Ninth and O believes that the most effective way to train competent leaders to serve the Kingdom of Christ comes in and through the local church. Our program consists of two tiers—apprenticeships and residencies. Our primary focus in these is leadership development for the local church and character assessment of the individual—creating theologically robust, competent ministers and holistic Christian people who live a comprehensive Kingdom-minded Christian life for the glory of God to the exaltation of Jesus Christ by actively relying upon the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Ninth and O apprenticeships and residencies are not primarily task oriented. We care more about the discipleship of the individual. The apprenticeship and residency are designed to help foster genuine Christ-like character. Our goal is to create gospel-centered leaders capable of leading in their home, church, city, and around the world.
Why NAOBC Apprenticeships & Residencies
At Ninth and O, one of our core values is “missions.” In order to accomplish this task, NAOBC recognizes that we must make it our priority to raise up disciples competent for Kingdom ministry. Therefore, in accord with our desire to reach the world and to be a missional community at NAOBC, we have launched our Pastoral Apprenticeship (PA) and Residency Program (RP). We believe that these apprenticeships and residencies will empower our ministerial staff to equip participants to develop Kingdom-minded, holistic Christian men.
What To Expect
An apprentice’s/resident’s area of service will enable them to play a strategic role in the ongoing ministry of Ninth & O Baptist Church. Apprentices and residents will be entrusted with day-to-day ministerial responsibilities for the operation of their specific ministry. This will provide a direct platform for learning to lead in the context of the local church. Above all, NAOBC desires for apprentices and residents to be faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ and to be firmly grounded in their devotion to the Word of Christ. Therefore, NAOBC apprentices and residents will be challenged to grow in their personal knowledge of God’s Word as well as their knowledge of theological truth.
The apprenticeship phase will consist primarily of the content covered in the PA.
The residency phase will consist primarily of the content determined by their ministerial supervisor whom they serve under at NAOBC. Additionally, the residency phase will consist of live preaching, teaching, counseling, and/or leadership opportunities at NAOBC.
NAOBC is aware that growth in theological knowledge does not necessitate growth in Christ-like character. It is our belief that without the latter one is unfit for leadership in the home as well as the context of the local church. Therefore, character assessment will be a vital part of NAOBC apprenticeships and residencies. In order to accomplish this, NAOBC’s pastoral and ministerial team will seek to capitalize on teachable moments in the context of local church ministry.
Both NAOBC apprentices and residents must note that the ministerial staff reserves the right to dismiss anyone from either program due to inappropriate misconduct unworthy of a follower of Jesus Christ.
NAOBC residents must note that their ministerial supervisor at NAOBC reserves the right to dismiss a resident from their residency program due to persistence in ministerial unfaithfulness, repeated failure to follow through with ministerial tasks, or a prolonged period of inability to grow in the execution and organization of ministerial tasks. This dismissal is at the discretion of the ministerial supervisor and Pastor Jeff Elieff.
Throughout the course of NAOBC apprenticeships and residencies, opportunities will be provided for apprentices and residents to develop Christ-like camaraderie while serving alongside one another and through various fellowship opportunities outside of the office.
Registratration Links and Program Overviews:
Integrative Seminar I: Leadership (Spring)
Integrative Seminar II: Proclamation (Fall)
Requirements for Pastoral Apprenticeship
Those who enter the PA must meet the requirements laid out in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 for a pastor/elder or deacon, complete the NAOBC PA application, and be accepted into the program.
Meetings
The NAOBC PA is a one-year commitment to be trained by the ministerial staff of NAOBC. In the PA, one will learn the culture and rhythms of NAOBC as well as core theological concepts essential to practical day-to-day ministry. Those applying for the PA must commit to complete all three modules as well as complete all required reading and writing assignments (amount of reading and writing may vary between those taking the PA for academic credit and those not). The modules are Leadership (Spring) and Proclamation (Fall). In the Spring and Fall, apprentices will meet on Wednesday nights from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, at NAOBC, in the conference room. During the Summer, however, meeting times will vary between Sunday afternoon/evening and Wednesday nights. The PA begins the first week of February and ends the first week of December (for the scheduled breaks, see the PA calendar located online).
Reading
Those in the NAOBC PA will read the PA handbook and will complete all reading and writing assignments outlined in the Leadership, Outreach, and Proclamation syllabi located on the NAOBC website.
Ministry Service
Over the course of the NAOBC PA, men will learn from the NAOBC pastoral and ministerial staff. Minor opportunities for service and leadership will be provided with the intent of assessing the character, strengths, and weaknesses of men in the NAOBC PA.
Requirements for Residency Program
Men seeking to enter the RP must meet the requirements laid out in 1 Timothy 3 for a pastor/elder or a deacon; women seeking to enter the RP must meet the requirements for godly female living laid out in Titus 2:3-5. Both men and women must complete a more extensive application process, including a face-to-face interview with their potential ministerial supervisor, and be accepted into the program. Both men and women must submit a reference from one member of NAOBC’s pastoral or ministerial staff (or a member of NAOBC).
Meetings
Meetings for Men and Women in the NAOBC RP will consist of their weekly hourly service requirements at NAOBC with their ministerial supervisor.
Reading
Those in the NAOBC RP may be assigned reading resources (books, articles, blogs, websites, etc.) from their NAOBC ministerial supervisor. The supervisor will determine if there should be minimal writing reflection papers. Those in the RP will discuss the content of these reading and writing assignments with their NAOBC ministerial supervisor.
