Ripe for Harvest

S ESSION 4: N URTURE AND T RANSITION • 419

Transition: Release the Church Exercise Questions

In order to answer these questions correctly and accurately, you will need to be careful you understand the nature of your plant regarding the future leadership and oversight of the church . For instance, if you are a cross-cultural church plant team, you will need to focus on what steps you will take to ensure that indigenous leaders will take over responsibility for the church in a timely, smooth, and conflict-free manner. If you intend, however, in leading the church once it is planted, the questions will require an entirely different approach focusing on how you will establish a strong leadership team to take on the task of leading and feeding the church, and preparing for its future growth. Whatever your call is, make certain you understand it clearly before you address these questions, and develop your plan to ensure the future of your newly planted assembly. 1. Should we encourage the new church to incorporate? Why or why not? 2. Will we seek tax-exempt status (501[c][3])? 3. How will we transition church finance duties from the church plant team to the leaders of the church? 4. What church affiliations and associations will we encourage the new church to pursue? 5. How will pastoral selection take place? 6. How will we know when the church is ready for church planters to transition from the leadership of the church? What criteria will we use? 8. Will some church planters transition earlier than others? Why would we consider phasing out some rather than all at once? 9. If phasing out is chosen, at what junctures will the planters transfer? 10. How will formal church leadership be commissioned? (See Planting Churches among the City’s Poor: An Anthology of Urban Church Planting Resources for a sample Elders Commissioning service). 11. How will we recognize, commission, and celebrate other key leaders in the body (e.g., teachers, worship leaders, youth leaders)? 12. Who needs to know the results of our plan and how do we communicate them?

Context Values/Vision

Prepare Launch Assemble Nurture Transition Schedule/Charter