For Pastors

Pastor singles like it's the work it actually is.

The ValU pastor cohort is 8 weeks. You graduate with a curriculum, a framework, a mentor, and a network of pastors doing the same hard work in churches across the country.

Apply to the next cohort See cohort schedule

ValU certification

A real credential, earned over 8 weeks and carried into your church. Every certified pastor teaches under the same standard.

Why train with ValU

Four reasons pastors choose this cohort.

Curriculum already built

Twelve modules covering the framework, the practice, and the pastoral skill. You graduate with a curriculum you can teach Sunday One.

A cohort that becomes a network

Eight to twelve pastors going through it with you. The peer network outlasts the cohort. Two years in, your cohort is who you call when something hard happens.

A senior pastor in your corner

One-on-one mentorship with a ValU-certified senior pastor. Weekly office hours. The kind of guidance that's hard to find on your own.

A credential churches recognize

ValU certification is recognized across the partner network and signals to churches that you've done specific work in singles ministry. It opens doors.

The 8-week journey

Eight weeks, four stages.

1
Foundations of the standard
What ValU teaches, why it teaches it, and how it differs from what most singles ministries do. Set the frame before you teach the frame.
Weeks 1-2
2
Pastoring singles in practice
The specific pastoral skills singles ministry needs: holding space for grief, naming patterns gently, when to refer out. Real cases, not theory.
Weeks 3-4
3
Curriculum delivery
How to actually teach the Foundations course. Sermon prep, group facilitation, exercise design, member follow-up cadence.
Weeks 5-6
4
Launch readiness
Build your chapter launch plan with your mentor. Final certification review. Cohort graduation, kickoff of your first cycle.
Weeks 7-8

The curriculum

Twelve modules, every one tested.

The full module list. Each module pairs reading, a cohort session, an exercise, and a mentor check-in.

The Standard

What ValU means by value, alignment, leadership, understanding.

The Audience

Who singles ministry actually serves, and the failure modes when you get it wrong.

The Framework

The 12-week Foundations arc, module by module.

The Cohort Method

Why small groups work, how to run them, what to watch for.

Pastoring Patterns

Common patterns members bring in and how to pastor each.

Boundaries and Referral

When to handle in-house, when to refer to counseling or clinical care.

Teaching Self-Worth

The hardest module to teach well. Practice and feedback.

Connection Without Matchmaking

How to build member-to-member community without becoming a dating service.

Sermon Prep

The ValU sermon framework. Templates and examples.

Member Care at Scale

Tools, cadence, and tech for keeping up with growth.

Chapter Launch

First 90 days at your chapter. Order of operations.

The Network

How to plug into the broader ValU pastor community after certification.

Certified pastors

From the founding cohort.

“I came into the cohort thinking I knew singles ministry. By week three I realized I'd been teaching feel-good content for a decade. The framework gave me actual ground to stand on.”

Pastor Renee Carter

ValU Long Island, Class of 2026

“The mentor relationship is the part you can't replicate elsewhere. Having a senior pastor who's been in it walk me through my first launch was worth the entire cohort price by itself.”

Pastor Devon Hayes

ValU Orlando, Class of 2026

“My cohort is still my group text two years later. We swap sermons, vent about hard pastoral moments, and trade resources weekly. That community is permanent now.”

Pastor Marcus Williams

ValU Brooklyn, Class of 2026

Pastor quotes are composite from the founding cohort. Real attributions added as each pastor opts in.

The next cohort

September 2026

Applications close August 15, 2026.

Cohort size

8 to 12 pastors per cohort

Limited intentionally so mentor relationships stay meaningful.

Tuition

$2,400, paid before week 1

Tuition shown is illustrative. Final pricing announced at application open.

Apply now See cohort schedule

FAQ

Common questions from applicants.

$2,400 for the full 8-week cohort, paid by the pastor or sponsored by their church. Pricing shown is illustrative; final tuition is set when applications open for each cohort cycle. Partner-church pastors receive a network discount.

Continue exploring

What else to know.

Where you'll teach

Where the standard is taught

The founding chapter at Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn. New chapters open as churches license, and each one needs a singles pastor.

Talk to your church

How churches license ValU

If your church is considering ValU, here's what they get and how the licensing tiers work. Send this to your senior pastor.

Network events

Standards Live and the pastor network

Pastors-in-training join the network conference cycle. Real, in-person community with the rest of the cohort.

Apply

Step into the work. Apply to the cohort.

Applications take about 20 minutes. We review each personally and respond within two weeks. Cohorts run twice a year.

For pastors and aspiring pastors. ValU certification is a real credential, not a certificate-of-completion.

Cohort application

Applications open by message while the cohort is small. Include four things and we can move straight to review:

1.Your current church or ministry, and your city
2.Years in a pastoral or ministry role
3.Why singles ministry, in a few sentences
4.The cohort start date you're applying for