Ministry Leadership
Over the course of the NAOBC RP, residents will be placed under the direct supervision of someone on the NAOBC pastoral or ministerial staff and will also lead an assigned ministry at NAOBC. Other minor tasks will be assigned by the NAOBC pastoral or ministerial staff over the course of the RP. The intent of the NAOBC RP is that residents will develop core competencies related to Christ-like leadership in the home as well as the local church.
Beyond NAOBC
The intent of the NAOBC PA and RP is that those who participate would then leave NAOBC to take on a pastoral, church planting, missionary, or ministerial role in the context of the local church, either bi-vocationally or vocationally. The NAOBC PA and RP should not be seen as a pathway to employment at Ninth & O Baptist Church.
Payment
NAOBC apprenticeships and residencies are unpaid positions at Ninth & O Baptist Church. It is expected that those interested and participating will be able to fulfill their ecclesial responsibilities around their respective job(s).
Academic Credit
NAOBC has partnered with The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary to offer academic education through the church’s PA. Students can earn up to 12 hours of elective credit this way (two seminars worth 6 hours each). Credit is earned through the content covered in the PA. For more information on Southern Seminary’s website, follow this link.
Integrative Seminar I: Leadership – ( Spring )
Integrative Seminar II: Proclamation – ( Fall )
Staff Facilitator
For further questions, email Brandon Pisacrita.
Apprenticeship and Residency Covenant
The purpose of the Apprenticeship & Residency Covenant is:
- To join the Holy Spirit in making wise, informed decisions that impact the local church.
- To clarify the on-going blessings and responsibilities of the NAOBC supervisor and apprentice/resident.
- To encourage consistency, accountability, and loving unity within the church family as well as the NAOBC apprenticeship and residency program.
- To accomplish the vision of NAOBC internships in accordance with NAOBC’s ministry philosophy
When accepting an intern, the NAOBC pastoral and ministerial staff agree to the following with the help of the Holy Spirit:
- We covenant to pray for you regularly, particularly when you are sick, and to help you in times of need as we become aware of them [Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-35; James 2:14-17; 5:14].
- We covenant to care for you and seek your growth as a disciple of Christ, in part by equipping you for service and helping you identify how God has uniquely designed you to serve in community and on mission [Ephesians 2:20; 4:11-16].
- We covenant to provide teaching, preaching, and counsel from the Scriptures, and to develop a culture of training the church community to understand Scripture and think theologically.
Once accepted into the program, the NAOBC apprentice/resident agrees to the following with the help of the Holy Spirit:
- I covenant to follow and submit to the Scriptures as the final authority in all areas of my life allowing God’s Word to guide my thoughts, change my actions, and help me to discern what is right and resist what is wrong [2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12].
- I covenant to take responsibility for my own theological growth and to maintain a close relationship with the Lord Jesus through regular Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, and participation in the regular activities of the church [Psalms 105:1-2; 119:97; Acts 2:42-47; 17:11; Hebrews 5:12-14; 10:23-25; 2 Peter 1:3; 3:18].
- I covenant, by God’s grace, to walk in holiness as an act of worship to Jesus Christ, who has saved me from my sin that I could live a new life. I will also seek to avoid anything that brings unnecessary harm to the church or jeopardizes my own or another’s faith. [Job 31:1; Proverbs 5; Romans 8:13; 13:12-14; 14:21; 1 Cor. 6:9-7:16; 8:7; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 5:19-21; Col. 3:5; Heb. 13:4; 1 Pet. 2:11; 1 Jn. 1:6-10].
- I covenant to walk with my brothers and sisters in love, unity, and the bond of peace. I will support my pastors and fellow members through prayer, kind words, and good deeds. I will also refuse to participate in gossip or slander [Matthew 6:9-15; Mark 11:25; John 13:34; 17:22-23; 2 Corinthians 12:20; Ephesians 4:1-3; 4:31- 32; James 1:27; 2:14-17; 5:13-17; 1 Peter 4:7].
- I covenant to steward my resources with an understanding that they are a gift from God. This stewardship includes regular financial giving to the church and the using of spiritual gifts to serve the church. [Proverbs 3:9-10; John 13:34; 17:22-23; Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12-13; 2 Corinthians 8-9; 12:-7-31; Galatians 5:22-26; Ephesians 4:1-16; 5:15-18; Hebrews10:25; 1 Peter 4:10-11].
- I covenant to be a missionary. I will live my life in such a way that represents Jesus to the world in a way He would be pleased with, remaining pure and holy but not disconnected from the culture around me. I will regularly and intentionally cultivate relationships with and actively pray for people who do not yet know Jesus as Lord and Savior. I will also seek out opportunities to connect and invite my non-Christian friends and family into my Christian community [Matthew 5:13-16; 9:9; 28:18-20; John 4:28-29; 17:15; 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 2:15; Colossians 4:2-6].
- I covenant, if the unfortunate need should ever arise, to submit to righteous discipline when approached biblically by brothers and sisters in Christ [Psalms 141:5; Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5; 2 Corinthians 2:5-8; Galatians 6:1-5; 1 Timothy 5:20; 2 Timothy 2:25; Titus 1:19; 3:10-11; Hebrews 12:5-11; Revelation 2:5- 7, 14-25].
- I covenant to fulfill the normal requirements for membership at NAOBC by weekly attending NAOBC worship services and participating in BFG.
- I covenant to fulfill the expectations of the internship, including attendance in PA, WA, and RP meetings, service opportunities, and mentoring meetings.
