pastoral
residency
Deepen Your Ministry Formation
Discern Your Vocational Call
Develop Your Leadership Skills
What is it?
A 9-month apprenticeship at WestGate Church in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Commitment: 40 hours per week
Compensation: housing and $2,500 a month
Why a residency?
Just as medical students hone their craft in a clinical residency, pastors benefit from immersive training under skilled leaders. WestGate’s pastoral residency program combines hands-on ministry experience with intentional spiritual formation, helping you grow in both character and competence.
What you will experience:
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Whether you decide to pursue seminary, step into church ministry, or bring your formation back into another vocation, this residency will provide you with lasting skills for a lifetime of Christian service.
9-month immersion in a multi-congregational church
Explore and exercise your gifts by serving within a specific ministry department
5 Areas of Emphasis:
Worship
Kids
Next Gen
- Students
- College Age
Creative Engagement and Communications
Community, Prayer, and Pastoral Care
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You’ll engage in practices and studies that root your ministry in Christ.
Beginning with Belovedness
Embodied Prayer
Redemption History as the Metanarrative (Biblical Literacy)
Steward to Serve
Becoming Disciplemakers
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Emotional Intelligence
Time and Resource Management
Development and Strategic Planning
Communication Skills
Servant Leadership/Stewarding Influence
Why here?
Silicon Valley
At the epicenter of innovation, achievement, and cultural change, Silicon Valley is a unique place to serve the local church:
Tech giants like Apple, Google, and Meta stand alongside staggering levels of loneliness and anxiety.
Highest percentage of unchurched people in the u.s.
This residency invites you to practice the simple and steady way of Jesus in a region built on complexity and volatility. learn from church leaders working at the forefront of cultural change.
why westgate church?
WestGate has been serving Silicon Valley for over 3 decades, and is here to stay. We are a multi-congregational community of people learning and living the way of Jesus. Here, you’ll find:
Experiential Learning – hands-on opportunities in real ministry contexts
Mentorship – guidance and care from seasoned pastors and leaders
Collaborative Partners – connections with networks and ministries beyond our church
Pastoral Residency Team
Natalia Monaco
Natalia Monaco serves as the Director of the Pastoral Residency at WestGate Church, where she walks alongside emerging leaders as they discover what it means to follow Jesus in life and ministry. With a background in Bible and theology from Moody Bible Institute and Princeton Theological Seminary, she has led prayer and formation ministries across churches, universities, and mission contexts. Natalia is married to her best friend Jack and enjoy surfing, hiking, and reading.