Immerse was founded in 2023 by staff and members of The Church at Rock Creek who shared a passion to equip everyday believers for the discipleship process better. Born out of the desire to see believers grow spiritually and confidently lead others to do the same, Immerse exists to empower followers of Jesus to live as effective disciple-makers in their daily lives.
Immerse was founded in 2023 by staff and members of The Church at Rock Creek who shared a passion to equip everyday believers for the discipleship process better. Born out of the desire to see believers grow spiritually and confidently lead others to do the same, Immerse exists to empower followers of Jesus to live as effective disciple-makers in their daily lives.
Immerse was founded in 2023 by staff and members of The Church at Rock Creek who shared a passion to equip everyday believers for the discipleship process better. Born out of the desire to see believers grow spiritually and confidently lead others to do the same, Immerse exists to empower followers of Jesus to live as effective disciple-makers in their daily lives.
Each September, a 9-month class begins that will equip students in the subjects like the Gospel, the Bible, How to Study the Bible, Defending the Bible, and a Biblical Worldview. Each 90-minute class will be led by a pastor at Rock Creek or a guest speaker who is an expert on that course of study.
This program is designed for young adults who sense a calling to ministry and are looking to gain valuable ministry experience serving in various ministry roles in a real-world church setting. Each resident will serve in a year long program under a ministry mentor where they'll get hands-on experience in a variety of ministry roles.
What is Immerse?
Immerse is a multi-faceted discipleship program with two strategic components:
Immerse Discipleship Institute
A 9-month, class-based program designed to equip believers with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to become effective disciple-makers in everyday life.
Immerse Ministry Residency
A year-long, hands-on residency that provides a broad, whole-church ministry experience, preparing participants for full-time vocational ministry roles.
Whether you're called to lead in your workplace, your community, or the local church, Immerse exists to help you grow in your faith and multiply your impact.
OUR FACULTY
FACULTY AND STAFF
Greg Kirksey
Greg Kirksey
Immerse Institute Chancellor
Immerse Institute Instructor
Shannon Wilson
Immerse Institute Administrative Assistant
Curtis Coleman
Dean of Academics
Immerse Institute Instructor
Cary Shillcutt
Dean for Student Services
Immerse Institute Instructor
Dr. Ron Lindo
Immerse Institute Instructor
Jason Curry
Immerse Institute Instructor
Dr. Ron Davis
Immerse Institute Instructor
Dr. Brian Mashburn
Immerse Institute Instructor
Immerse Institute Instructor
Mark Evans
Why Immerse Exists
Discipleship is not a one-size-fits-all process, and for many churches, it's a significant challenge. Within every congregation, believers are at different stages in their spiritual journey. Some are new to the faith, while others have been walking with Christ for decades. So, how do you effectively equip such a wide range of people to grow as disciples—and to multiply that process with others?
That was the challenge we faced—and we knew we needed a solution.
At the same time, we recognized another growing need: raising up and mentoring the next generation of church leaders. Too often, college and seminary graduates were stepping into ministry roles with plenty of head knowledge, but very little practical, hands-on experience. This lack of preparation led to burnout, high turnover rates, understaffed churches, and many walking away from ministry altogether.
As these challenges came into focus, God was already at work assembling a uniquely gifted team within The Church at Rock Creek. This group brought a rich background in Christian education, apologetics, preaching, and biblical worldview development. Together, they began meeting in 2023 to prayerfully explore solutions, dreaming, brainstorming, and building the foundation for what would become Immerse.
Vision Moving Forward
Immerse was created to address both sides of the challenge: to equip everyday believers to grow as disciple-makers, and to mentor and develop future ministry leaders with practical, whole-church experience.
But we believe the work is far from over.
Our vision for Immerse is expansive. We desire to see this program become a resource for other churches, helping congregations everywhere develop active, confident disciples of Jesus. In the future, we also envision expanding the residency program to serve smaller, struggling churches, giving ministry students rich, hands-on opportunities while breathing new life into local congregations.
We believe the church is at its best when disciples are growing, leaders are being equipped, and the next generation is empowered for the work ahead. Immerse exists to help make that vision a reality.