©2013 by transforming churches network opening doors to your community through seasons of discovery

©2013 by Transforming Churches Network

Opening Doors to Your Community

Through Seasonsof Discovery


WHAT?

What is Seasons of Discovery?


Overview:

What is Seasons of Discovery? How does Seasons of Discovery

Work? What happens in each season? How do we get involved?


Transforming Churches Network

Seasons of Discovery Is …

A Two-Year Introductory Process

Delivered into Four Seasons That helps your church begin

to engage your community with the Gospel of Jesus


What Will You Discover?

People in your community who are looking for hope (1 Tim. 6:17)

Good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do in the community (Eph. 2:10)

People within the congregation who have a passion for reaching the lost (Rom. 1:16)


More Discoveries

God’s unique vision for your church (1 Tim. 2:4)

Joy and excitement from living out that vision in your community (Phil. 4:4)

The 8 Hinge Factors that open doors to your community (John 10:9)


Each Season Includes:

Personal Coaching & Peer Learning Group for the Pastor

Tools for Equipping People for Ministry

Events to Rally the People of the Church around the Theme of the Season

Outreach Activities


Each Season Equips 3 Groups

Pastor & Staff A Mission-Minded Group Called

People of Passion The Entire Church


HOW?

How Does Seasons of DiscoveryWork?


Timeline of the Seasons

Churches have 2 blocks of time (seasons) in a year in which to work consistently on projects;

Fall (Labor Day to Thanksgiving)Winter/Spring (Jan-Feb & Easter to June15)

This multi-phase process focuses on areas of discovery spread out into four or more seasons.


Equipping for the Pastor

Learning Communities guide Pastors through the process in each of the seasons.

Coaching will be available to support pastors and leaders throughout the process.

Pastors in areas where Learning Communities are not available will receive extra coaching.


Year 1

Season 1Preparation

Introduction to the Basic

Principles and Practices of

Transformation(Romans 12:2)

Season 2Visioning

Discovering God’s Vision

for your Community


Year 2

Season 3Outreach

Finding Practical Ways to Reach Lost People in your Context

Season 4Empowerment

Empowering your Congregation to

Effectively EngagePeople in your

CommunityWith the Gospel


Year 3+

Season 5 & FollowingDiscovering How Your Church

Can Adapt to Meet the Future Needs of Your

Community

Learning How to be Missional in a Post-Church Culture


What Happens?

What happens in each season?


Season 1

Preparation


Season 1Outcomes

A core group of people who are passionate about sharing the Gospel with unchurched people will be identified and equipped to catalyze outwardly focused attitudes in the congregation.

The case for being missional as a prioroity will be made to the people of the congregation.

Identify the values gap between believing that making disciples is a priority and actually living it out.


Season 1Actions

Gather & equip people who are passionate about sharing the Gospel

Survey the congregation Introduce the process to the congregation

(launch event)Pray about the processExperience Understanding Church Life

Cycles seminarFacilitate Motivation for Mission study, small

group curriculum for the whole congregation


Season 1Tools Provided by TCN

Hinge Survey and ReportPeople of Passion GuidebookPeople of Passion Training VideoChurch Life-Cycles Webinar or SeminarMotivation for Mission Small Group Study

with Leaders Guide


Season 2

Visioning


Season 2Outcomes

Become aware of who the unchurched in the community are, what they need, and which of those needs they might address in order to interface with them

Write a vision statement which is specific with regard to mission targets, goals and strategies

Emphasize a specific vision beyond weekly worship and customary programs


Season 2 Actions

Hold a Building Bridges to the Community seminar

Form a visioning teamGathering data from the communityFacilitate an Envisioning Day to identify

critical mission targets in the communityWriting a Vision Statement Integrate the Vision into congregational life



Building Bridges to the Community webinar or seminar

Training Video for the visioning processSeason of Visioning resourcesDay of Visioning seminar or interactive

webinarSpecial coaching related to composing a

vision statement


Season 3

Outreach


Season 3Outcomes

The people of the church will be able to form relationships with unchurched people in the community and to share their faith in Jesus within that context. (skills)

The church will begin to create venues wherein the members might interface with the community. (opportunity)


Season 3Actions

Hold Community Outreach 1 seminar on forming relationships with unchurched people

Coordinate small groups that will study Natural Evangelism

Community Outreach 2 seminar on how to share faith in Jesus in the context of a relationship

Facilitate 3 Outreach Events



Community Outreach I Seminar or webinarNatural Evangelism Small Group Study with

Leaders GuideCommunity Outreach II Seminar or webinarOutreach Event Training Video


Season 4

Empowerment


Season 4Outcomes

Continue to build confidence and skills in reaching unchurched people with the Gospel

Assess its attitudes, style and structure with the intention of aligning the congregation’s ministry with its mission and vision.

Rather than building programs to attract new people, focus on building processes that are relevant to those whom we have reached


Season 4Actions

Host an Empowering God’s People seminar on discipleship

Skill Builders workbook: growing competency in 8 key factors of outreach

Coordinate small groups that will study Prayer, curriculum for the whole congregation

Organize monthly Outreach EventsAttend a Hinge Seminar (chose one):

Structure, Worship, Personal Leadership.



Empowering God’s People seminar or webinar

Focused Prayer Small Group Study with Leaders Guide

Skill Builders WorkbookOutreach Event Training VideoChoice of Webinars or Seminars on other

hinge factors such as structure or worship


Season 5 & FollowingOutcomes

Think through what effective churches might look like in the future, separating issues of style from issues of substance.

Confront adaptive change issues, recognizing that we have no current solutions, and begin experimenting in order to learn what skills and activities move us toward helpful solutions.

Equip believers to behave more like missionaries than members of an institutional church.


Season 5 & FollowingActions

As new believers mature in their faith, the churches into which they gather may look quite different from what has been conventionally thought of as “church.”

TCN will help churches think through forms of missional communities appropriate to their settings

New metrics will be developed to understand what success looks like in missional communities


Season 5 & FollowingTools Provided by TCN

TCN will assist congregations in developing tools which address the needs of missional churches on the cutting edge

TCN input:Continuing coaching & Learning Communities

focused on adaptive issues“Just-in-time” learning related to new

congregational contexts

©2013 by transforming churches network opening doors to your community through seasons of discovery

Documents

community slide

seasons churches

churches network year

churches network equipping

churches network overview

churches network timeline

congregation slide

seasons of discovery