Skip to content
Parker Manuel

Pastor development

Raise the next pastors in your own church

A three-year path for a lead pastor mentoring a small cohort, usually three people. You lead it. You keep oversight. The plan keeps you on track month to month. This approach is informed by my nine years walking with developing pastors.

Where this stands

This is a pilot I’m running first. It is a planning workspace and a set of outlines, not a finished course. Year 2 and Year 3 are proposed outlines you fill in. Nothing here ordains anyone; ordination belongs to the local church.

Three years, one month at a time

  1. Year 1

    Pastoral foundations

    Built on my 8-Session Pastoral Intensive for young men called to ministry. Each session pairs preparation from Scripture, sermons and commentaries with a brief biblical response and a written defense. The other four months are supervised application labs you shape around real ministry.

  2. Year 2

    The church

    A proposed twelve-month sequence on ecclesiology: identity and mission, worship and the ordinances, membership, governance, elders and deacons, calling, preaching, pastoral care, teams, finances, leader development and church health.

  3. Year 3

    Theology for ministry

    A proposed twelve-month walk through systematic theology, from Scripture and the Trinity to salvation, the church and new creation. Church-specific doctrine is yours to set.

The monthly rhythm

Once a month you meet with the cohort. Each month has Scripture and resources, preparation, a discussion plan, a piece of ministry practice and something due before the next meeting. You mark who finished, and you keep notes only you can see.

Make it yours

Every cohort starts from a copy of my template. Change any month, any reading, any assignment. Your changes stay with your cohort; the template stays as it was.

Ordination preparation toolkit

Checklists for calling, character, doctrine, ministry competency, the evidence you gather and your church’s own process. An order of service to adapt, links to Bible study tools, and a certificate of completion you can edit and print. The certificate marks completed preparation. It is not ordination.

Mentor workspace

Run a pastor group month by month: the plan, who completed each session, and ordination preparation. The private workspace is open only to the site owner and admins during the pilot. You’ll be asked to sign in.

Manage a pastor group