2027 Edinburgh Intensive Schedule
September TBD
The mornings will focus on the following topics. The afternoons will be spent interviewing local church planters.Day 1
September TBD
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Sashko and David
Brief introduction to the conference
Location:
Chalmers Hall, Edinburgh Theological Seminary
15 N Bank St, Edinburgh EH1 2LS -
Sashko Nezamutdinov
Perhaps no other topic apart from the gospel itself is so central to church planting as the art of contextualization. This ability to adapt the truth of the gospel to a sub-culture without over-adapting is essential if listeners are to “get it”. As soon as you choose a language to preach in and illustrations and humor, you've contextualized. You are closer to some people and farther from others. How far can you go with this and how to find the right balance without compromising the gospel?
Recommended Reading:
Center Church, part 3 (Chapters 7-10), Timothy Keller
Location:
Chalmers Hall, Edinburgh Theological Seminary
15 N Bank St, Edinburgh EH1 2LS -
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David Stoddard
This seminar walks through the full life cycle of a church plant—from the initial dream and strategic vision, through evangelism, leadership development, and public launch, to maturity and reproduction.
Drawing on biblical models and real-world examples from European church-planting contexts, we explore each phase with honest attention to where churches commonly stall or lose their sense of mission.
Participants will consider what it looks like to plant strategically rather than just conveniently, to prioritize gathering unbelievers rather than simply consolidating Christians, and to build a reproductive DNA into a church from day one—so that multiplication isn't a late-stage afterthought but a founding conviction.
Whether you’re in the early stages of dreaming about a plant or leading a church that has plateaued, this seminar offers both a diagnostic framework and a forward-looking vision for what healthy, multiplying churches can look like.
Location:
Chalmers Hall, Edinburgh Theological Seminary
15 N Bank St, Edinburgh EH1 2LS -
Lunch is on your own. We encourage you to go with other members of the collective.
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Colin is the planting pastor of Cornerstone Gilmerton.
Location:
Chalmers Hall, Edinburgh Theological Seminary
15 N Bank St, Edinburgh EH1 2LS
September TBD
Day 2
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Tom Muir
Training up future leaders is an essential part of the church planter’s work. This isn’t just a formal stage when the church particularises to ensure there are office bearers in place, but a constant in the church’s ethos.
We’ll consider…
Personal investment in people
Your church culture opportunities for ministry and mission
Leadership agility
The difference between skills and maturity
Recommended Reading:
“9 Ways to Raise Up Leaders in Your Church,” Mark Dever for The Gospel Coalition
Location:
Chalmers Hall, Edinburgh Theological Seminary
15 N Bank St, Edinburgh EH1 2LS -
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Derek Lamont
“The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.” If you are planting, your heart needs to be well planted!
Recommended Reading:
Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul David Tripp
Location:
Chalmers Hall, Edinburgh Theological Seminary
15 N Bank St, Edinburgh EH1 2LS -
Lunch is on your own. We encourage you to go with other members of the collective.
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Day 3 (in Glasgow for the day)
September TBD
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Robbie Sweet
In this session, we will consider why a healthy vision for NEXT generation ministry is not simply something for established churches to focus on. We will look at both the global realities that are impacting the next generation as well as look at ways our local churches can reach the young people in our communities. The next generation is a strategic people group to reach and our church plants are uniquely equipped to participate in the mission of reaching the nations and the next generation.
Recommended Reading:
Growing Young, by Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Brad Griffin
The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt
Mission NEXT, by Eric Larsen
Location:
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Andrew Lupton & Nate Taylor
So where do you start? And once the first steps in church-planting are taken, where do you go from there? In this seminar we will focus on defining the “big picture” and the life-cycle of a local church from its beginning to maturity.
Recommended Reading:
Authentic Ministry, Michael Reeves
Location:
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Lunch is on your own. We encourage you to go with other members of the collective.
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Day 4
September TBD
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Tom Muir
Preaching is saying what the Bible says, to point people to the saviour Jesus, in ways that locals can understand, depending on the Spirit to provoke heart change.
We will consider…
The importance of context alongside the unchanging gospel
Presentations of the gospel that resonate
How your church family makes use of preaching
How the planter depends on God
Recommended Reading:
Preaching: Communicating Faith in a Sceptical Age, Tim Keller
Location:
Chalmers Hall, Edinburgh Theological Seminary
15 N Bank St, Edinburgh EH1 2LS -
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Ali Sewell
In every church, discipleship is key as we want to grow more like Jesus. In this session, we'll think about how to encourage a culture of discipleship in a congregation right from the beginning, in which everyone is involved in the process.
Recommended Reading:
Discipling, Mark Dever
Location:
Chalmers Hall, Edinburgh Theological Seminary
15 N Bank St, Edinburgh EH1 2LS
September Intensive Info
Edinburgh, Scotland
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Anywhere near the seminary:
Edinburgh Theological Seminary
15 N Bank St, Edinburgh EH1 2LS, United Kingdom -
Chalmers Hall at Edinburgh Theological Seminary
15 N Bank St, Edinburgh EH1 2LS -
You can get a taxi, bus, or tram to Waverley Train Station. From there, it is typically an easy walk to lodging either in OId Town or New Town. Alternatively, you can take a taxi directly from the airport to your lodging.
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We ask that participants bring any snacks they want during the day. Lunch and dinner are on your own, or hopefully with others in the intensive.
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Please Google for the many yummy food choices in Edinburgh.
11 Fascinating things to do in Edinburgh via Visit Scotland