Church planting is at the heart of C4SO’s mission—and now, thanks to a partnership with the Made to Flourish Residency Accelerator, two of our churches are receiving crucial funding to launch and sustain pastoral residencies for future church planters. 

Made to Flourish is a national organization equipping pastors and churches to integrate faith, work and economic wisdom for the good of their communities. Since its founding in 2015, Made to Flourish has supported 77 pastoral residency programs across the country and trained more than 130 pastors in local churches. 

In 2025, Made to Flourish enabled C4SO churches like Vintage Pasadena and Trinity Atlanta to create structured, hands-on training for new pastors who are preparing to plant churches. 

The Rev. Ben Chase, rector of Vintage Pasadena, welcomed the church’s first Made to Flourish resident in September 2025. Made to Flourish funding provides training and financial support for residency stipends, easing the burden and allowing Vintage to invest more deeply in future leaders.

If all goes according to plan, Vintage will plant out its first resident in summer 2027.

“They are funding about 50% of our residency costs over the next five years,” Ben says. “In practice, it will pay for one two-year resident or curate on a continual rotation. I don’t think we could have afforded to have a curate without [Made to Flourish], or to get the planting journey started.” 

Trinity Anglican Church in Atlanta is another C4SO church to receive funding from Made to Flourish, facilitating an ongoing pipeline of well-formed leaders. Like Vintage, Trinity will hire one resident per year and have a two-year residency overlap. The first two residents are already in place and being shaped not just by classroom learning, but by the day-to-day realities of pastoral ministry, says the Rev. Dr. Kris McDaniel, Trinity’s Rector and C4SO’s Canon for Church Multiplication.  

”This partnership represents exactly the kind of strategic investment we need to sustain a healthy church planting movement across our diocese,” Kris says. 

Residencies don’t just benefit the diocese, though. They shape the culture of the individual churches themselves. 

“When we can resource our churches to train planters who understand how faith intersects with every dimension of community life, we’re setting them up to launch congregations that are both theologically grounded and deeply embedded in the neighborhoods they serve,” Kris says.

With the help of Made to Flourish, C4SO resources churches are serving as a training ground, preparing leaders to plant and guide healthy, holistic communities across the United States. That’s a win-win. 

“I’m so grateful for Made to Flourish’s partnership in forming C4SO’s next generation of church planters,” says Bishop Jeff. “If your congregation has a heart for raising up leaders and you’re wondering how to sustain that investment, I’d encourage you to explore what Made to Flourish offers. This kind of strategic partnership multiplies kingdom impact across our entire diocese and beyond.”

Made to Flourish plans to launch 26 new residencies in 2026. Curious about a partnership with Made to Flourish? Learn more.