Equipping Presbyterian leaders to launch thriving new worshiping communities
Pathways to Flourishing program launches new cohorts for mid councils
“It’s gatherings like this, where you get together with the people who think like you, who understand ministry like you do, who know that there's a lot of people out there who need to hear about Jesus, but in a very different way, and it's good to be together,” said Mindy Heimer, co-founder of A Stoked Life, a new worshiping community in Denver Presbytery.
Heimer and Nathan, her partner in life and ministry, were among 150 new worshiping leaders who attended the 1001 New Worshiping Communities national gathering in October 2025. The gathering was an opportunity for the staff of the 1001 New Worshiping Communities movement to offer support on a national scale to leaders the innovative evangelists, faithful nonprofit incubators and church planters.
Throughout the year, 1001 New Worshiping Communities supports leaders within its movement in a myriad of other ways.
One of these ways is the Pathways to Flourishing program designed for mid councils. The program is a comprehensive initiative designed to equip, support and resource New Worshipping Communities leaders with essential skills for starting, sustaining and growing new worshiping communities. Over the past three years, five cohorts comprising leaders from nearly 20 presbyteries have launched under the guidance of 1001 NWC regional associates the Rev. Shawn Kang and the Rev. Dr. Gad Mpoyo.
The program addresses a critical gap many church planters face, supporting them with skills development, community of peers, and ongoing coaching through a system of 1001 cohorts and trained coaches. The first wave of the program launched cohorts within partner presbyteries, fostering a culture of innovation and support inside mid councils as they face widespread changes and look for new ways to evangelize and launch faith communities.
“The Pathways program is meant for presbyteries, mid councils, and supporters to create ecosystems of innovation that allow NWCs to find their footing and thrive,” said Mpoyo.
“Many leaders are called to start new worshiping communities but lack training in the practical aspects of growing an organization in partnership with mid councils,” said Kang. “Pathways to Flourishing provides the tools they need to build communities that don't just survive but truly thrive.”
The program offers both online courses and in-person learning experiences covering crucial topics including financial management, legal structures, fundraising strategies, team building and organizational development. Participants learn to navigate the complexities of establishing nonprofits, managing budgets, building effective teams and creating sustainable funding models.
Unlike traditional seminary education, which focuses primarily on theological formation and pastoral care, Pathways to Flourishing concentrates on the entrepreneurial and administrative competencies essential for launching new ministries in contemporary contexts.
A virtual kickoff billed as an “Ask Me Anything” meeting will take place Feb. 11, providing an accessible introduction to the program and its resources.
The program targets leaders at various stages of their church-planting journey, from those exploring a call to start new communities to those already leading emerging congregations seeking to strengthen their organizational foundations.
In October 2025, 1001 New Worshiping Communities held a national gathering for their leaders. The gathering was centered around restoration through rest and community. The Rev. Pepa Paniagua, founder of Kin-dom Camp, an LGBTQIA+-friendly new worshiping community in Texas and current staff member of Grace Presbytery directing the Innovation for New Ministry initiative, appreciated the time away with other new worshiping leaders. “I joke that I spend a lot of energy pushing the door open so that others can go through it,” Paniagua said about the way her work has evolved since founding a new worshiping community and transitioning to help mid councils support others in the work of tent-making. For over a year, Paniagua has been a part of a Pathways to Flourishing cohort that has included leaders from the Presbyteries of South Louisiana, Western North Carolina and Giddings-Lovejoy as well as her own Grace Presbytery.
Pathways to Flourishing represents 1001 New Worshiping Communities’ continued commitment to supporting innovative expressions of church across the PC(USA). Since its inception, the 1001 movement has helped launch hundreds of diverse worshiping communities, from urban café churches to rural community gardens, and from recovery ministries to online faith gatherings.
By equipping leaders with practical organizing acumen alongside their theological training, the program aims to increase the success rate and longevity of new worshiping communities, ensuring they have solid foundations for long-term ministry impact.
Registration information and additional details about Pathways to Flourishing are available through 1001 New Worshiping Communities' website and by contacting Kang and Mpoyo. and by contacting 1001 NWC regional coordinators, the Revs. Shawn Kang and Gad Mpoyo.
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