NOW ENROLLING · FALL 2026 COHORT
Ascend
A leadership and church development cohort for new pastors — walking the first, hardest years of ministry alongside someone who has already built what you are building.
WHY ASCEND
Nobody prepares you for year two.
Seminary teaches you to preach. It does not teach you what to do when giving drops, when a founding volunteer leaves, or when you realize you have not had a day off in eleven weeks.
Ascend grows out of Pastor Andy's own experience founding World Overcomers Christian Church from nothing in 2003 — and the same heart that led him to start OCF, a fellowship of pastors and church leaders.
This is not a recorded course. It is a small room of pastors in the same season, meeting monthly with someone who has already made the mistakes you are about to make.
“I came in thinking I needed a growth strategy. What I actually needed was someone to tell me the exhaustion was normal and fixable. That changed everything about how I lead.”
— Marcus Whitfield
Lead Pastor, Cornerstone Fellowship · Charlotte, NC
THE CURRICULUM
Six months, six problems
Each month tackles one thing new pastors consistently get stuck on.
Leading yourself first
Rhythms, boundaries, and building a pace you can hold for a decade.
Building your first real team
Recruiting, delegating, and letting go of what you built alone.
Money and the church
Budgeting, generosity culture, and talking about giving without flinching.
Preaching that holds up weekly
A sustainable prep system for 40+ messages a year.
Conflict and hard conversations
Handling criticism, staff exits, and the people who leave loudly.
Your next three years
Vision, growth structure, and what you build after survival mode.
APPLY
Start your application
Ascend is capped at eight pastors per cohort to keep the room close. Applications are reviewed personally.
What happens next: Pastor Andy's team reviews your application within a week, then schedules a short call before offering a seat.
Tell us about your event
Every request is read personally.