Seasons of Church Planting: Navigating the Journey from Vision to Maturity
Planting a church is one of the most rewarding and challenging endeavors in ministry. It’s a calling that blends vision, faith, and perseverance. It’s also a journey marked by distinct seasons. Each phase of church planting comes with unique opportunities, pressures, and decisions that shape the long-term health of the church.
Here, Rev. Earl Brubaker outlines the natural progression that most new churches experience, from the initial spark of vision to the challenges of launching, the struggles of the reality check and discouragement phases, and ultimately, the renewed strength that comes through recommitment, growth, and maturity.
Whether you are a church planter, a sending church, or part of a core team, understanding these phases can help you anticipate challenges, celebrate milestones, and stay grounded in God’s calling. Above all, this journey reminds us of our dependence on Christ — the One who promised, “I will build my church.”
Phases of Church Planting
By Rev. Earl Brubaker
Visionary phase — seeing the need of a new church & core group development (up to one year)
Unchurched community
Underchurched community
Unhealthy church community
Unreached community
Launching phase — just beginning, everything is new and challenging, energy is high. People are very engaged and excited, new people are checking you out, God is answering prayer (lasts from 6 months to 2 years)
Reality Check phase – Growth is slower than expected (true in 99% of church plants), finances are a struggle, core group becomes restless, some, (including original leaders), may leave.
Discouragement phase – Question the wisdom of the project (lasts from a few weeks to a few months. If it goes on for a year, the church will probably die).
Recommitment phase – Examine foundations, progress or lack thereof, present state of things, and make a commitment to and set goals for long term church planting ministry.
Every member a ministry participant
Every member an careful steward
Every member prayerful
Every member a wise visionary
Every member doing the work of an evangelist
Growth and Development phase — this is where the real work of most church planting takes place. Depending upon the community it can go on for many years. With some exceptions, a church plant that has not achieved stability and significant progress in 8 years will probably remain a small, struggling church throughout the next decade.
Pray – Jesus said He would build His church — therefore pray. Every new believer is the result of the miraculous, life giving work of the Holy Spirit. Every growing church has seen the miraculous intervention of the Lord of the church at some time in its development.
Plod – Don’t become weary in well-doing.
Preach the Word
Pastor the flock
Prepare for (facilitate) ministry
Maturity phase – this looks different for each church. Some churches maintain effective, solo pastor ministry for years. Some become multiple staff churches with a wide influence. Some become mega-churches. There is no one “right” model for this.