AUGUST
START WITH GOSPEL FLUENCY & RENEWAL
What is the value of the gospel for personal growth and not just our conversion? What is the difference between gospel-centered growth and self-help growth? We will be exploring these crucial themes. We will also discuss the anatomy and effects of idolatry, particularly those that are common to church planters. The Incubator starts with Gospel Fluency & Renewal.
SEPTEMBER | Personal Life of a Leader
Participants will develop crucial self-awareness skills essential for effective ministry leadership. Leaders will learn to recognize the vital connection between personal health and successful church planting, develop emotional intelligence to identify and process their feelings, and address personal wounds through gospel-centered healing. This session equips participants to understand their family systems through genogram work, recognize how these patterns influence their ministry, and manage leadership anxiety in key relationships during the church planting journey.
OCTOBER | City Vision and Contextualization
Develop a gospel-centered vision for your city that reveals the complex forces shaping your community. Learn to identify cultural blind spots while growing in your understanding of local context. Master the art of contextualizing ministry approaches that allow Christ's message to resonate authentically within your specific neighborhood. Equip your church to respond effectively to the systemic challenges present in urban environments.
NOVEMBER | Discipleship Pathways
Developing and training is different than teaching or preaching. People need opportunities to suggest ideas, give input, practice, and have greater buy in. Come learn a model for apprenticeship for your core team that includes internal goals that strengthen your infrastructure and external goals that build missional habits.
DECEMBER | CTC SoCal Gathering
Gospel Community Gathering to connect, share and encourage one another.
Gospel Community refers to a spiritually vibrant, relationally connected group of people shaped by the gospel of grace. Rooted in Keller’s emphasis on the gospel as both the means of salvation and the pattern for all of life, Gospel Communities embody the redemptive power of the gospel in everyday relationships.
Gospel Community refers to a spiritually vibrant, relationally connected group of people shaped by the gospel of grace. Rooted in Keller’s emphasis on the gospel as both the means of salvation and the pattern for all of life, Gospel Communities embody the redemptive power of the gospel in everyday relationships.
JANUARY | Networking and Gathering (Evangelistic Pathways)
Learn to develop intentional pathways that effectively lead people into your church community. Equip yourself with strategic approaches to evangelistic networking and community-building that will transform your church's culture. Through this module, you'll gain practical tools to foster authentic relationships and create engaging events that naturally cultivate a missional mindset throughout your congregation.
FEBRUARY | Cultural and Community Engagement
Develop the skills to meaningfully connect with your community through our Cultural and Community Engagement module. You'll learn to identify your cultural engagement style, explore four proven models for cultural interaction, and gain practical frameworks for authentic community connection. This transformative training equips you to discern appropriate cultural engagement strategies specific to your ministry context, fostering continual growth as a cultural bridge-builder in your city.
MARCH | Ministry Design
Transform your church planting journey with our Ministry Design module. Learn to articulate a compelling kingdom vision that brings goodness, beauty, and justice to your city. Develop a biblical framework centered on communion, community, and commissioning while mastering the art of creating meaningful gathering spaces.
This comprehensive training equips you to build a balanced ministry that integrates evangelism, discipleship, faith and work, and mercy and justice. You'll craft contextually relevant language that resonates with non-Christians, identify effective missional strategies, and cultivate core teams characterized by curiosity, ownership, and multiplication. Leave with the skills to evaluate your church plant's greatest needs and create a sustainable path for growth and impact.
This comprehensive training equips you to build a balanced ministry that integrates evangelism, discipleship, faith and work, and mercy and justice. You'll craft contextually relevant language that resonates with non-Christians, identify effective missional strategies, and cultivate core teams characterized by curiosity, ownership, and multiplication. Leave with the skills to evaluate your church plant's greatest needs and create a sustainable path for growth and impact.
APRIL | CTC SoCal Gathering
Gospel Community Gathering to connect, share and encourage one another.
Gospel Community refers to a spiritually vibrant, relationally connected group of people shaped by the gospel of grace. Rooted in Keller’s emphasis on the gospel as both the means of salvation and the pattern for all of life, Gospel Communities embody the redemptive power of the gospel in everyday relationships.
Gospel Community refers to a spiritually vibrant, relationally connected group of people shaped by the gospel of grace. Rooted in Keller’s emphasis on the gospel as both the means of salvation and the pattern for all of life, Gospel Communities embody the redemptive power of the gospel in everyday relationships.
MAY | Kingdom Prayer
Deepen your understanding of spiritual warfare in church planting through our Kingdom Prayer module. Learn to recognize your complete dependence on God's Spirit while developing transformative prayer practices. You'll master both individual and collective prayer approaches that are Christ-centered and directed both inward for personal growth and outward for community impact. This foundational training equips you to build a prayer-saturated ministry that fuels spiritual breakthrough in your family, church, and community.
JUNE | Preaching and Effective Communication
What differentiates a gospel-centered sermon from other types of sermons? How do we preach the gospel from every text to benefit the non-believer and the Christian? Come learn various values and skills for delivering your sermons. You will be asked to preach in front of panel of leaders and be given feedback.
JULY | Mercy and Justice
Gain profound insights into the historical, theological, and spiritual foundations of justice and mercy in our comprehensive module. Learn how the gospel revolutionizes your approach—shifting from power-based benefaction to Christ-like servanthood through incarnational presence. Acquire practical principles for embedding biblical justice as a communal lifestyle in your church, creating lasting transformation in your community.
Meet the team
Dr. Christian Castro
Regional Director - City to City San Diego
Dr. Christian Castro is the Lead Pastor of Rolando Church, part of the Community Church Movement, and serves as the Regional Director for City to City San Diego. He’s been in church planting for over two decades, with experience spanning the Midwest, East Coast, and now Southern California. Along the way, he’s helped launch new churches and breathe new life into legacy congregations by connecting with the next generation.
Christian planted a church in New York through Redeemer Church Planting Center, which later became City to City, under the mentorship of Tim Keller. Since then, he’s continued working with City to City in different capacities. He holds an MDiv in Urban Ministry from Westminster Theological Seminary and a DMin in Missiology from Southeastern University.
Christian has been married to Liz for 25 years, and they’re raising three incredible sons together. When he’s not pastoring or coaching leaders, you’ll find him working on his garden, riding his dirt bike, playing sports with his sons, and spending time with his family.
Christian planted a church in New York through Redeemer Church Planting Center, which later became City to City, under the mentorship of Tim Keller. Since then, he’s continued working with City to City in different capacities. He holds an MDiv in Urban Ministry from Westminster Theological Seminary and a DMin in Missiology from Southeastern University.
Christian has been married to Liz for 25 years, and they’re raising three incredible sons together. When he’s not pastoring or coaching leaders, you’ll find him working on his garden, riding his dirt bike, playing sports with his sons, and spending time with his family.
Richard Valadez
Catalyst/Trainer - City to City San Diego (Español)
Richard Valadez es Pastor Plantador de Iglesia EastLake que forma parte del Network de Iglesias del Community Church Movement en San Diego, California. Richard ha tenido la oportunidad de trabajar en el Ministerio de tiempo completo desde hace más de 18 años con organizaciones como Willow Creek Association - México, Central Church en Las Vegas y actualmente como parte del equipo Pastoral de EastLake Church en San Diego California. El y su esposa Rita crecieron en Tijuana, México han estado casados por 16 años y tienen 2 niñas que nacieron en Las Vegas. Richard tiene una pasión intencional por el equipamiento de Liderazgo en la Iglesia Local y por la Plantación de Iglesias. El Café, La Gastronomía, el Golf y el Fútbol son sus conversaciones favoritas.