The experience with the Fuller Church Planter’s Certificate Cohort has been truly enriching. I’m deeply grateful for your professionalism, the outstanding quality of the course content, and your unwavering commitment to equipping and supporting each of us throughout the journey.
It’s been an honor to learn alongside such a passionate and dedicated group of leaders. I leave this program inspired, better equipped, and excited to put into practice all that I’ve gained as we move forward in planting and building gospel-centered communities.
Tony and Monicole Brown
Certificate Students
Your Cohort Information
Content Schedule
Starting in September of 2026, the cohort will meet monthly online to review and apply the course content.
Cohort Leader
Corey Lee is the Director of Content and Partnerships for Fuller's Church Planting Initiative. Corey and his wife Jade planted Convergence Church in Atlanta, focusing on HBCUs. Corey has a B.S. from Hampton University, an MDiv from Fuller, and is a Fuller Ph.D. student in Practical Theology with a minor in African American Church History.
Course Overview
Below are each of the courses that compose the certificate content as well as the learning outcomes associated with each for your reference.
Course 1
JOINING GOD'S MISSION
- Define Missio Dei and center the work of church planting within its larger biblical and historical perspective.
- Develop a missional lens for interpreting the whole of Scripture and apply it to your own reading of the Bible.
- Identify places in your context in which God is already at work and how your church plant can join in.
- Write or revise a set of mission, vision, and values statements that reflect your team’s biblical and contextual understanding.
-Develop a personalized set of practices (called a Rule of Life) to grow in faith and formation with the Holy Spirit.
Course 2
5 SEASONS OF A CHURCH PLANT
-Identify the unique leadership dynamics of each of the five seasons of a church plant.
-Develop a holistic picture of the people group God is calling you to serve, and clarify the mission, vision, and values statements, and tagline of your church based on that information.
-Develop a plan to use adaptive leadership in pivoting the church plant’s strategy based on your context.
-Select a church planting model that fits the mission, vision, values, and cultural context of your church plant, and acquire the funds to start the church.
Course 3
HOLISTIC EVANGELISM
-Describe a holistic gospel based on the incarnation, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and contrast it with the truncated gospel
-Demonstrate and express the good news of Jesus through demonstration, proclamation, and invitation
-Develop an evangelism plan that fits your context and includes missional experimentation
-Evaluate the fertility of the church plant based on effectively identifying, developing, and sending fruitful leaders to reproduce churches
Course 4
FORMATION FOR PLANTERS
-Identify potential areas of personal spiritual malnourishment and the consequences that arise from ignoring spiritual wellbeing.
-Assess the current state of your own spiritual formation.
-Describe and experiment with five practices of missional spirituality
-Develop a personalized set of practices (called a Rule of Life) to grow in faith and formation with the Holy Spirit.
Course 5
DISCIPLING YOUR PLANTING TEAM
-Identify potential launch team members and develop criteria to select them.
-Recognize the typical developmental stages and conflicts that launch teams face.
-Analyze biblical examples of leadership teams that are empowered, diverse, and missional.
-Develop a plan of shared missional practices to disciple the leadership team.
Course 6
REACHING YOUR CITY
-Articulate the benefits and importance of identifying the cultural contexts of your church plant and the people you desire to reach with the gospel
-List the defining aspects of a city’s context and collect the information for your city.
-Identify the cultural rhythms and sensibilities of your particular community and develop a contextualization plan to navigate it as an insider.
Final Project
DEVELOPING A CHURCH PLANTING PLAN
In this final course you will synthesize the prior six courses into a cohesive church planting plan.
The prospectus serves as
...a statement of vision, values, and goals, along with an initial strategy, timeline, and budget for achieving the vision,
...a compass for your team to help you stay on track,
...a marketing tool for potential donors to get to know more about your church, and
...a document that allows your denominational leaders or sending church to stay updated on your church.
Upon Completion of All Material
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATE
Upon completing all workbooks and the final project, learners will receive a digital and physical copy of their well-deserved professional church planting certificate from Fuller Seminary.
This certificate acknowledges that the certificate holder possesses the formation, training, experience and preparation to start a missional church anywhere in the world.
Having the safe space of a cohort to process the course content and to learn from each individual’s unique Kingdom work is proving invaluable.
JESSE PICKOTT
Certificate Student