A Christian Leadership Program in Austin That Builds Your Career and Your Calling Together
Seven months. A 2 day opening retreat, six monthly classes, and 12 one on one coaching sessions with a Christian executive coach. The Founding Cohort begins in April 2027 and is limited to 20 leaders.
The program at a glance
- Starts
- April 2027 [EXACT START DATE]
- Opening retreat
- Austin area [RETREAT VENUE], lodging and meals included
- Format
- In person in Austin, with a virtual option for monthly classes
- Length
- Seven months
- Cohort size
- Limited to 20 participants
- Investment
- $3,000, paid in two installments
Built from the lessons Christian leaders wish they had learned sooner
Most leadership programs start with a framework. This one started with a question.
We asked senior Christian executives, leaders whose careers have been marked by Kingdom impact, to answer it honestly:
What do you wish you had known, or had someone teach you, when you were in your 20s and 30s?
More than two dozen responded, most with over 25 years in the marketplace. They include CEOs, founders, managing partners, nonprofit presidents, and executive coaches. They wrote candidly about their mistakes, their regrets, and what carried them through. Our founder has also talked with dozens more leaders over the years about this very topic.
Their answers shaped everything you see on this page. They told us to settle who you are before you chase what you do. They told us to find mentors and peers before you think you need them. Many learned humility the hard way, through failure, a layoff, or a costly mistake, and wished someone had taught it earlier. And they said faith has to show up in daily decisions, not only on Sunday.
You will still have to live your own story. But you can skip years of misfires, and you can learn from people who have already walked the road.
The wisdom in this program belongs to the leaders who shared it. Emergent Execs built the structure to pass it on.
Half spiritual formation. Half executive development. Both taken seriously.
Most programs pick a side. Some give you leadership skills and leave your faith at the door. Others give you spiritual depth and never touch the pressures of a real organization.
The Christian Executive Accelerator is built on a 50/50 balance. About half the curriculum is spiritual formation, and about half is hard executive development. You will not find faith lite executive training here, and you will not find a content lite devotional experience either.
You are being prepared to lead well and to follow Jesus well, in the same rooms, on the same Monday.
What the program includes
A 2 day opening retreat
Three sessions that set the foundation. You will explore who you are before what you do, how your faith and your work fit together, and the character everything else rests on. This is also where your cohort forms, you agree on a cohort covenant, and your coaching relationship begins. Lodging and meals are included.
Six monthly classes
Each month alternates between spiritual formation and executive development. Every class features a Christian executive in a fireside conversation, sharing a real story, including failures and moments when faithfulness cost them something. Between classes, you complete practical assignments that put the material to work in your actual job.
You can attend classes virtually if you need to. We strongly encourage you to be there in person. The relationships your cohort builds in the room are a large part of what this program does.
12 one on one coaching sessions
Twice a month, you meet with a seasoned Christian executive coach. Your coach helps you apply what you are learning, build a personal development plan, and pay attention to your spiritual health along the way, not just your performance.
Leadership assessment and 360 feedback
You will see yourself clearly, through your own results and through the eyes of the people you work with. Your coach helps you turn the feedback into specific next steps.
A closing event
In month seven, the cohort gathers to reflect, measure growth, and celebrate. Each participant shares a personal testimony of what the program meant and how they have changed.
Nine sessions shaped by what Christian executives wish they had known earlier
Opening retreat
- Spiritual Identity: Who You Are Before What You Do
- Spiritual Calling: Integrating Faith and Work
- Character: The Foundation Everything Rests On
Monthly classes
- Month 1, Executive: Leading People with Emotional Intelligence
- Month 2, Spiritual: Spiritual Disciplines for Ambitious People
- Month 3, Executive: Influencing the Organization with Vision and Strategy
- Month 4, Executive: Making Great Decisions: Wisdom, Risk, and Gray Areas
- Month 5, Spiritual: Failure, Resilience, and Growing Through Hard Seasons
- Month 6, Executive: The Influential Executive: Presence, Communication, and Legacy
Is this program right for you?
This program is built for professionals in their 20s and 30s who have at least two years of management experience and are headed toward director, VP, or C-suite roles. You are ambitious and serious about your career. You also feel the pull between what you believe on Sunday and what you face on Monday, and you want your ambition shaped by something more than the next performance review.
It is probably not the right fit if you are looking for a casual Bible study, a networking mixer, or a program that treats faith as an optional extra.
Coached and taught by Christian executives with decades in the marketplace
Your one on one coach and your monthly guest speakers are seasoned Christian leaders who have carried real responsibility in real organizations. They have made the hard calls, lived with the results, and kept their faith through all of it.
Our roster includes:
- CEOs who have built and led companies
- Managing partners from investment and advisory firms
- Senior leaders from global technology companies
- A nonprofit president who leads at scale
- Executive coaches who have spent careers developing senior leaders
The program comes from Emergent Execs, a leadership development company with 18 years of experience that has trained thousands of emerging managers and leaders in hundreds of companies. That experience shapes how this program is run: serious structure, real coaching, and measurable growth.
$3,000 for the full seven months
Your investment covers:
- The opening retreat, including lodging and meals
- Six monthly classes
- 12 one on one coaching sessions
- Your leadership assessment and 360 feedback
- The closing event
How payment works: Two installments of $1,500. The first is due before the opening retreat. The second is due at the midpoint of the program, on [MIDPOINT PAYMENT DATE].
Many participants pay for this personally. Others ask their company to cover it as a leadership development expense. If you go that route, we will gladly provide a short overview you can share with your manager or HR team.
We do not want cost to be the only reason the right person misses this program. If that is your situation, tell us.
Questions about the Christian Executive Accelerator
- How was this program designed?
- It was built from the answers of more than two dozen senior Christian executives, most with over 25 years in the marketplace, who told us what they wish they had known in their 20s and 30s, along with dozens of conversations our founder has had with other leaders over the years. Emergent Execs, a leadership development company with 18 years of experience, built the structure around their wisdom.
- When does the program start, and where is it held?
- The Founding Cohort begins in April 2027 [EXACT START DATE] in the Austin area, with a 2 day in person opening retreat at [RETREAT VENUE].
- How long is the program?
- Seven months, from the opening retreat through the closing event.
- How many people will be in the cohort?
- The Founding Cohort is limited to 20 participants, so the experience stays personal and every participant gets real attention from their coach.
- Can I attend classes virtually?
- Yes. Monthly classes have a virtual option. We strongly encourage in person attendance, because the relationships you build in the room are a large part of the program.
- What does the $3,000 include, and how do I pay?
- It covers the opening retreat with lodging and meals, six monthly classes, 12 coaching sessions, your assessment and 360 feedback, and the closing event. Meals at the monthly classes are not included. You pay in two installments of $1,500: one before the retreat and one at the midpoint of the program.
- What is the time commitment?
- Each month includes one class and two coaching sessions, plus practical assignments you complete in your own work between sessions. The opening retreat is a 2 day commitment at the start.
- Do I need to work in ministry or serve in a church leadership role?
- No. The program is designed for marketplace leaders in corporate and professional roles. Your workplace is where this program is meant to be applied.
- Is this a church or denominational program?
- No. It is a Christian leadership development experience led by Christian executives and open to believers from many church backgrounds.
- Can my employer pay for it?
- Yes. Many companies cover leadership development for emerging leaders. We can provide a short overview for your manager or HR team.
Be part of the Founding Cohort
Twenty leaders will go through the first Christian Executive Accelerator in April 2027. Join the interest list and you will be among the first to hear when applications open.