CPS Process

The Transition Phase

The sixth and final phase in the Church Planting Stewardship process is the Transition Phase. The activities of this phase are often overlooked in church planting models because they have less to do with planting a church than they do with guiding a congregation through the process from being a church plant to being a full-fledged, self- sufficient congregation. Excluding these activities from church planting models leads to avoidable conflicts and complications, including a congregation remaining dependent upon its sponsoring agency for financial support long after it has completed its church planting activities and has become an established congregation. The transition from church plant to independent congregation requires intentional actions. The primary objective of the Transition Phase is to successfully complete all the work necessary to establish a congregation through a given church planting model and end the church planting process. The desired outcome of completing the church planting effort is an independent and self- sustaining congregation (ideally, one that is capable of directly or indirectly supporting the planting of additional churches).