MCI

The Missional Church Initiative

Training Church Leaders to Thrive in the 21st Century

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The Missional Church Initiative (MCI) is a two-year learning experience designed to invest in the leadership of your congregation. The entire experience is designed to help your local leaders grow and develop the character and competencies necessary to lead effectively in the work God is calling your congregation to do for the sake of his kingdom.

The experience includes four two-day retreats over two years, monthly group coaching for the pastor and a key leader, a replicable discipleship experience, an assortment of insightful books, and access to key leaders having success in these areas.

MCI's Importance Today

Constant change has forced your church to ask hard questions:

Do we have to abandon the past to move into the future?

Can we move forward without leaving anyone behind?

How do we raise up the next generation of leaders?

How do we stop this persistent decline?

If our church ceased to exist, would anyone notice?

The leaders of the Missional Church Initiative understand these fears because we've been there, and we've asked the same questions. Over the course of the four sessions, you will learn the skills to:

Assess the gaps between where your church is to where it should be

Raise up strong leaders with the skills to grow your church

Engage your community to bring hope and healing

Disciple the new believers God brings into your community

The Schedule

Kingdom Orientation- April 4-5, 2025

Leader Development - October 17-18, 2025

Kingdom Mission - April 10-11, 2026

Discipleship Culture - October 9-10, 2026

Meet Your Facilitator

Brian Miller, PCC - MCI Head Facilitator

Brian Miller serves as the Executive Director of Coach Approach Ministries and coaches leaders around the world. His twenty years of experience as a pastor and church planter will help you navigate the choppy waters of constant change. His greatest joy is seeing teams produce more together than they ever could apart, and his warm demeanor and clear guidance will help you become the leaders you were meant to be.

Connect With Us

If you're interested in joining the upcoming MCI cohort, don't wait! Start moving forward by scheduling a conversation with us by filling out the form below:

F.A.Q.

Question: How many people should make up our team?

Answer: We ask for a minimum team size of 4 and a maximum of 8, including the pastor, for your congregation.

Question: How many people will be a part of this experience?

Answer: The Missional Church Initiative will be limited to roughly 40 participants.

Question: What will I get as a leader from the MCI experience?

Answer:

1) A better understanding of what it means for your congregation to be “missional.” (Let’s face it, “missional” is the latest evangelical buzzword that means something different to everyone – evangelism, outreach, trendy, relevant, skinny jeans – you get the idea). Get a clearer understanding of what it means to live into God’s mission and how that impacts you and your ministry.

2) Help in figuring out how you (live on mission). It’s one thing to understand the idea; it’s another thing to live it out. How do you turn a congregation outward? How do you invest in the spiritual development of the congregation? How do you begin to help the local congregation “seek the peace and prosperity of the city”? What does this look like on the calendar, in the budget, on the staff schedule, etc.? How do you begin to develop a scorecard that helps you evaluate more than just who is showing up and how much they give?

3) A safe place. We all need a safe place to deal with the struggles and challenges we face in leadership - a place where you can dream as a team. We will provide a setting where you can work through real challenges and obstacles that face your congregation. There will be directed interaction that allows the freedom to express what could be, as well as the time and encouragement to take necessary steps to move your congregation into the future.

Question: Do I need to be a member of the Churches of God denomination to attend MCI?

Answer: Absolutely not - Although MCI is discounted for Churches of God members, the experience is a valuable one that we offer regardless of denomination.

Question: What does it cost?

Answer:

For Churches of God members, the price is $550 tuition per person/seat ($275 by January 2025 and $275 in January 2026).

For non-members, the price is $1000 tuition per person/seat ($500 by January 2025 and $500 in January 2026)

We expect a minimum of 4 leaders including the pastor to participate in each retreat (maximum of 8). For simplicity, your registration reserves a table with a fixed number of seats around it. We know schedules can be challenging, so you have the freedom to switch out which of your church members attend each retreat. We ask that half of the seats are filled by the same people each retreat, but the other half is completely dependent on you and your team’s availability.

Question: What is covered by the tuition?

Answer: The cost of the four retreats (meals, lodging, programming, and special guests) is covered as well as the cost of several learning profiles and textbooks. Your tuition covers a portion of the total cost of this experience and the remainder is covered by the MRC. You are responsible for your own travel costs to and from the four retreats.

Question: Where will the retreats be held?

Answer: The tentative location is Danville, IL; however, this is subject to change as your health and safety in meeting is our foremost concern.

Question: Are there scholarships available?

Answer: The cost of tuition covers just a portion of the overall cost for the Missional Church Initiative. The MRC is underwriting the costs not covered through participants’ tuition. As a result, there are very limited scholarships available.

Question: When will we know whether our application has been accepted?

Answer: You will be notified no later than 15 days after the deadline. (those applying before the deadline should expect to receive confirmation within a month of their application submission). Upon acceptance, you will receive the personal covenant form consisting of your personal commitment to the program as well as a form for each member of your team participating in MCI.

Question: What will the cohort learning groups require?

Answer: Your cohort for this experience will be the leadership members that are included in the MCI experience. These groups will play a vital role in the MCI experience. The groups will meet at appointed times throughout the retreats for processing and reflection. The groups will also be expected to maintain interaction during the months between the MCI retreats. The cohorts will be given assignments to assist each participant in the continuation of personal growth and development and provide accountability/coaching in that process. Some assignments will relate to missional efforts within the local community, but the cohort will provide accountability to one another as well as serve as peer coaches and mentors to one another in these efforts. The cohort groups will require a high degree of confidentiality as they will become a “safe place” for leaders to work through the various challenges of their life and ministry.

Question: What kind of work is expected between retreats?

Answer: There will typically be one or two required books that will need to be read before each retreat. These will serve to “frontload” some of the material that will be encountered during specific retreats. There
will also be occasional profile or assessment tools that will need to be completed before the retreat in order to have that information available at the time of the retreat. There will be assignments dealing with personal development and missional engagement. The cohorts will continue to meet outside of the retreat setting in order to encourage one another’s progress and work in these areas throughout the experience. All of the assignments will relate directly to the participant’s life and ministry as a part of the congregation, with the focus being continued growth and development as opposed to formal academic exercise.

Question: Who will facilitate the retreats?

Answer:Training has been provided by Reggie McNeal to a handful of potential retreat facilitators. Brian Miller, Jeff Rockey and Travis Bodden have all been involved in facilitating at the prior retreats. There may also be other guest facilitators to address certain retreat topics.

See our MCI FAQ on the resource page for a more in-depth list.