Choosing the Right Church Residency for You: Three Steps to Your First Step into Ministry (Part 3)
By now, you’ve identified why a residency can be a powerful first step into ministry and what you should realistically expect from a healthy program. The final step is learning how to navigate the interview process with clarity and confidence. Instead of trying to present yourself as the “ideal” candidate, your goal is to enter these conversations as a discerning leader—someone who knows what they need, what questions matter, and how to recognize a residency that aligns with their calling and growth. In this post, we’ll walk through the kinds of questions that reveal the heart, structure, and strategy of a residency so you can make a wise, prayerful decision about what’s next.
Step 3: Prepare to Interview
It’s tempting to walk into residency interviews with the goal of being exactly what the program is looking for and to shape your answers to fit the mold that you feel like they’ve set. The reality is, though, that an excellent church residency program will look for a sense of reciprocity in interviews. They want to see your curiosity and intentionality in the questions you ask just as much as they want to ask you questions to discern if their program is the right fit. You can use these conversations as a space to learn from leaders who are doing the work you aspire to, while simultaneously learning more about the church and program that you’re considering.
Here are five questions to get you started:
Question: What does a successful resident look like at the end of this program?
Purpose: Begin with the end in mind and dig deeper into what the leadership of the residency is working toward with their residents. There should be clear objectives with a structured setting and timeline.
Follow-Up: How does a resident know if they’ve been successful? Are there measurables?Question: What are some practical ways that your church seeks to accomplish its mission and vision?
Purpose: Understanding if the church leaders know the mission and vision well and have a strategic approach to accomplish it will give you a better picture of the church as a whole as well as give you insight into how residents play a meaningful role or are just seen as extra hands.
Follow-Up: What roles have you seen a resident play in some of those examples?Question: What does mentorship, discipleship, and/or development mean in this program?
Purpose: Define key terms by asking directly how these ideas play out in the day-to-day life of a resident. It’s easy to say that your program develops young leaders, but in the absence of intentional relationships that are structured, that kind of growth doesn’t just happen.
Follow-Up: What kinds of relationships does a resident have the opportunity to lean into and is there a strategic plan for those, or is it up to the resident to build them?Question: Why would you suggest the degree plan that you have chosen for this program over other graduate school or seminary programs?
Purpose: Clarify the learning potential. Most residency programs have either built their own educational system or partnered with a seminary or graduate school to deliver a degree plan. Most students are looking for a fully accredited program that allows the student to finish a biblical and theological studies degree over the duration of their residency.
Follow-Up: What can I expect to gain in my biblical and theological knowledge as well as in my personal spiritual walk?Question: What are some of the most common mistakes residents make in this program?
Purpose: Learn from others’ mistakes and more importantly, learn from what the leadership sees as the most important issues for a resident to overcome.
Follow-Up: Where do you typically find residents need the most support? What does that support typically look like?
While there’s no perfect formula to determine if a program is the perfect fit for you, asking clear questions will give you a sense of how structured or unstructured the program is and how well you may fit into the culture of the church. Don’t see your questions as exhibiting doubt. Instead view them as a window into your wisdom as a decision maker who wants the best for the future of your career and of the programs you’re interviewing with.
As you pray about your next and first step into ministry, remember that God has been writing the story of your life since the beginning. Your desire to serve in his church is an honorable and exciting one. You can and should approach this decision with the wisdom that comes from Scripture, the most important voices in your life, and the research that can give you a more accurate picture of how a church is focused and structured. There are thousands of aging church leaders all over the world who are looking around and asking, “Who’s next?” They are ready to shepherd you as you navigate young adulthood and bring your fresh, creative, and passionate perspective to this most important work.