How long will the transition take?

We're sailing out into uncharted waters, so this is a tough question to answer. Here's our initial plan (and this is certainly subject to change):

• Clustering to address key issues (4 weeks--April 1, 15, 22, 29): Starting Sunday, April 1, we will continue meeting as a large church each Sunday. We will, however, use our time differently than we have in the past. Instead of a sermon, we will cluster up into our new churches and spend that time discussing and brainstorming on 1-2 issues each church will face when the transition is complete and they're meeting in homes. These issues include location and time for each church's Sunday meeting, solutions for children, Lord's Supper, prayer, community (i.e. fellowship), discussion facilitation during the teaching time, offering, and miscellaneous stuff (music, meals, etc.).
• Network Celebration "dress rehearsal" (1 week--April 8): Easter is April 8. We will use that Sunday as a "dress rehearsal" for what our monthly network celebration may be like.
• Micro-church "dress rehearsal" (1 week--May 6): After the above two steps, we will get together as a large group, but each church will get a chance to practice. They will go off to an area by themselves and, for the first time, experience church together--they'll do their own Lord's Supper time, they'll pray together, take up their own offering, etc. The only time together will be the teaching time, but they'll discuss that in their group.
• Micro-churches meet on their own (1 week--May 13): After the above step, each micro-church will be on their own to experience church together. Honestly, this first meeting will feel a little strange, and that's OK!
• Clustering to address questions raised from the first week together (1 week--May 20): After the churches meet in their respective locations for the first time, we'll get back together the next week to address issues that may have come up. We'll brainstorm together for solutions, share some stories (good and bad!), and prepare to do it all again.
• Micro-churches meet on their own (1 week--May 27): Each micro-church will meet on Sunday again and experience church together, using the knowledge gained from clustering together the week before to make for a better experience.
• First Official Network Celebration (1 week--June 3): We'll gather for our first official monthly network celebration. We'll share stories, celebrate what God is doing, and encourage each other as we go out to be the church! The next week, June 10, the network will start meeting together.
• Transition completed: The network now goes into their neighborhoods to be the church, to be Jesus in their own backyard!

Again, this schedule is subject to change! We'll continue to pray for God to guide us through this transition, and if He guides us to make changes, we'll follow what He's doing.