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The Adulthood of a Congregation Overview This article explores the fifth of ten stages of development in the life cycle and stages of congregational development: Adulthood. The ten stages are grouped into five phases. Phase Three: Prime/Plateau involves seven to nine years of the life of a congregation. It includes the stages of Adulthood and Maturity. To understand the Adulthood stage appropriately it is necessary to look at the transition from the Adolescence stage, understand the place of the organizing principles in the Adulthood stage, review the characteristics of this stage, and determine how a congregation makes the passage to the Maturity stage. How Does a Congregation Make the Passage to Adulthood? When a congregation is about eighteen to twenty-two years old, it begins to move forward with increased certainty and ease. If the formalizing of the management systems has occurred in an empowering and non-disruptive manner, then the congregation is operating with increased efficiency and effectiveness. During Adolescence the congregation worked hard to deal with the ambiguity or fuzziness caused by the competition among high priority concerns. Its people and financial resource base, which was a struggle during Adolescence, begins to expand and lower the stress felt by leadership individuals. With greater efficiency and effectiveness, and a broader resource base, the congregation’s self-esteem increases, and it begins to show pride in the success of its ministry. The stage that follows Adolescence is Adulthood. All four organizing principles are dominant during this fifth stage. To navigate the passage from Adolescence to Adulthood successfully, a congregation needs to begin acting like a congregation in Adulthood. When it can do so without thinking about it, then it has probably navigated the passage. What is the Place of the Organizing Principles in the Adulthood Stage? Adulthood is that period when vision, relationships, programs, and management are all four dominant. The period of Adulthood lasts three to five years. Congregations in Adulthood are continuing to live out the vision that God has given them for a congregation that ought to be present in a certain place or target group of people. Vision is the fuel or energy that will drive the congregation forward throughout the growth side of the life cycle. Vision is the current understanding of God’s spiritual strategic direction for a congregation that is cast by leadership and owned by membership. Relationships are the spiritual and relational processes by which persons are brought to faith in God through Jesus Christ, become connected to a local New Testament congregation, are assimilated into the fellowship life and care ministry of a congregation, have opportunities for spiritual growth and leadership development, and are mentored to use their gifts and skills through Kingdom involvement. Programs are the functional attempts to provide projects, ministries, services, activities, and training for people connected to the congregation by membership, fellowship, or through relationship processes. The primary role of management is to provide the systems and structures that work in an integrative pattern to undergird the fulfillment of vision, and the implementation of relationships and programs. What are the Characteristics of the Adulthood Stage? Adulthood is characterized by a congregation that is in its prime. It is relaxed. It is successful. It has a positive spirit. It is focused. It is clear about its vision, and its vision shares broad ownership in the congregation. It is positive about its future. It feels that it can accomplish anything to which it sets it mind, as long as it matches the will of God for the congregation. People are becoming connected and joining the membership of the congregation. An increasing number of people are involved in intentional disciplemaking processes. Spiritual growth is occurring in the congregation. The worship services, particularly the music, are considered excellent. The congregation may have multiple worship services, each of which appeals to a different target group of people. Attendance at worship services is as large or larger than it has ever been. The programs, ministries and activities of the congregation are successful qualitatively and quantitatively. The congregation has several programs for which it is well known in community, metropolitan area, or county. It has quality, age-graded programs, and may have one or more age-graded programs that are considered the best in the area. Its formal management systems are working well. Many of the management systems have been recently reengineered to match the size, complexity, and stage of the congregation. The congregation has facilities of which they are proud. They have built most of the buildings they had planned to build, with the possible exception of a specialty building such as a leisure center, or an ultimate worship center or sanctuary. The demographic characteristics of the congregation are more diverse than ever in the history of the congregation. Overall the congregation is beginning to age in terms of the mean and median age of members, and those otherwise connected with the congregation. Until this point the congregations that have not had a significant senior adult population find that this group is growing fast. The congregation is having to respond to more senior adult-oriented ministry needs than ever before. A crucial characteristic is that the congregation may not be aware that this may be as good as it gets. It may not know that this is Adulthood. Having never been there, if this is the first life cycle of the congregation, they do not recognize Adulthood. Now that some stresses related to finances have begun to ease, the congregation is beginning to plan what new programs, staff positions, missions project, and facilities it will fund during the coming decade. Adulthood tends to last around four to six years. Then the congregation is ready to move forward to the next stage. How Does a Congregation Make the Passage to Maturity? When a congregation is approximately a generation old—twenty-two to twenty-seven years old—it then moves to the second part of Phase Three, which is Plateau. Unlike some of the pervious passages, it is not necessary for much intentional action to occur for the movement from Adulthood to Maturity to occur. The congregation makes the passage from Adulthood to Maturity simply by relaxing and taking a breath as an organism following a generation of hard work. It takes it success and its vision for granted, and assumes that it will always be present and dominant. After a generation of life, a congregation loses it sense of vision. This happens in several different ways for various reasons. First, after a generation the congregation may have achieved or fulfilled its founding vision. Second, the congregation may have grown weary of seeking to achieve or fulfill its founding vision, and thus allowed the vision to drop from dominance. Third, the people who helped cast the founding vision might not be related to the congregation anymore, and there are insufficient carriers of the vision. Fourth, the vision may not any longer be relevant to the context or situation of the congregation so it has been cast aside. Fifth, so many new people may have joined the congregation who do not understand the founding vision, and it has not be adequately shared with them, that there is no longer a critical mass of people pursuing that vision. For whatever reason, when vision is no longer dominant then the congregation quietly, without notice to many people, slips to the stage of Maturity. | 
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