We hope you will consider the G4 and GCM Cohort hosted by The Summit Church in the Fall of 2023. You can learn more about these counseling ministries at summitchurch.com/g4 and summitchurch.com/gcm.
The cohort will consist of three, two-day learning experiences designed to help you re-envision church-based counseling through the lens of groups and mentoring while taking you through the steps to create an effective launch plan for G4 and GCM.
- Fall 2023 Cohort Dates
- August 14-15, 2023
- September 21-23, 2023 (the 23rd is optional, but recommended)
- Friday night and Saturday morning you and your spouse are invited to attend the Creating a Gospel-Centered Marriage weekender experience.
- November 1-2, 2023
- All sessions will be hosted on-site at The Summit Church
* * * Note: A pre-requisite for participation in the cohort is completion of the free Mobilizing Church-Based Counseling webinar series, which begins in May (sign up at bradhambrick.com/events). If you have already completed the webinar series, you do not need to do this series again.
Beginning with the End in Mind
At the end of this cohort, you will have an executable launch plan to implement G4 and GCM at your church. You will be guided through the process of:
- having important conversations with church leadership,
- conducting interest meetings,
- training your first-generation leaders, and
- networking with community partners.
You will learn alongside leaders from other churches walking through the same process, so you benefit from their planning and preparation as well.
What Will We Do?
Visit One: You will be given sample launch plans from when G4 and GCM were launched at Summit and walk through the process of identifying the key information, resources, and conversations needed to develop a tailored launch plan at your church. Other highlights of this first visit will be:
- Attending an evening of G4 at The Summit Church
- Interviewing G4 group leaders
- Preparing to respond to initial questions from your church’s leadership and first-generation leaders.
Visit Two: You will learn to respond well to the variety of crisis situations that cause many churches to shy away from starting a counseling ministry. You will also start the process of identifying your local counselor consultant, learn to vet potential new G4 curriculum, and learn to implement the GCM mentoring model. Other highlights of this visit will be:
- Attending a second G4 location at The Summit Church
- Being invited to stay for the Friday evening and Saturday morning Gospel-Centered Marriage (GCM) conference. We would love for your spouse to come with you for this portion.
Visit Three: By this session, you will have drafted your own launch plan and we will vet it together. As a part of this process, we will consider in-church promotion, caring for your volunteers, cooperation with other churches in your community, and networking with area professionals to increase your ministry’s impact and effectiveness. You will also hear from some of the church leaders and area professionals who partner with Summit’s G4 and GCM ministries.
What Does it Cost?
Participation in this cohort costs $750 per person. This cost does include meals, literature, and other resources. It is does not include travel, lodging, or meals outside our meeting times. If you do not live within driving distance of RDU, we will provide recommended hotels near the church and a discount code (when available).
Who Is Leading this Cohort?
The cohort will be led by Brad Hambrick, Pastor of Counseling at The Summit Church; John Chapman, Director of Recovery-Support Group Ministries at The Summit Church; Marilyn Marrero, Director of Gospel-Centered Marriage Mentoring at The Summit Church; and an assortment of guest speakers.
Who Should Come?
We recommend one or both of the following:
- Pastor/staff who will oversee your church’s G4 and/or GCM ministry
- Lay leader who will spearhead these ministries within your church.
A key indicator that your church is serious about a G4 and/or GCM ministry is their willingness to invest in equipping you to launch and lead these ministries.
What Is My Next Step?
In order to effectively accomplish these objectives, we can only accept a limited number of participants in the cohort, so we encourage you to apply soon. The deadline for submitting your application is Thursday May 25.
- Application Link for G4 and GCM Cohort
We will notify participants of their acceptance by Friday, June 2.
Reminder: completion of the free Mobilizing Church-Based Counseling webinar series is a pre-requisite (sign up at bradhambrick.com/events).