Explore Church Planting

With Stadia’s Discovery Center

Explore, discern, & discover

You love Jesus. You want to see more people know Him. We do too! Stadia helps potential church planters explore callings, discern readiness, and discover competency areas and roles in starting a new church that will thrive, grow, and multiply for the next generation and beyond!

Are you ready?

That’s a big question—but if you’re not sure yet, don’t panic. We’ll be the guide by your side during every step of the journey. Our Discovery Center will provide you with the tools and resources to help you know what to do next as you process what God is doing in your story.

The Journey

Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect from us throughout each phase of the Discovery Process

The Journey

Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect from us throughout each phase of the Discovery Process

Want to learn more about church planting? Let’s connect.

Let us know that you want to start the process!

Want to learn more about church planting? Let’s connect.

Let us know that you want to start the process!

Once you’ve connected with us about Stadia’s Discovery Center, we’ll reach out! A Stadia Team member will give you a call and take some time to get to know you and your goals a little more as you get going through the process. 

Once you’ve connected with us about Stadia’s Discovery Center, we’ll reach out! A Stadia Team member will give you a call and take some time to get to know you and your goals a little more as you get going through the process. 

During the Exploration phase, you’ll process the question: Am I called to start a church?

You’ll explore your calling personally and with your community and gain beneficial information on your unique gifts.

    During the Exploration phase, you’ll process the question: Am I called to start a church?

    You’ll explore your calling personally and with your community and gain beneficial information on your unique gifts.

      During the Discernment phase, you’ll process the question: Am I ready to start a church”

      You’ll begin to share about the new church you hope to start, examine your holistic health, and determine your areas of strength and growth.

      During the Discernment phase, you’ll process the question: Am I ready to start a church”

      You’ll begin to share about the new church you hope to start, examine your holistic health, and determine your areas of strength and growth.

      During the Discovery phase, you’ll ask: What is My Skill Set? What is My Next Step?

      The Discovery phase is held at an in-person event where you’ll learn about your competency and skill areas in the context of a supportive community. Through several activities both individually and with a group, you’ll receive a recommendation that will help you determine your next steps.

      During the Discovery phase, you’ll ask: What is My Skill Set? What is My Next Step?

      The Discovery phase is held at an in-person event where you’ll learn about your competency and skill areas in the context of a supportive community. Through several activities both individually and with a group, you’ll receive a recommendation that will help you determine your next steps.

      After you’ve completed the Discovery process, you’ll receive a robust report with recommendations on future growth and learning no matter what’s next for you. If we continue to move forward together, you’ll have access to a Project Manager, Essential Training, Coaching & Cohorts, Post-Launch Care, and more!

      After you’ve completed the Discovery process, you’ll receive a robust report with recommendations on future growth and learning no matter what’s next for you. If we continue to move forward together, you’ll have access to a Project Manager, Essential Training, Coaching & Cohorts, Post-Launch Care, and more!

      Stadia’s New-Church Leader Competencies

      Through over 20 years of working with new-church leaders, we have developed a competency model that outlines specific skill areas that contribute to starting thriving, growing, multiplying churches for the next generation. Our Discovery Event is built upon these competencies.

      A Venn Diagram with four circles: Gospel Competency, Cultural Competency, Entrepreneurial Competency, and Relational Competency.

      GOSPEL COMPETENCY

      • Vibrant Faith
      • Fluency
      • Fervor
      • Communication
      • Empowerment Ethics

      RELATIONAL COMPETENCY

      • Interpersonal Communication
      • Conflict Resolution
      • Relationship Building
      • Social-Emotional Health
      • Empathy

      CULTURAL COMPETENCY

      • Awareness
      • Humility
      • Contextualization
      • Proficiency
      • Engagement

      ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCY

      • Visioning
      • Motivation
      • Resilience
      • Empowering
      • Influence

      Stadia’s New-Church Leader Competencies

      Through over 20 years of working with new-church leaders, we have developed a competency model that outlines specific skill areas that contribute to starting thriving, growing, multiplying churches for the next generation. Our Discovery Event is built upon these competencies.

      A Venn Diagram with four circles: Gospel Competency, Cultural Competency, Entrepreneurial Competency, and Relational Competency.

      GOSPEL COMPETENCY

      • Vibrant Faith
      • Fluency
      • Fervor
      • Communication
      • Empowerment Ethics

      CULTURAL COMPETENCY

      • Awareness
      • Humility
      • Contextualization
      • Proficiency
      • Engagement

      RELATIONAL COMPETENCY

      • Interpersonal Communication
      • Conflict Resolution
      • Relationship Building
      • Social-Emotional Health
      • Empathy

      ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCY

      • Visioning
      • Motivation
      • Resilience
      • Empowering
      • Influence

      Meet your guides

      Heidy Tandy

      SENIOR DIRECTOR OF DISCOVERY 

      Jehieli Calderon

      Discovery Coordinator

      Upcoming Discovery Events

       

      Participation on specific dates is not guaranteed and is dependent on completion of both the Exploration and Discernment Phases of the Discovery Center Process. Upon completion of both phases, you will be prompted to choose which upcoming Discovery Event works best for your timeline.

