Why Plant Churches?

Tim Keller has said that, “The vigorous, continual planting of new congregations is the single most crucial strategy for 1) the numerical growth of the body of Christ in any city, and 2) the continual corporate renewal and revival of the existing churches in a city.” (Timothy J. Keller and J. Allen Thompson, Redeemer Church Planter Manual (Redeemer Church Planting Center: New York, 2002), 29)

Jesus calls us to “Go . . . and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). In the book of Acts, we see that wherever disciples are made, a new community of faith begins to form. Church planting and disciple-making go hand-in-hand. Fulfilling Christ’s mission requires us to form new churches that can reach new people with the good news of Jesus Christ.

The data confirm that church planting is the most effective way to engage unreached people with the gospel. Because we want to make as many disciples as possible, we are committed to intentionally and continually sending disciple-making teams to start new churches.

What is the creekside church planting residency?

A 3 year process in which we train and mobilize a church planter and his team to plant a new church in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Why a residency?

Christians are called to go (Matthew 28:19). But churches are also called to send (Acts 13:2; Romans 10:14-15). God wants to see his people strive “side by side” for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27-30), rather than as lone rangers. Church planting can be lonely, discouraging and exhausting. By partnering with a planter to start a new church, we can confirm God’s calling on their life, provide resources, send people, and offer encouragement and training to help accelerate the formation of a new church.

Who should apply?

Fundamentally, we’re looking for a candidate who (a) meets the biblical criteria for an Elder (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9), (b) aligns with our theological convictions and church-planting philosophy, (c) has a proven track-record as a disciple-maker and evangelist, and (d) senses a clear calling from God to plant a church.

when does the residency begin?

Applications open February 15th, 2026. Once accepted, the resident will begin on July 1st, 2026.

where will the resident plant?

We hope to see this church planted in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. Together with our resident, we will prayerfully discern the best location to launch this disciple-making movement.

How will this church be planted?

At its most basic level, a church is a community of disciples in a particular place. A church plant, therefore, is simply the formation of a new community of disciples in a particular place. If we think of the local church as a house, we need to ensure it’s built on the right foundation. A church is not built on Sunday morning services, sermons, ministry programs, or leaders, but on discipleship to Jesus Christ. This is how a church begins; it is the fruit of intentional, personal disciple-making in the word of God. As this movement grows, regular gatherings are established and leaders are appointed. Structures are implemented to support discipleship and disciple-making.

We desire to see the church planted from the bottom-up, rather than the top-down. Therefore, we are looking for a church planter committed to personal disciple-making as the engine that drives the church. Over three years, we prayerfully expect to see a planter and his team learn to (1) make disciples (year 1), (2) multiply disciples (year 2), and (3) launch a disciple making movement (year 3). Practically, this means we want to see disciples made and Community Groups formed in a specific location before Sunday morning services begin.