and prayer every day, practicing the Spiritual Disciplines, study for the Leader Essentials class, your Classes, Lessons, Workshops, and Retreats, it will be a full 6 weeks (we call it an intensive for a reason).

I really want to become a pastor. Will this fully equip me to do it?

This Summer Intensive is meant to give a complete overview of what the life of a pastor looks like & to equip you with the tools to grow through service in a local church. These experiences will require months or years of practice in a local church context to take root in your leadership life. This is meant to be a step in your journey.

If my calling as a pastor is confirmed during this Summer Intensive, what would my next step be?

This is a huge question. Step one is always outside confirmation of that calling. During these 6 weeks, you’ll be surrounded by great leaders & pastors who will be able to help confirm that calling in your life. Once that piece is in place, we’ve got a few routes you can take.

For out-of-towners, we’d love to have post-intensive conversations with your pastor back home to create a next step process for you. Those processes will flow out of the unique culture of that church’s life.

We also offer two kinds of internships at Vineyard Church that will allow you to take what you’ve experienced over these 6 weeks and use it in a hands-on ministry context. We’d love to see you grow in your calling!

Director Internship: This is a 15-hour per week ministry internship that will enable you to take a part of a ministry area and run it. It focuses primarily on your skill sets & leadership development. It is 1 year in length.

Pastoral Internship: This is a 25-30 hour per week commitment that includes 15 hours of hands-on ministry time, theological training through the Vineyard Leadership Institute, Pastoral Care training, and weekly mentoring with our pastors. It’s a huge commitment. If you’re feeling certain that God is calling you to Pastoral Ministry, this is an incredible growth experience for you. It is 2 years in length.