Here Are Our Trainings

Trainings

CI Training was created for those who are rethinking church according to Scripture

What is Church Intensive?

The Church Intensive exists to catalyze Christ exalting, simple, faithful, resilient churches.

Overflowing from Francis Chan’s passionate pursuit of the vision for the church we see in Scripture, the Church Intensive began in 2017 as a training for pastors, leaders, and church-planters to “rethink church” alongside some of the elders of We Are Church in San Francisco. We learned over the years that there is a deep need for more than one training, so Church Intensive has expanded to try to better support church leaders and planters around the world.

Our Church Intensive training is what we have been teaching since the founding of CI in 2017, with various things we’ve learned along the way spiced in. It serves a few purposes:
  1. A paradigm shift. During this training we take a fresh look at the Scriptures to better answer this question: “What does God want of His church and how do we live/lead in light of it?” We also discuss many of the lessons learned within We Are Church’s methods.
  2. Access to resources afterwards. After the training, alumni are invited into various forms of ongoing resources for the purpose of continued inspiration and training in pursuing this vision for the church.
  3. An entry point into deeper relationships. For those who feel led to pursue this vision for the church, we believe it is so important to be connected with others for mutual learning and encouragement. We have created the CI Fellowship for the purpose of ongoing training, encouragement, fellowship, etc. All CI Alumni are invited into the CI Fellowship.

It is important to note also what the Intensive training does not do.

  • It does not join you into the We Are Church network.
  • It does not provide covering or spiritual oversight, which we believe is the responsibility of the local church.
  • It does not condone division in the local church. We do not want any of these resources to be used to create any division.

What if I just want to check it out?

For those who are wanting to simply "check things out," we encourage you to engage with our free materials online, as the CI Trainings are for those who are desiring to take this training and put it into practice within a local church context. Our hope is that our free content on Youtube and Facebook will help those who don’t qualify for our CI Trainings.

Upcoming Trainings

We offer one-day and online training options to fit different needs and schedules. We also offer a three-day immersive training for leaders who are already leading, or are preparing to plant a church.While there is a suggested donation for the training, we are committed to making it accessible to everyone. Financial limitations should not prevent anyone from participating.

In-Person Trainings

Our 1-day training is designed for those currently serving in some form of church leadership, as well as anyone exploring the possibility of leading—a small, simple gathering. This training includes a full day of teaching and Q&A with one or more Elders of WAC. (Suggested donation $75)
Our 3-day training is for practitioners and those preparing to plant. (Suggested donation $175)

April 12, 2026

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April 14, 2026

San Francisco Area Three- day Immersive

This training is for practitioners and those preparing to plant

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April 19, 2026

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April 21, 2026

Detroit Three-Day Immersive

This training is for practitioners and those preparing to plant.

Apply Now

May 17, 2026

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May 19, 2026

Cleveland Three-Day Immersive

This training is for practitioners and those preparing to plant.

Apply Now

May 23, 2026

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May 23, 2026

Puerto Rico One-Day Training

Our 1-day training is designed for those currently serving in some form of church leadership, as well as anyone exploring the possibility of leading—a small, simple gathering. This training includes a full day of teaching and Q&A with one or more Elders of WAC. (Suggested donation $20)

Apply Now

May 23, 2026

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23 de Mayo: Intensivo Puerto Rico

Esta formación de un día de duración está dirigida tanto a profesionales en activo como a quienes se encuentran en proceso de discernimiento.

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June 7, 2026

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June 9, 2026

Nashville Three-Day Immersive

This training is for practitioners and those preparing to plant.

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June 27, 2026

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June 27, 2026

Oklahoma City One-Day Training

This training is for both practitioners and those in the process of discerning. It includes full day of teaching and Q & A with one or more Elders of WAC

Apply Now

August 30, 2026

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September 1, 2026

Memphis Three-Day Immersive

This training is for practitioners and those preparing to plant.

Apply Now

Online Training

This introductory training is designed for those who are currently in, or aspiring to be in, some form of church leadership. The training begins with a 1-hour introductory Zoom call at the start of the month, followed by approximately 2 hours of video content per week, completed on a set schedule with cohort-based interaction, and culminates in a 4-hour Zoom call with WAC Elders for questions and dialogue. (Suggested Donation $50)

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May 7, 2026

May 28, 2026

May Online Training

Introductory Zoom Call May 7th 1-2pm PST; Culmination Discussion Call May 28th 8:30am-12:30pm PST

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June 4, 2026

June 25, 2026

June Online Training

Introductory Zoom Call June 4th 1-2pm PST; Culmination Discussion Call June 25th 8:30am-12:30pm PST

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Entrenamiento en español

April 23, 2026

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23 de abril de 2026 Formación online en español

Esta capacitación está dirigida tanto a practicantes como a quienes están en proceso de discernimiento. Incluye contenido en video, así como una videollamada con los ancianos de WAC para preguntas y diálogo. 4pm-7pm PST

Apply Now

Our Online Labs are for both practitioners and those in the process of discerning. It includes video content as well as a Zoom call with WAC Elders for questions and dialogue. (Suggested donation $50)

Questions About Church Intensive?

Other

Resources

Not able to make it to an in person training? Check out all of our resources that we have available online!

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