Training Opportunity: Missional Church Pioneer
New Vision BIC (Pewaukee, WI)
New Vision BIC in Pewaukee, WI is looking for an adventurous, mission minded individual, couple, or family to consider our church and location as a good training ground for future ministry, church planting, or mission work. We have developed an 18 month–2 year opportunity to receive low-cost housing, training in a skilled trade, and participate in the rhythms of a local church community committed to living out God’s mission in our neighborhoods.
In an interview with Plough magazine1, Mike Rowe noted that he often hears the sentiment “we need more welders and fewer philosophers.” His response was “it’s not one or the other. What we need is more welders who can discuss Kant and Descartes, and we need more philosophers who can run an even bead and repair a leaky faucet.” As the American economy is rediscovering the trades, the American church is radically re-evaluating its relevance among her neighborhoods, realizing that our attractional models of church are unsustainable for many faith communities.
New Vision has grown in the conviction that missional churches cannot, and perhaps should not, sustain full time salaries, and maybe we need more theologians who can fix things and electricians who can discuss theology!
For about 2 years, New Vision Church has been allowing the Holy Spirit to reorient us more firmly in a missional view of church. We have a good story and a lot of hope for the future, but we are looking for some help! We also have something valuable to offer for someone exploring what ministry or church planting looks like in post-Christian culture.
If this resonates with you so far, New Vision would like to invite you to consider an 18 month to 2 year season of discernment and training in a trade with us.
What New Vision can offer:
- If your living needs and habits are a good fit, New Vision can provide simple low cost housing with one of our church families for up to 2 years.
- New Vision will subsidize up to 18 months of tuition at WCTC (Waukesha County Technical College)2. Certificates that can prepare you for a career or further education in 12-18 months include carpentry (12 mo.), HVAC service technician (12 mo.), metal fabrication/welding, automotive maintenance (18 mo.), paramedic technician (12 mo), and digital production or web design (18 mo.).
- New Vision will partner with you to discern a trade that you might enjoy and has potential for the kind of ministry you are discerning. We have a current WCTC student and instructor in our congregation and a growing missional posture towards the campus and its students.
- New Vision will invest in your spiritual life and process of discerning / training for future ministry or church planting. The details of that can be worked out with our pastor and your mentors and personal hopes, but it may include regular meetings for prayer and “check ins,” opportunities for study, an invitation to “do life together” with a body of believers, or opportunities to serve within the missional pulse of our congregation.
What we ask of you:
- To affirm the core values of the Brethren in Christ and make New Vision your church home while you complete your trade education.
- Spend the first three to six months adjusting to the area and our worship community, eating meals and meeting over coffee with New Vision families, finding part-time work, and enrolling at WCTC.
- To commit to a season of discernment for your path towards future ministry or church planting, in relationship with believers.
- To be actively involved in New Vision’s missional activity.
- To see your trade education and future career as your mission field by a) having a posture of openness to being stretched in your relationships with non-believers in a context away from home, and b) practice spiritual discernment and hospitality in community.
Outcomes
At the end of your time with New Vision you will:
- Receive a trade certificate, with little or no debt, for employment or apprenticeship in a marketable trade.
- Develop relationships with believers from a spectrum of generations and careers who want to “do life” with each other and will invite you to their homes, tables, and game nights. They will support you with their experience, and cheer you on when you are here and when you move on.
- Gain job experience through employment.
- Have a clearer picture of your gifts for ministry, goals for your career and education, additional opportunities to pursue, and a written plan for “next steps.”
- Gain experience practicing missional habits: Blessing others, sharing a table with believers and non-believers, listening for the Spirit’s voice, learning the ways of Jesus through study and action.
- Have the opportunity to lead an event, neighborhood initiative, worship gathering, property or funding project, leadership meeting, or group study of your choosing.
- Set personal and career goals and periodically evaluate your progress.
- If appropriate, become a licensed minister with the Brethren in Christ Church.
If you are interested or just want to know more we would love to share more of New Vision’s story and vision. E-mail Pastor Christina Bosserman at NewVisionBIC@gmail.com or call/text 262-327-3612.
2. WCTC has the best return on investment of any Milwaukee area college/university according to the 2016-17 WI Department of Education’s college scorecard.