North West Leadership Academy Launch

Sunday 13 September 2026 4pm
Bendigo Baptist Church, Junortoun

Maybe it’s you.

The next pastoral leaders for regional Victoria are already here.

Found here. Formed here. Sent from here.

You might be twenty, already leading a ministry and wondering if there is more. You might be forty, with a trade or a career behind you and a quiet sense that God is turning you toward something else. You may not have the words for it yet. This is an invitation to find them, in good company, close to home.

Come and hear more about the North West Leadership Academy, launching in 2027 — a two-year, regional pathway for the next generation of pastoral leaders in North West Victoria.

Whether you’re already sensing a call, walking alongside someone who is, or simply curious about what’s coming, you’re welcome. There’ll be a chance to hear the vision firsthand, meet the team, and ask your questions over afternoon tea.

Bendigo Baptist Church at 4pm. Please register below for catering purposes.

What is the North West Leadership Academy?

• What you’d do- One day a month the cohort gathers: worship and prayer, honest space to share, a focused input on character, life and leadership, lunch together, and an afternoon with a guest who knows the ground. Between gatherings you are coached, and you keep serving in your own church. The cohort teaches the cohort. You will not sit at the back.
• Who it’s for – The younger leader already serving, and the career changer sensing a turn. You do not need to have it all worked out. You need to be willing to be formed.
• Formation, then a pathway – Who you are becoming, first of all, before what you can do. From there many move into pastoral placement, and the two years can be recognised toward the discernment year in the BUV ordination pathway.
• Two years, close to home – Beginning in 2027, based out of Bendigo. Regional, so no need to move. Monthly gatherings, coaching and placement. Your church shares the cost, and where study is accredited it can draw on existing pathways.
• Start with a conversation – With your pastor, or with us. If it fits, the way in is simple: application, interview, and a covenant to show up and take part.