Pastors

We’re glad you’re here to learn about the Foursquare Emerging Leader Network (ELN). As you’ll discover as you explore the site, ELN is an alliance of full-time, specialized schools of ministry that are dedicated to developing and deploying college-age students.

Please know that we are here to serve you. Our ELN team will do whatever we can to help you work successfully with young leaders in your setting. Start by investigating the information below, then contact us with questions or other ways we may be of assistance.

“The power of ELN is that it is a local church based ministry, shaping young leaders in character, knowledge and skill sets for ministries in both the local church and marketplace. Its immersion discipleship model is the same that Jesus used to prepare twelve men to turn the world upside down!”

Tammy Dunahoo
General Supervisor, The Foursquare Church

Listen to Jeremy Pummel, pastor of the NorthRock church in Thornton, CO, talk about ELN and the program at their church.

FAQs

1. How would we know if an ELN program is right for our church?

That’s a great question! The fact that you are reading this, however, indicates your desire to equip the next generation of ministry leaders, so here are several key points about the “ELN model” that may help you discern if it would fit your context.

It’s local. If you want to engage college-age students in the life and leadership of your church (rather than sending them all off to other settings for training), ELN may be a model that would work for you.
It’s customizable. While all ELN schools of ministry share certain commonalities, each one becomes a unique reflection of the mission of its church. You define how your students will be engaged — head, hands and heart — within the context of your of your setting. Because ELN is not a cookie-cutter model, we’ve found that it is reproducible in diverse church settings: large and small, urban and rural, historic and brand new.
It’s resourced. You don’t have to start from scratch, spending years to develop every element of a school of ministry. Adaptable materials, along with personalized coaching, are available to help you accomplish what God’s put in your heart to do.
It’s networked. ELN is very much a part of the larger pre-service training conversation within the Foursquare movement. We are directly linked to the National Church Office, Life Pacific College, and each of the fourteen districts across the country.
It’s effective. Many pastors have a passion to reproduce young ministry leaders, but have not found a way to do this as effectively as they’d like. ELN provides a model (along with the networking and resourcing) for churches to equip young leaders in ways that are both fruitful and sustainable.

2. How would our church begin an ELN school of ministry?

These are the initial steps we recommend for churches wanting to begin an ELN school of ministry.

Contact the Emerging Leader Network to request an informational packet. Click here to go to our Contact page.
Attend the ELN Leadership Forum. The Forum, offered each November, is an interactive gathering that provides leaders with the opportunity to receive training and resources. If you’re unable to participate in the Forum, we’ll do our best to resource you in your setting.
Because each ELN program is a certified Foursquare school of ministry, it’s necessary to begin the certification process with the Foursquare Institutes Office. For information and the needed forms, click here (http://www NULL.foursquare NULL.org/institutes). If you have any questions about certification, please contact the Ministry Institutes Office at 213.989.4500.

3. What should we know about sending our students to ELN programs?

Click here to listen to a Foursquare pastor share about the fruit he’s seen in the lives of students he’s sent to different ELN programs over the past number of years. In addition, you can be confident that:

Each ELN program is a certified Foursquare school of ministry.
Students will be mentored by seasoned ministry leaders.
Students will not only be instructed in the Word, but they’ll be released in ministry as well.
Educational opportunities continue after ELN, as students and graduates are eligible for sizable tuition scholarships from Life Pacific College and New Hope Christian College.

4. Are there resources available to help begin an ELN program?

Yes! At the Leadership Forum, each church receives a wide variety of resources, including the ELN Resource CD. The CD contains dozens of fully customizable resources, including copies of student handbooks and applications. In addition, there is an ELN team in place, including directors from several ELN schools of ministry, who are available for consultation. Please contact the ELN office for further information.

5. What Curriculum is used in ELN schools of ministry?

As with other Foursquare certified schools of ministry, ELN programs are free to develop a curricular approach that will work best within their context. ELN programs tend to develop their curriculum in one of four ways.

In-house curriculum. Some churches have their own courses and instructors in place.
Utilizing Bible college courses. Many ELN programs are taking advantage of the generous course offerings made available by Life Pacific College and New Hope Christian College. This plan allows ELN students to build a college transcript while they are in your program. Click here for more information.
Partnership with other Bible institutes. In some settings there is another Foursquare certified Bible institute within driving distance, making it possible to forge an educational alliance between the programs.
Development of a customized approach. An ELN program might choose to offer some of their own courses in addition to having their students take a college course, etc. There are a multitude of curricular approaches that could work well in different settings.

6. What is “immersion discipleship” all about?

How does the military turn civilians into soldiers? Boot camp. How do hospitals turn med students into doctors? Residency. Both are excellent examples of immersive training environments and remind us of how Jesus took a handful of ordinary people and turned them into world-shaping agents of redemption: He invited them into an immersive season of relationship, training and deployment. Jesus lived with his disciples for three years—He walked with them, shared meals with them, taught them, rebuked them, visited their homes, fished and laughed with them. Not only did Jesus see deeply into their lives, but He allowed them to examine His life at a profound level as well. This immersive season of discipleship sufficiently equipped these men to change the world.

For most, immersion discipleship is not a replacement for college. It’s a foundational experience that shapes who the student is becoming, and helps to bring the student’s life-trajectory into alignment with God’s plans. It’s an intense and life-transforming opportunity to share life with a community of other disciples and leaders who are dedicated to becoming more like Christ and learning how to serve Him and love others more completely.

7. What if our church already operates a certified Bible institute?

Many churches have discovered that while their institute is effective at attracting and training an older audience, younger leaders are looking for a different kind of training experience. Some of these churches have established ELN schools of ministry to address this issue. These ELN programs run concurrently with the preexisting institutes, and ELN students often take the bulk of their courses within these institutes. Because the ELN school of ministry is viewed by Foursquare as a distinct program, it will need to go through its own certification process with the Foursquare Ministry Institutes Office. If you have any questions about certification, please contact the Institutes Office at 213.989.4500, or click here (http://www NULL.foursquare NULL.org/institutes) for further information.

8. How long will it take to begin an ELN school of ministry?

When preparing for an ELN program there are many things to consider, develop and communicate. Though some churches have done this more quickly, it has proven helpful in many settings to have dedicated nine to twelve months of preparation time to get ready for a strong start. Click here for a suggested time line.

Do you have other questions?

Please visit our Contact page to send us your notes and questions. We’re here to serve you!

ELN