Incubator

The Incubator is a two-year multiethnic training, development, and coaching process for those planting or revitalising gospel-centred churches in London. It has been designed from research conducted in 8 different cultures over 12 years. That research elucidated 34 essential core competencies for urban ministry.

Who is it for?

The Incubator program empowers leaders to revitalise or plant churches, fostering a collaborative learning environment with participants, trainers, and coaches from around the globe. They receive practical guidance on crafting their action plans, embracing the philosophy of ministry, essential ministry development, and preaching, among other vital topics. This two-year program is ideal for equipping full-time and bi-vocational leaders to thrive while ministering in unique urban contexts.

We allow leaders from denominations, church planting networks, fellowships and sending churches to join some of the sessions as observers.

The Ideal Candidates

• Native to London or have lived in London for some time

• A strong sense of calling to church planting in London

• Proven character and integrity

• Ministry experience

• Affiliation with a denomination, church planting network, fellowship or sending church

Assessment

Each year, we offer only fourteen spots, ensuring that every cohort is filled with leaders from diverse theological, cultural, and sociological backgrounds. This rich representation is essential for fostering deep learning and collaboration among participants. As such, every applicant will embark on an assessment journey before stepping into the incubator.

Gospel Coaching

Every participant will be paired with a dedicated and experienced gospel coach, committed to uplifting them in their ministry journey through personalized meetings at least twice a month for a year or two.

The Details

The Incubator, initially designed for a two-year interactive learning environment, consists of sixteen modules. Each learning module addresses the specific needs of urban leaders, including skills in thinking theologically about ministry and growth in the various areas of urban ministry. Each session contains time for peer to peer coaching, personal spiritual formation and reflection, and application to real-world problems you face as a planter. The training will focus on the following areas:

• Gospel Renewal: First and foremost, this learning experience is designed to immerse church planters deeply in the gospel, help them to apply the gospel to themselves and understand how the gospel shapes and empowers every aspect of their church plant.

• Contextualisation and Ministry Design: The Intensive helps leaders to think through the following questions: How do we contextualise our ministry approaches to our urban context? What will the unique, city-focused ministry of our church plant or revitalisation look like for our neighbourhood?

• Balanced Ministry: How do we plant or revitalise churches that address the different ministry fronts in the city? How will the gospel influence and propel our preaching, evangelism, discipleship, faith and work, and mercy and justice initiatives and bear fruit for our city?

• Leading a Missional Church: How do we gather and train a core group for a church plant or revitalisation? How can we implement a missional mindset into our community from the earliest stages on? And how do we lead this community through the various first steps of a church plant or revitalisation?

Modules in year 1 include:

• Fellowship: Saturday | 20th Sep 2025 | 9.30AM - 12PM | Welcome Lunch (Optional)

• Session 1: Saturday | 18th Oct 2025 | 9.30AM - 5PM | Understanding the gospel and how it shapes everything in ministry

• Session 2: Saturday | 15th Nov 2025 | 9.30AM - 5PM | Personal life of the Leader: including Ministry & Character, models of leadership, unique temptations in ministry (Part 1)

• Fellowship: Saturday | 20th Dec 2025 | 9.30AM - 12PM | Christmas Lunch (Optional)

• Session 3: Saturday | 18th Jan 2025 | 9.30AM - 5PM | Personal life of the Leader: including Ministry & Character, models of leadership, unique temptations in ministry (Part 2)

• Session 4: Saturday | 15th Feb 2025 | 9.30AM - 5PM | Culture and Contextualisation: including writing a contextual profile for your community and recognising cultural bias.

• Session 5: Saturday | 15th Mar 2025 | 9.30AM - 5PM | Evangelistic Networking: including how to grow in consistency, creativity and winsomeness in our own personal evangelism and how to ‘network’ evangelistically (Part 1)

• Fellowship: Saturday | 12th April 2025 | 9.30AM - 12PM | Easter Lunch (Optional)

• Session 6: Saturday | 17th May 2025 | 9.30AM - 5PM | Evangelistic Networking: including how to grow in consistency, creativity and winsomeness in our own personal evangelism and how to ‘network’ evangelistically (Part 2)

• Session 7: Saturday | 21st June 2025 | 9.30AM - 5PM | Missional Ecclesiology: including how to develop ‘outward-facing’ and ‘balanced’ ministries along with how to read your city and how your theological vision relates to the city.

• Session 8: Saturday | 19th July 2025 | 9.30AM - 5PM | Grace renewal: including how to grow in personal transparency and gospel renewal in our own lives, how to practice a lifestyle of repentance and faith.

Cost

The full cost of participation for one person in the program is £900 per year. A deposit of £300 is made at the beginning of the academic year with the remaining balance paid before the end of the year. The cost covers all training materials, access to the online platform for the program, lunches on Incubator training days and coaching between classes.

We anticipate that the sending churches or church planting networks will be able to cover the fees associated with this training. However, if there are any challenges regarding these costs—such as if a sending church, denomination, church planting network or affiliation is unable to provide coverage—please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are pleased to offer full scholarships and bursaries for those who require assistance. For further details, click here.

What is expected of participants?

This program will require a high commitment level in order to get the most out of it. In return, you will have trainers and a cohort of peers who will support you in your journey. Please review the expectations below to determine whether the program is right for you.

• You plan to revitalise or plant or are already revitalising or planting/replanting a new congregation/parish in the greater London area.

• You will make every effort to bring this church planting project to fruition.

• If you are not already part of a church planting network or denomination, you will explore possibilities for affiliation and evaluate those opportunities in conjunction with your coach.

• You will take the initiative in regularly updating the Incubator facilitators/trainers on the status of your church planting project and all related activities. At any time during the program, if you are unable to continue with your project or if you engage in conduct unbecoming a minister of the gospel (e.g. moral issues), you will inform the facilitators immediately.

• You will complete all of the assigned pre-reading and practical projects before arriving at each session.

• You will attend each of the Incubator sessions in their entirety. A detailed program calendar will be provided after admission into the program, and you will need to plan ahead to avoid conflicts with the dates provided. More than two absences from these sessions will be grounds for dismissal from the program even if you give advance notice that you will be absent.

• You will be paired with a qualified City to City coach. You will meet every month with your coach to apply the principles that you are learning in the Incubator modules as you plant your church.