Ripe for Harvest

S ESSION 4: N URTURE AND T RANSITION • 417

Transition: Release the Church Exercise Instructions

I. Open in prayer, committing your time to the Lord and seeking his wisdom.

II. Read through, and discuss the following documents (on the following pages): A. The Self-Governing Seven: Central Principles for the Transition Phase B. Transition, Michael Freeman III. Talk through your views on each of the TRANSITION questions. A. Think in terms of the entire church plant. B. Discuss the ideas for no longer than 15 minutes. Anything taking longer than 15 minutes should be tabled and brought up later. Keep it moving.

IV. From your discussion questions, develop goals (measurable, due date, person responsible to see it gets done) to support your decisions (20 min.).

V. One hour before the exercise is done, stop what you are doing and commit at least 30 minutes to prayer, focusing on this phase of the church plant effort.

VI. Presentations

Refer to Planting Churches among the City’s Poor: An Anthology of Urban Church Planting Resources , “The Church and State” for helpful guidelines on legal matters.

Main Points for TRANSITION 1. Commission faithful indigenous leaders to be deacons, elders, and pastors. 2. Formally recognize the church to be an independent/interdependent assembly, functioning as a full member of a self-governing, self supporting, and self-reproducing association of like-minded churches.

Context Values/Vision

Prepare Launch Assemble Nurture Transition Schedule/Charter