Awakening moves at the pace of relationship. But how do we build the relational foundations Awakening demands—not just at conferences, but in the everyday work of local churches and ministries? These questions led to a brand new initiative: New Room Cohorts.

What are New Room Cohorts?

New Room Cohorts run from January to October, bringing together four groups of leaders: two cohorts for pastors, one for worship leaders, and one for young adult/student leaders.

Each cohort consists of around 15 participants, with two guides per cohort. 

This year, the 60 participants represent 55 churches and parachurch ministries across 20 states, spanning ages 18 to 77.

The cohorts meet twice a month via Zoom and gather in person three times a year in different cities.

Our First Meetup: New York City

The first city meetup of the year took place in January at Wellspring Church in New York City.

We spent time learning from Sam Gibson of Pray.NYC, a close friend of the New Room team, who shared insights on developing prayer room leadership, cultivating a culture of prayer, and revival readiness in the local church. Sam then joined JT Thomas, one of our cohort guides, for a conversation about contending in prayer for your city—why it matters and practical ways to engage.

The Wellspring Church staff also shared about their team culture and how they practice collaborative leadership and discernment in ministry. We closed our time with Rich Villodas, also a friend of New Room, who led a session on developing a rule of life. As a takeaway, participants were given a one-page assignment based on four key questions Rich provided:

• What spiritual disciplines do you need to anchor you in a life with God?
• What practices of self-care do you need to care for your body and nurture your soul?
• What core relationships do you need in this season to support you on your journey?
• What gifts, passions, and burdens has God placed within you for the blessing of others?

Participants will share their reflections on these questions with their cohort on their next call, using these answers as a foundation for their journey over the next 10 months.

Each segment of content was followed by 30-45 minutes of cohort conversation, allowing participants to engage deeply and pose a “burning question” to the presenter. Like many New Room gatherings, worship was dynamic and prayer ministry remained a constant thread throughout.

Learning, Laughing, Eating, and Storytelling

In the evenings, rather than structured content, each cohort set out into the city to share a meal, tell stories, laugh, pray, and build relationships. It was during these times that our team began to witness kindlings of the types of friendships which can sustain the long road of ministry.

Beyond gathering with their cohort, each participant is also placed in a discipleship band. Every cohort member received a copy of the The Awakening Library core learnings in print as a foundational resource for their journey.

A key aspect of the cohort experience is connecting participants with the broader communities that New Room has become intertwined with.

In addition to hearing from key contributors during cohort days, participants were invited to extend their stay for two extra nights to attend the Altars Conference, hosted by Church of the City NY and Pray.NYC. Around 60-70% of participants chose to stay, making the conference a powerful extension of their cohort experience.

Altars served as the perfect capstone to our NYC city meetup—reinforcing the content explored in the cohort, deepening relationships, and offering a space to worship and learn alongside a wider network of New Room friends and partners from across the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Australia.

Doing What Jesus Did with His Disciples

This is nothing new. Journeying with a small group of people in ministry was the way Jesus operated. Empowered by the spirit, the relational investment Jesus made in the 12 resulted in a movement that changed the world. 

For more information on New Room Cohorts, visit New Room Cohort Website.

How can you participate?

Pray – Pray for the journey ahead. Pray for these pastors and ministry leaders, for their relationships, and for what God is doing in their communities.

Invite – If you know someone who would benefit from this journey in 2026, encourage them to apply here: Apply Now.

Give – Many participants can only take part in the cohort because of partial or full scholarships provided by New Room. Your support of Seedbed helps make this possible and allows more leaders to be equipped for this vital ministry.

For the Awakening,