Center for Thriving Church Planters

MONDAY we are hosting a free, live webinar with - and you’re invited! In this crazy, complex world, we know pastors are caring for flocks that can be as divided as… well, as our country often seems. One of Carlos Whittaker’s values is “Don’t stand on issues, walk with people.” In this interactive time, that will include some brainstorming with peers, we’ll hit on those common IDENTITY* pieces that you can use to walk in RELATIONSHIP* & unity with the people you are called to shepherd. Bring your team!

Use the QR code or http://bit.ly/thrivingweb to register - the first 100 registered participants will get a free copy of Carlos’s new book, “Reconnected.”

*y’all know Kathy is going to throw some benchmarks in there wherever she can

What an incredible journey at Disney World these past 2 days for our ‘Thriving Planters’ retreat! 🌟 Our Hispanic Cohort have enjoyed fun-filled days and refreshing spiritual experiences. We’ve grown in faith and unity, ready to bring that joy back to our communities. ¡Gracias a todos! 🙏✨ ”

😆 When’s the last time you laughed so hard you either sighed or cried happy tears? 😂

🩺 According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter relaxes your entire body, improves your immune system, improves your mood, relieves pain, and makes it easier to cope with difficult situations.

💧In our cohorts, we intentionally build time for laughter. At most retreats, will say to the group, “Every time you open your mouth to laugh, you open your heart at the same time.” Your ability to thrive in ministry is directly tied to the quality of your relationships - so sitting around a table with peers, over a great meal, telling stories, and laughing for hours is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself!

Look. ADHD doesn’t always look like a hyperactive kid running around. Often, it’s the adult that struggles with task initiation, hates follow-through items, and can make beautiful systems, but can’t seem to follow them.

Want to talk it through with our adult-diagnosed ADHD director? loves helping other ministers hack through their schedule to find some dopamine and make you more productive in less time. Reach out to us!

🥸 And now that this post is getting several spam comments per hour, we’re going to turn off comments. 🥸

Network/District Planting Directors!

and are partnering to bring all new CPDs (5 years or less in the role) together for an incredible experience! This group is ONLY for CPDs.

And did we mention it will cost you, your district, and your church NOTHING? Yet, you get EVERYTHING in our normal program, plus additional training conversations and opportunities.

Jim Kelly (veteran CPD & coordinator for CMN) and Kathy Cannon will be taking this elite group for a 12 month journey to intentional peer community, personal mentorship & coaching, and… two all expenses paid retreats.

Apply ASAP - our groups are limited in size because of the personalized focus, so click the link now: http://ThrivingPlanters.com/programs

REQUIRED RETREAT DATES:
Feb 20-22, 2024
Feb 10-13, 2025

LAST DAY TO APPLY!

The application won’t take you much time - so bless yourself with an incredible 12 month journey of community and growth for your personal and spiritual life. Planting is hard - you don’t have to feel isolated or alone at ANY time in this journey! We’re here with you.

APPLY TODAY for a 12 month, all expenses (we do mean ALL expenses) paid cohort for female planters!

Are you a female lead* pastor of a church that is pre-launch to 5 years old? Join us for an incredible cohort that provides individual and group mentoring, peer development, and TWO free retreats! Link in bio - apply before the group fills up! 🔗 http://thrivingplanters.com/programs

REQUIRED DATES
Application Due Jan 8, 2023
Opening Retreat: Feb 7-9, 2024
Closing Retreat: Feb 10-13, 2025

*Co-pastors are eligible, based on qualifying in a personal intake interview that discusses scope and responsibilities of role.

Want to hear a fact we all know?

Studies have shown that looking at screens before bedtime can affect how quickly you fall asleep and the quality of that sleep.

Yup. You already knew that, didn't you.

So perhaps... we should actually, you know... put the screens to sleep at night.

Comment below with what time you know you SHOULD be setting the screens aside!

OPEN TO ANYONE!

💬 Balance doesn’t exist without intention. 💬

Finishing out the holiday season, are you rested 🤩, or exhausted 😴? Keep reading for a free resource to kick your 2024 off well!

These FIVE TYPES OF REST — Physical, Mental, Emotional, Sensory, and Social — are a great framework to evaluate if you are finding true rest and Sabbath. How often do you fully unplug, go off-grid in nature, or sit in the same room as a safe friend and just laugh out loud over the ridiculous parts of life?

