Resurgence Training Center is a one-year, intensive, cohort-based program designed to train leaders practically and theologically. The program is designed after popular “executive-style” graduate programs to serve students currently serving in full-time ministry or for those who do not have time for semester-long courses. Students meet physically eight times per academic year: six times for weekend courses at regional hubs and two one-week sessions of courses at Mars Hill Church in Seattle.
Why was it started?
ReTrain was founded as a leadership development tool for Mars Hill Church, the Acts 29 church-planting network, and the broader Resurgence movement. ReTrain’s mission is to raise up leaders for Jesus-centered, gospel-saturated ministry to serve their churches in biblically faithful and culturally accessible ways.
ReTrain uniquely couples world-class theological instruction with intensely practical ministry expertise from pastor and scholars serving in church ministry contexts. The curriculum and educational philosophy are unique—both practically oriented and academically rigorous. ReTrain continues to expand new program offerings to meet the leadership needs of the church from the ground up. From leaders, to leaders of leaders, ReTrain continues to equip pastors, church planters, deacons, and teachers with a passion for Christ’s gospel and a love for people.
Our teachers and professors are chosen because of their exceptional knowledge in their respective field of study and their ability to teach in a useful and practical way.
Hands-On Training
Our goal is to help you apply what you’re learning month in and month out to whatever context of life you’re in. If you’re a pastor, a business executive, or a full-time mom, we want to help you connect theology to wherever God has you.
Flexibility with Your Busy Life
We’ve built this program in a way to train you amid your busy life. We don’t want to take you out of your job or church to learn how to do ministry. ReTrain is tailored to work with your schedule and help you apply what you’re learning the moment you get home.
Community in Cohorts
Classes at ReTrain are set up so you’ll be learning and working through ideas with people who are in similar contexts as you. We’ve found that this cohort piece has been one of the favorite elements of ReTrain’s past alumni.
Affordable Price
We’ve worked hard each year to cut expenses and bring ReTrain to you at an affordable price of $2,750. When it comes down to it, credit hours at ReTrain are significantly cheaper than if you were to do those same hours at a seminary.
This Year’s Teachers
Our teachers and professors are chosen because of their exceptional knowledge in their respective field of study and their ability to teach in a useful and practical way. All of them are world-class academicians in well-respected institutions or pastors who have the appropriate teaching credentials and ministry experience. Our lineup for the 2013–2014 year includes, and is in no way is limited to:
This Year’s Courses
Discipleship
Bill Clem and Dr. Justin HolcombWeek-long intensive, August 12–16, 2013 (3 credit hours)
When Jesus told his disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19), he
commissioned a disciple-making movement. This course explores the core identity of a
disciple (imago Dei, worship, community, and mission), as well as current distortions to
this core identity in the Western church. Particular attention will be paid as to how and
why disciples and disciple-making need to be emphasized, and disciple-making in the
context of the mission of God. The desired outcome is that each student will have a
working knowledge of basic discipleship skills that can serve as a foundation for
development in missional leadership.
Hermeneutics to Homiletics
Dr. Bryan Chapell, Dr. Ray Ortlund, and Dr. Justin HolcombThree weekend sessions, Sept. 13–14, Oct. 11–12, and Nov. 15–16, 2013 (3 credit hours)
This course covers the principles and skills necessary to develop the student’s
confidence and ability to rightly handle the Word of God in the context of ministry and
leadership. This course has three essential components:
Hermeneutics: To be a faithful missional leader, one must faithfully read and interpret the Bible from a gospel-centered perspective. This component is taught by Dr. Justin Holcomb.
Biblical Theology: Developing a full understanding of the biblical narrative and its implications on teaching and leadership provides missional leaders faithful trajectories for ministry. This component is taught by Dr. Ray Ortlund.
Preaching & Teaching: Leaders lead through communication. Whether preaching from the pulpit or teaching in a small group setting, missional leaders must have the skills to rightly handle and communicate the truth of Scripture. This component is taught by Dr. Bryan Chapell.
Community and Counseling
Dr. Ed Welch, Mike Wilkerson, and AJ HamiltonOne-week intensive, January 13-17 2014 (3 credit hours)
This course is designed to equip students to build and lead community that is grounded in our identity in Christ, and expresses that identity through worship, community, and mission. The course will focus heavily on the mobilization of the church for the mission of God and experiencing the power of gospel transformation within community as we learn to apply biblical truth to our everyday struggles.
Leadership Dynamics
Dr. Ed Stetzer, Judy Dabler, Mark Driscoll, Sutton Turner, and Dave BruskasThree weekend sessions, February 7-8, March 14-15, and April 11-12, 2014 (3 credit hours)
This course focuses on the various dynamics of missional leadership. Through interaction with leading practitioners, students are equipped to create and cast vision, address the complexities of team leadership, and develop the skills needed to move leadership theory into practice. The goal of this course is for students to be able to develop and implement a philosophy of ministry applicable to their contexts.
Missional Leadership: The North American cultural scene is changing at a rapid pace. Evangelical churches have responded by seeking to engage their respective contexts in new ways. This course will help the student to gain a better understanding of how to lead their people on mission by creating environments that foster missional practice and lifestyle. This component is taught by Dr. Ed Stetzer.
Peacemaking in Practice: This course focuses on the various dynamics of conflict, reconciliation, and relational restoration. Students will learn how to provide conflict coaching to individuals, how to address complex conflict through mediation, and how to cultivate a vision to create a culture of peace in their context. The goal of this course is to help students develop a gospel-centered approach to both preventing conflict and intervening when conflict threatens to destroy relationships and damage the reputation of Christ. This component is taught by Judy Dabler.
Practical and Pastoral Leadership: These sessions are designed to equip students to fully understand and extensively flesh out Jesus’ gospel and its implications for all of life, especially the church. This class will cover practical aspects of what it means to lead yourself, your family, leaders, and followers to be on mission and grow the church. This component is taught by Mark Driscoll, Sutton Turner, and Dave Bruskas.
World-Class Teaching
Hands-On Training
Flexibility with your busy life
Community in Cohorts
An Affordable Price
