Ripe for Harvest

416 • R IPE FOR H ARVEST

Transition: Release the Church Exercise Guidelines

I. Definition: the final stage of church planting which focuses on empowering emerging leaders to oversee the affairs of the church for its own autonomy, transferring authority, and creating its own structures for financial independence. This stage celebrates the church’s maturity, finalizes its affiliation within an association or larger group or churches, and lays the foundations for reproduction of a new church plant. II. Purpose of the exercise: to brainstorm and discuss how you might: A. Commission the church to its mission in the world. B. Appoint elders and leaders, and enable the church to select and install the pastor. C. Finalize all infrastructure to ensure church independence and autonomy. D. Build and foster church affiliations and associations. IV. Question focus for your team’s dialogue in this exercise: A. Questions about incorporation and tax exemption B. Questions about affiliations and associations C. Questions transferring leadership to elders and pastor D. Questions about transfer of authority and nature of church’s leadership E. Questions about how church may continue to do mission and plant other churches III. Relationship to Parent-Child metaphor: Maturing to Adulthood

V. Cardinal virtue for TRANSITION phase: fostering dependence on the Spirit’s ability and direction.

VI. Critical vices for TRANSITION phase: A. Paternalism: patronizing the new leaders by waiting too long to release the church to their authority and leadership B. Accommodationism: ignoring the gap’s in leaders’ integrity and maturity, releasing the church to its own too quickly without proper investment.

Context Values/Vision

VII. The bottom line: Make all necessary preparation to pass the baton with confidence in the Spirit’s continued working.

Prepare Launch Assemble Nurture Transition Schedule/Charter