🤳🏻Type “REST” in the comments and we’ll send you the link for a 30 minute GUIDED BRAINSTORM SESSION on these 5 areas of rest on 🗓️ MONDAY, JANUARY 1 at 10am PT (11a MT, 12n CT, 1p ET).

You’ll walk away from the free zoom with a personalized list of ways to be sure you are incorporating true Sabbath into your New Year!

APPLY TODAY for a 12 month, all expenses (we do mean ALL expenses) paid cohort for female planters!

Are you a female lead* pastor of a church that is pre-launch to 5 years old? Join us for an incredible cohort that provides individual and group mentoring, peer development, and TWO free retreats! Link in bio - apply before the group fills up! 🔗 http://thrivingplanters.com/programs

REQUIRED DATES
Application Due Jan 8, 2023
Opening Retreat: Feb 7-9, 2024
Closing Retreat: Feb 10-13, 2025

*Co-pastors are eligible, based on qualifying in a personal intake interview that discusses scope and responsibilities of role.

We are thrilled to launch our second cohort for female lead church planters! Applications are now open for an all expenses paid, 12 month investment into your personal and spiritual thriving. Message us for more information, and apply today!

🔗 http://thrivingplanters.com/programs

Know a female planter? Tag her below!

There’s an intense breakdown between understanding the research that having invested mentors is important, and finding those individuals for your own life.

Through our cohorts, we partner planters with multiple mentors or “wise guides” who can be on their team. One of these individuals is always what we have named a “mirror mentor.” Someone who is from the group’s demographic and has foundational life understandings that you do not need to explain about yourself. We have found these relationships to be an incredible gift in various ways.

Pictured: Dr. Darnell Williams (mirror mentor, veteran pastor, national leader, and professor at North Central University) with Rev. Qway Duvall (cohort participant and church planter in rural Arkansas)

🕵🏾‍♀️ Any ideas? 🕵🏻‍♂️

Mini-Grant applications for Female Lead Cohort 1 and African American Cohort 1 are due October 1, at 11:59pm. Participants - Please see your email for more information!

🌅 We can’t say it any better than one of the awesome pastors from this group! Keep reading!

🌅 “To accurately sum up the last 4 days together and the past 2 years of intentional relationship with these incredible women, lead pastors, and church planters is nearly impossible.

These women have seen the best & worst of me, they have carried my hurt, covered me in prayer, challenged me to grow, and have walked with me through the ups and downs of life & ministry. To do that and feel so unconditionally loved and ‘seen’ is rare these days.

Each one of them in their unique call, giftings, and personality has awakened and grown things in me.

I am forever changed. I am forever grateful. These women are friends for life. ♥️”

🌅 Our next Female Lead Church Planter cohort starts in February 2024. Applications open in October for a 12-month, all expenses paid group! Tag someone who should apply! ⬇️

“Do prayer and spiritual direction in the African American faith community look different from prayer, spiritual direction, and soul care in any other faith context? The answer to this question is twofold: no as it relates to the divine inclusivity of spirituality, and yes in the sense that the African American culture, just like any other culture, is experientially unique.” - Dr. Barbara L. Peacock

Published resources about spiritual thriving and mental health are primarily from western, Anglo perspectives. As the Spirit speaks to all of us, we must also find mirror mentors, both in personal relationship (used in our cohorts) and through diverse representation in our resources.

“Soul Care in African American Practice” and its accompanying workbook are published by IVP and available on their website or on Amazon. We recommend this text whether you are black or you desire to shepherd African Americans in your local church from a healthy, informed perspective.

💬 Friends are the Ultimate Support System:

When stress hits, having friends to lean on is like having a safety net that catches us when we fall. Just knowing that we have someone who truly understands, listens, and supports us can alleviate the weight of our worries. Sharing our thoughts, fears, and joys with friends creates a sense of belonging that according to science, keeps us out of “fight or flight” mode, building resilience before the stress hits! They provide comfort, advice, and a shoulder to lean on, reminding us that we're not alone.

Tag a friend in ministry below to thank them for making you feel safe and known! 🙌❤️

Our next cohort just finished their Opening Retreat and is beginning a 12 month journey of personal & spiritual growth. We are honored to partner with each individual so they can THRIVE!

