As a conference of churches, we are seeking to increasingly lean into God’s desire for us as the church to be witnesses to our neighbors about who he is. This has been our vision, and this vision has propelled us to come alongside churches in a variety of ways to help them live this out, following his agency. We have described this vision as being a sign, servant, and foretaste of the Kingdom of God.
To this end, for over a decade the NAB has intentionally developed and delivered spaces for training, discussion, and spiritual growth. Our strategy has included Blue Ocean, Discovery Project, Ethos, and Making the Shift, each of which involves training leaders and members of NAB churches about this vision and helping them to live into this vision for their communities.
In a desire to continue to extend this vision into and through our churches, we have developed a cohort uniquely designed to engage NAB emerging leaders, those active members and leaders of our churches in their twenties and thirties who will continue to serve NAB churches for the decades to come. We prayerfully seek to continue to expand our points of connection with NAB churches and leaders and deepen the learning and relationships throughout our conference of churches.
What Is Expected?
Year of Equipping is composed of three modules, each three months long and each reflecting the three teaching sessions in Blue Ocean. The first module addresses questions of who God is and what he is up to. We want to bring revitalization and a fresh biblical vision about the nature and character of the God who wants to reach the world with his mercy and love.
The second module takes on the topic of spiritual formation, as we discuss how we are being re-formed in God’s image as we join him on his mission. If God truly desires his people to be conformed to the character of Christ, then it is incumbent upon us as his people to really process what this means for us and those we are reaching with his good news.
Module three addresses how Christian community flows from the first two, and we discuss what we are to do in light of who God is and how he is forming us. In each module, we read a book pertaining to the subject matter, expect a commitment to two two-hour Zoom discussions, and facilitate an in-person meeting. During this experience, the relationships of our emerging leaders across our conference of churches are developed and enriched.
Application
The application process consists of the following timeline. The modules begin in September and consist of three months each. The in-person meetings are bookended by two-hour Zoom discussions.
- March – Application Available
- June/July – Application Deadline
- July – Approved Applicants Informed
- Late August – Initial Icebreaker Zoom Call
We are entering Year 3 of the Year of Equipping, and we have seen God do amazing things! Our alumni from our first two cohorts have testified to great experiences and rich influence of the teaching to their ministries. We are prayerfully expecting more to come. We look forward to partnering with our churches and our emerging leaders on this journey of transformation. We know our churches will be deeply impacted by how God uses this experience!
If you are interested in applying, reach out to Wayne Stapleton.