      Upcoming 2024-2025 Discovery Events + Deadlines:

      San Jose, CA – Echo Church (North San Jose Campus)
      February 11-13, 2025
      Deadline to complete the Exploration and Discernment phases: January 14, 2025

      Denver, CO – Arvada Vineyard
      June 3-5, 2025
      Deadline to complete Exploration and Discernment phases: May 6, 2025

      Cincinnati, OH – Crossroads Church Florence
      August 12-14, 2025
      Deadline to complete Exploration and Discernment phases: July 15, 2025

      Baltimore, MD – Community Christian Church
      November 11-13, 2025
      Deadline to complete Exploration and Discernment phases: October 14, 2025

      Let us know how we’re doing. Stadia’s vision is for EVERY CHILD TO HAVE A CHURCH. We believe this requires all kinds of church leaders and all types of churches. For every child to have a church, it is vitally important that we have a diverse pool of candidates and actively champion the increased representation of persons of color, women, and other underrepresented groups in our training pipeline. We are open to learning and invite your feedback on this process to ensure we truly accomplish our vision.

      FAQ — Discovery Event

      What is a Discovery Event?

      Stadia’s Discovery Event is a 3-day experience through which you will have the opportunity, in the context of community, to explore, demonstrate, strengthen, and be affirmed in your competencies and skills for starting a new church. Below, you can find additional questions that candidates typically ask about the Discovery Event.

      Who can participate in a Stadia-hosted Discovery Event?

      We believe it takes all kinds of people to start all kinds of churches. Stadia’s Discovery Center serves potential new-church leaders in diverse contexts, modalities, funding structures and beyond! As explained on this site, Stadia’s Discovery process is a three-phased process. The first two phases, Exploration and Discernment, must be completed prior to consideration for a Discovery Event. At the end of the Discernment phase, after you have submitted your Discernment Reflection and participated in an interview with a Stadia Team member, you will then be eligible for an invitation to the event, which you will receive within 5 days from your interview.

      Is there a cost for participating in the Discovery Event?

      There is no cost or fee associated with participating in Stadia’s Discovery Event. Through the generosity of Stadia’s strategic partners, denominations, sending churches, and individual donors, Stadia is able to offer these types of important events for potential new church leaders. Participants are responsible for their own travel to the Discovery Event, and hotel accommodations near the event location. During your travel, you will be responsible for your meals. However, during the event, Stadia provides your lunches, dinners, and an ample supply of snacks and beverages throughout the 3-day event. 

      Does my spouse need to attend the Discovery Event with me?

      Yes, if you are married, your spouse must participate with you throughout the entire Discovery process, starting with Exploration and Discernment. You will see throughout the various instructions specifically where your spouse should submit something separately and where you are able to submit items jointly.

      We believe married couples are together called to start a new church. For this reason, if you are married, it is important that your spouse participates in this process alongside you. Your shared participation will give you the opportunity to explore your calling and your unique gifts and abilities as well as the implication this has for the role each of you might play in starting a new church.

      Will I need to bring anything specific with me to the Discovery Event?

      The only thing you need to bring with you to a Discovery Event is a computer or tablet. If you are married, and your spouse has a separate computer or tablet, they should bring it as well. Most of the Discovery Event relies on technology to keep our event as paperless as possible. Please let the Discovery Team know if you have any questions or needs regarding technology and/or accessibility.

      Do you have anything specific for women who want to explore church planting?

      Yes! Whether you’re called to lead a team or serve on a launch team, we want to walk with you. Check out She Starts Churches for more details on our initiative to better support women in church planting.

      What can you tell me about the requirement to bring an “observer” with me to the Discovery Event?

      During the Discovery Event, you and your spouse, if married, will have the opportunity to explore, demonstrate, strengthen, and be affirmed in your competencies and skills for starting a new church. The Discovery Event, being a community-guided event, means that it will be important for you to have someone that knows you and your experience well from within the context of your own current ministry, and who can help observe and affirm your competencies through that lens.

      Your observer should be someone who knows you from your current ministry context. Participants often invite the pastor from their sending church, a deacon or elder, someone from another church planting organization or network they are partnered with, or even a denominational leader or mentor. The role of the observer at a Discovery Event is to work alongside the other leaders and guides at the event to provide valuable feedback to the candidates.

      If you receive an invitation to participate in a Discovery Event, it will be very important to invite your observer as soon as possible and provide them details about the dates and location. Your observer will be responsible for their own travel and hotel accommodations.

      Let us know you want to start a church

      Fill out the form below to begin the process

      Let us know you want to start a church

      Fill out the form below to begin the process