Pastor? Planter? Parent? Spouse? Employee? Boss? Content Creator? Fundraiser? Preacher?

Church planters often carry more roles than other lead pastors, and it can lead to a quick identity crisis.

In order to THRIVE in ministry, the number one benchmark is a strong sense of your personhood apart from your pastorship.

We work with individuals to truly define themselves as a beloved son or daughter of God, and base everything else they do from that sense of security.

COHORT MODEL, DYNAMIC 1: Demographic peers allow relationships to begin with foundational understandings in place. No explanations necessary.
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Applications are OPEN for our next cohort! Are you a latino/hispanic church planter? We want to bless you, encourage you, and introduce you to amazing peers and mentors for this journey. Check out more information and apply at http://ThrivingPlanters.com - space is limited, so get your application in today!

The Opening Retreat for our Latino group will be June 5-7. Upon acceptance we will book all of your travel accommodations for you (it really is all expenses paid). This group will be conducted in English, however the mirror mentor is bilingual for individual sessions. The planter may be planting a church that is Spanish or English speaking, and any model of plant. Pre-launch through 5 years are eligible. Male and female lead pastors are encouraged to apply.
💧💧💧

Applications are OPEN for our next cohort! Are you a latino/hispanic church planter? We want to bless you, encourage you, and introduce you to amazing peers and mentors for this journey. Check out more information and apply at http://ThrivingPlanters.com - space is limited, so get your application in today!

The Opening Retreat for our Latino group will be June 5-7. Upon acceptance we will book all of your travel accommodations for you (it really is all expenses paid). This group will be conducted in English, however the mirror mentor is bilingual for individual sessions. The planter may be planting a church that is Spanish or English speaking, and any model of plant. Pre-launch through 5 years are eligible. Male and female lead pastors are encouraged to apply.

Schedule changes with our program means more opportunities for you to join a FREE planters' cohort to focus on your personal and spiritual life while on your church planting journey! Applications for THREE cohorts are now live at http://ThrivingPlanters.com/Programs - join us for community, mentoring, and customized support!

Pastor - when’s the last time you laughed?

Not a fake laugh, polite laugh, or a pulpit laugh at your own joke. We’re talking real, mouth open, heart full, belly laugh!

One of the first signs of decline in your personal thriving is a loss of true laughter. We strive to create opportunities for HOPE and HUMOR in your journey. Find out more on our website! (Link in Bio)

With our home as , we are dedicated to sharing everything we learn. As we support and study the personal thriving of church planters, we are always available for conversations and consultations with your network’s team.

Contact us today to start a conversation about how our programs may help you directly or just through the sharing of research, knowledge, and experience.

⬇️ What has been heavy or difficult for you in church planting? Post in the comments. ⬇️

After one of our planters makes this statement, they very often follow it up with a nervous, “Is that normal?”

Yes. Yes it is.

A study by Stanford University showed that people THINK their peers are happier than they really are. When we share our sorrows, swap real life stories, this distorted thinking goes away and our brains are able to adjust to more appropriate expectations. What’s the result? More happy!

Of course, we already knew that because the Bible says to bear one another’s burdens. But sometimes when pastoring, we forget to practice what we preach.

Two benchmarks to thriving are connection and expectations - this is why we connect planters with peers and mentors for honest conversations. Pastors who find out their experience and hurdles are more “normal” than not will be able to endure the hard to see better days ahead!

🎁 Gift yourself a personal retreat to relax, laugh, connect, and look forward! Remember- we pay for your flights & everything due to generous grant funding.

Get your application in this weekend for our Rural Pastor and Latino/Hispanic Pastors groups, and mark your calendar for our opening retreat days in October (dates listed on website & application at http://ThrivingPlanters.com/Programs).

Have questions? Reach out today!

Planters are doing one of the hardest ministry jobs, are required to grow all types of skill sets, shepherd new believers, AND be present for their family and communities. We want to come alongside you to encourage, connect, and ensure that in the world of planting, you don’t end up losing your soul.

Two new cohorts start soon! Rural planters and Latino planters - apply today at http://ThrivingPlanters.com/Programs for this all-expenses-paid opportunity that begins in October!

Center for Thriving Church Planters updated their business hours.

Center for Thriving Church Planters updated their phone number.