Like all institutions, churches go through stages. First-generation believers often pay a high price for following Christ, but their strong commitment makes risk taking possible. But passivism tends to set in when second-generation believers join the church. They don't face the same burning issues their parents did, nor are the lines of difference between believers and unbelievers so clearly defined. While their parents often experienced a sudden, dramatic conversion, second-generation Christians tend to be more gradual and less emotional in their conversions.
Structure often replaces spontaneity.
Third-generation Christians often face theological and ethical breakdowns. Nominalism tends to set in while they seek their cultural roots. Church planters must be adept at recognizing church cycles, and define their phaseouts accordingly. The fourth component of phaseout calls for church planters to isolate the different roles played by team members, local believers, and God. The missionaries roles include learner, evangelist, teacher, resident advisor, itinerant advisor, and absent advisor.