Become a planter
Most of the planters we fund didn't think they were planters
They were bivocational youth pastors, nurses who led a home group, a retired Air Force chaplain. If you keep noticing the same streets and the same people, that is worth a conversation.
Discovery calls run Tuesday and Thursday, 8 AM to 4 PM Mountain time.
Who tends to thrive
What we look for, honestly
We look for people who already live in, or will move to, the neighborhood they hope to plant in, and who plan to stay at least ten years. We look for married couples who both want this, since the residency and the first three years ask a great deal of a household. We are glad to work with bivocational planters; about half of ours keep a second job for the first five years.
You do not need a seminary degree, though many of our planters have one. You do need to be part of a church now, with a pastor who will tell us the truth about you. We work with churches from nine denominations and a handful of none, and we ask every planter to sign a short, historic statement of faith.
The pathway in detail
Four stages, each with a way out
At the end of every stage you and your coach decide together whether to go on. About a third of people who book a discovery call end up planting, and we count the other two-thirds as a good outcome too.
Step 1 of 4
Discovery call · 45 minutes
We talk about where you live, who you already know there, and how your household is doing. You leave with an honest sense of whether assessment makes sense this year.
Step 2 of 4
Assessment weekend · 3 days
Twice a year at Park Hill. Interviews, a practice talk, a neighborhood walk and long meals. Spouses are assessed alongside, never as an afterthought. Costs are covered by the network.
Step 3 of 4
Residency · 10 months
Twelve hours a week inside a Seedline church, a Wednesday teaching lab, and six hours a week of simply being present on your own streets. The stipend is $1,800 a month.
Step 4 of 4
Launch and coaching · 7 years
Your first public Sunday happens when your coach agrees you have a core of at least twenty-five adults. After that, a coach every other week for three years and a peer cohort for seven.
A residency week
What twelve hours a week looks like
Residents keep their day jobs where they need to. This is a typical week for a resident planting in Montbello in the 2025–26 cohort.
| Activity | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planters' huddleWelton St office | 7:30–9:00 AM | · | · | · | · | · |
| Neighborhood hoursYour own streets | · | 4:00–7:00 PM | · | 4:00–7:00 PM | · | · |
| Teaching labPark Hill | · | · | 1:00–4:00 PM | · | · | · |
| Coaching callVideo | · | · | · | 8:00–9:00 PM | · | · |
| Serve in host churchMontbello Fellowship | · | · | · | · | · | 9:30 AM–12:30 PM |
| Household sabbathHome | · | · | · | · | All day | · |
- Cohort
- Presence
- Training
- Coaching
- Host church
- Rest
Questions
What planters usually ask first
Do I have to move?
Only if you don't already live where you want to plant. Most of our planters plant within two miles of where they were living when they first called us.
How is the money arranged?
Residents receive $1,800 a month for ten months. After launch, churches get a declining rent and salary grant over three years: 60 percent of the planter's agreed salary in year one, 40 in year two and 20 in year three. Sending churches usually share the cost.
What if the assessment says not now?
Then you get a written explanation and a coach for six months anyway. Nine of our current planters were told 'not yet' the first time.
Can I plant outside Denver?
Yes, anywhere from Fort Collins to Pueblo. Three Seedline churches are in Larimer and Weld counties, and the northern cohort meets in Loveland.
Is there a Spanish-language track?
Yes. Rosa Villaseñor leads a parallel cohort with assessment, residency and coaching entirely in Spanish. Two of our fourteen churches worship mainly in Spanish.
What does my spouse have to do?
Nothing on a job description. We do assess together, include spouses in the cohort retreats, and pay for a counselor of your choosing for up to twelve sessions a year.
Discovery call
Book forty-five minutes with Lena or Rosa
Pick a time that works and we'll send a video link, or come to the Welton Street office if you'd rather talk in person.
- No application, no fee, no commitment
- Spouses welcome on the call
- Spanish or English
- We reply within two working days
Rather call? (555) 016-4410