Watch the video above and talk about it with a friend, mentor, or group.

The Transitions curriculum is a great tool to help people leaving Mormonism for biblical faith. Transitions works best when integrated into your church's overall discipleship strategy.

The purpose of the Transitions curriculum is to help those leaving Mormonism who are still interested in Jesus but who want to explore Christian faith in a different way from what they’ve known in the LDS Church. Here are some thoughts on how to make the most of the Transitions materials in a disciplemaking church culture.

Transitions Helps Former Mormons Become Complete Followers of Jesus

The purpose of Transitions in a disciple-making context is not only to help former Latter-day Saints deal with the most common transition issues, like loss of identity, relationship pressures, and culture shock. The purpose is not only to help participants gain a healthy relationship with Jesus and the local church. Both of those goals are vitally important. But in a disciple-making setting, Transitions must also connect former Mormons with disciples of Jesus who can personally mentor them to maturity in Christ. As former Mormons engage in this process, they are equipped to help others pursue God as well.

Transitions Serves as an “On-Ramp” into a Healthy Local Church

The Transitions group does not stand alone. It provides an excellent gateway to lead participants beyond Transitions into the church’s baseline discipleship curriculum. Our ultimate goal for people taking Transitions is not that they complete the class, but that they become integrated into a healthy local church. In some cases, a Transitions group could morph into a normal small group/community group.

Transitions Is Managed as a Small Group or Community Group

To help make the connection, a Transitions group should be operated more like a small group than a class, using the principles that govern small group life. These principles will help ensure that Transitions becomes a catalyst into a healthy, holistic Christian life.

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Key Points:

  • Transitions Helps Former Mormons Become Complete Followers of Jesus
  • Transitions Serves as an “On-Ramp” into a Healthy Local Church
  • Transitions Is Managed as a Small Group or Community Group

See Also: Groups, Mentoring

Talk About It
  1. Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
  2. What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
  3. If you have been through the Transitions curriculum, what do you see as its strengths and weaknesses?
  4. Why is it important to think of Transitions as an onramp or gateway instead of a stand-alone experience?
  5. How well do you think Transitions does at making disciples who make disciples? Explain.
  6. Do you think one-on-one mentoring can work in a Transitions group? Why or why not?
  7. Do you agree or disagree that Transitions should be managed as a small group rather than as a class, and why?
  8. Write a personal action step based on this conversation.

This is part of the LDS Transitions Leader Training series.