Church Planting

cityview bible church

Planting healthy, reproducing churches through our Church Planting Residency

Our Calling

Cityview Bible Church is a third-generation church plant in the Association of Hill Country Churches (AHCC), a gospel-centered network committed to saturating Greater Austin with church-planting churches.

Our story is part of something bigger: God’s desire to reach every
person in Greater Austin and beyond with the good news of Jesus Christ. From the beginning, we have believed that the local church is God’s Plan A for making disciples, building communities of hope, and reaching the next generation. We don’t just want to plant churches, we are committed to planting church-planting churches that reproduce themselves and bring the gospel to new places.

Our Network

Our Multiplication Legacy

  • Directly planted multiple churches across Greater Austin.
  • Supported additional plants through people, finances, and coaching.
  • Invested in dozens of leaders who are making disciples and leading churches today.
  • Helped plant fourth-generation churches in our multiplying movement.

We are committed to reaching people, making disciples, and multiplying churches. Not just in
our generation, but for generations to come.

What makes Cityview’s approach distinct?

  • Over 17 years of planting experience and hard-earned wisdom.
  • Long-term coaching after the church is planted.
  • A thoughtful, residency-based model for developing healthy leaders.
  • A movement mindset — we plant churches that plant churches.
  • Deep relational mentoring for both planters and their families.

our church planting process

We walk with our planters every step of the way from calling to commissioning.

  • Pre-screening interview
  • Online assessments (calling, wiring, strengths)
  • Two-day in-person assessment with an experienced church planting team
  • Two-year program
  • Ministry experience and pastoral training
  • Relationship building with Cityview staff and elders
  • Evangelism, discipleship, and core team development
  • Commissioning from the mother church
  • Chartering the new church and forming leadership structures
  • Practice services and soft launch
  • Public launch and ministry kickoff
  • One year of weekly coaching
  • Personal support, accountability, and ongoing development
  • Focus on the leader’s health, team growth, and church sustainability

The Cityview Church Planting Residency

Our 2-year paid residency is designed to equip future church planters spiritually, relationally, and practically.

Year One:
Formation & Preparation

  • Personal and Family Development: Soul Care, Character Formation, Leadership
    Growth
  • AHCC & Cityview DNA: Philosophy, Theology, and Church Planting Strategy
  • Staff Role: 80% staff / 20% planter
  • Community Engagement: Networking, Evangelism, Initial Core Team Building

Year Two:
Launch Preparation

  • Planting Focus: 80% planter / 20% staff
  • Core Team Development
  • Evangelism & Pre-Launch Gatherings
  • Public Launch with the support of Cityview elders and AHCC leadership
  • Ongoing Coaching post-launch

Our Church Planting DNA

Here’s what makes Cityview’s plants unique:

Spirit and Truth

Biblically faithful and spiritually alive

Distinct and Contextual

Fits the cultural context but swims upstream

Old and Young

Building intergenerational community

Healing Hearts and Homes

Powerful recovery and marriage ministries

Justice and Evangelism

Serving the vulnerable and seeking the lost

Reach and Send

Reaching people and sending them out on mission

Excellence and Dependence

Our best work and total dependence on God

Unity and Diversity

Building unified, Christ-centered, multi-ethnic churches

Who we are looking for:

  • A clear call to plant a church
  • A passion for reaching Greater Austin
  • A character aligned with
    1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1
  • A heart to plant a church-planting church
  • Proven leadership and disciple-making capacity

Take your next step in planting a church

If you sense God stirring your heart for church planting, we would love to talk! Fill out this form to start the conversation.

Church Plant Resident Form


Contact:
Keith Ferguson, Lead Pastor
kferguson@cityviewbible.org