1. Opening Doors to Your Community Through…
Hi everybody, I’m Terry Tieman, the Executive Director of Transforming Churches Network, and I’m here to tell you about an exciting new resource that will help your church begin to reach lost and dying people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s called Seasons of Discovery and in this presentation, I am going to give you a brief overview of how the process works.

2. Overview: What is Seasons of Discovery?
How does Seasons of Discovery Work?
What happens in each season?
How do we get involved?
Here are some of the questions that I’m going to address:
What is Seasons of Discovery?
How does the process work?
What happens in each season? And
How can you get started?

3. What is Seasons of Discovery?
So, let’s begin! What is Seasons of Discovery?

4. Seasons of Discovery Is …
A Step-wise Church Transformation Process
Delivered in Four Seasons over two or more years
That helps your church begin to engage your community with the Gospel of Jesus
Well, Seasons of Discovery is a:
A Two-Year Outreach Process
Delivered over Four Seasons
That helps your church begin to engage your community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

5. 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)
During this process, you are going to make some very important discoveries. For instance, you are going to find out that there are a whole lot of people in your community who are looking for hope. Even though it may seem like more and more people are turning away from God and the church these days, it is also true that there is still a large number of people who are looking for hope. And isn’t that good news…to know that there are people who are already looking for what your church has to offer?
And you are going to discover that God is already working in your community, preparing your church to do some really good things that will help the people living there.
And what about this? Did you know that there are people inside your congregation who have a burning passion to reach lost people. It’s true, every church has some, and we can help you find them!

6. 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)
What’s more, we will help you discover God’s unique vision for your church. I.e., what sets you apart from all the other churches in your community? And, we can guarantee that you will experience a heightened level of joy and excitement as you live out your new found vision. Finally, we will help you discover the 8 Hinge Factors that open doors to your community for the effective proclamation of the Gospel.

7. 8 HINGE FACTORS 4 Pastor 4 Church Personal leadership
Building bridges
Visionary leadership
Empowerment
4 Church
Community Outreach
Focused Prayer
Effective Board (Structure)
Inspiring worship
You see, we have discovered, through our nation-wide research, that there are at least 8 hinges that help swing open the doors of your church. 4 of those hinge factors focus primarily on the pastor and 4 focus primarily on the congregation. The 4 pastoral hinges are Personal Leadership, Building Bridges to the Community, Visionary Leadership, and Empowering God’s People for Works of Service. The 4 church hinges are Community Outreach, Focused Prayer for the lost, an Effective Board or Governance Structure, and Inspiring Worship. By helping a church discover how well they are doing in each of these 8 areas, we can begin to assist them in addressing their weaknesses and leveraging their strengths.

8. Each Season Includes:
Personal Coaching, Skill Builders & Learning Guides for the Pastor
Tools for Equipping People for Ministry
Sermons & Bible Studies to Rally the People of the Church around the Theme of the Season
Outreach Activities
What do you get from TCN in the Seasons of Discovery process?
Well, each of the 4 seasons includes:
Personal Coaching, Skill Builders & Learning Guides for the Senior Pastor
A variety of tools designed for equipping the members of the congregation for ministry;
Interactive Bible Studies and practical sermons to rally the people of the church around the theme of the season; and
A number of Outreach Activities specifically designed for your congregation

9. Each Season Equips 3 Groups
Pastor & Staff
A Mission-Minded Group Called People of Passion
The Entire Church
In addition each season will equip 3 important groups for reaching out to the community. Those essential groups are:
The Pastor & Staff
A special Mission-Minded Group Called People of Passion, and, of course,
The Entire Church

10. How Does Seasons of Discovery
Work?
How will we help you do all of this?

11. 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-Mar or April-June)
Optional Summer Season
These natural windows of time on the calendar are utilized to focus on the areas of discovery spread out over four or more seasons.
Well, first of all, we are going to recognize reality. Most churches have two major blocks of time during the year (which we call seasons) in which they can work consistently on important projects. One of those seasons would be in the Fall, usually between Labor Day & Thanksgiving) and the other would be during the winter, beginning in January and ending before Holy Week, or if Easter is early, then, in the spring, between April & June. Of course, the summer season could also be utilized by any congregation that might desire to do so.
The idea is that congregations would utilize these natural windows of time on their calendars to focus on the 4 areas of discovery over a two-year period. 11

12. Equipping for the Pastor
Learning Guides with lessons in Leadership Development, Change Dynamics, Church Transformation, and Outreach will be provided.
Skill Builders for each of the 8 Hinge Factors
Sermon Series for each of the seasons.
Training for Staff and Lay Leaders.
A Personal Coach will guide the Pastor through the process in each of the four seasons.
Now, as we said earlier, during each of the seasons, TCN will be equipping 3 strategic groups. Let’s begin with the Pastor. Since we know that Empowering God’s People for Works of Service is the #1 Hinge Factor for Church Transformation, it only makes sense that we will put a lot of time and effort in providing excellent resources for our pastors.
Those resources include a specially prepared curriculum to help the pastor grow in the areas of Leadership Development, change dynamics, church transformation, and outreach. This curriculum will include books, articles, discussion questions, and learning activities that will help pastors to practice and improve their leadership and outreach skills and behaviors.
In addition, each pastor will receive a set of Skill Builders, which is a kind of Leadership Tool Box, that will help him sharpen his abilities around each of the 8 Hinge Factors.
Also, for each Season of Discovery, there will be a Sermon Series and training resources for both staff and lay leaders, matching the theme for that particular season. These resources are designed with flexibility in mind, so that the pastor can utilize them in a variety of ways, depending on his style and the needs of the church.
Finally, each pastor will receive a trained TCN Coach to help guide him through the four Seasons of Discovery and help make the process as beneficial as possible. 12

13. Equipping for the People of Passion
Who are People of Passion?
Passion for Christ
Passion for Congregation
Passion for Community
They engage in 7 Missional Activities
Prayer Walking
Community Surveying
Visioning Day
Service Projects
Outreach Events
Personal Testimony
Sharing the Gospel
A second group of people who will be equipped for mission and ministry throughout this process will be the People of Passion. Who are People of Passion, you ask? Well, People of Passion are simply those folks who love Jesus, love your congregation, and love your community. The goal would be for the pastor to recruit around 7 such People of Passion in a small congregation, although it could be more or less, and perhaps several groups of 7 in larger churches. He would then lead those folks through 7 Missional Activities, using the workbook prepared by TCN. These 7 Missional Activites include:
Prayer Walking
Community Surveying
Visioning Day
Service Projects
Outreach Events
Personal Testimony
Sharing the Gospel
These door-opening activities would be accomplished over about a 6 month period, and then repeated throughout the two-year process. In addition, the People of Passion would help guide the rest of the congregation as they become more engaged in similar missional activities. 13

14. Equipping for the Congregation
Bible Studies
Motivation for Mission
Discovering God’s Vision for Your Community
Natural Evangelism
Prayer: Stepping Out Into Your Community
Sunday School Lessons that match the themes for each season
Leadership Training resources
Promotional materials
Besides equipping this smaller group of passionate individuals, there will also be an equipping process for the entire congregation. This will happen in a variety of ways. For instance, there will be a series of small group Bible studies, sermons, and Sunday School lessons that match the emphases of the various seasons. Those Bible Studies include:
Motivation for Mission
Discovering God’s Vision for Your Community
Natural Evangelism
Prayer: Stepping Out Into Your Community
There will be also be training resources available for the congregation’s leaders, and a variety of promotional materials that will communicate the purpose and message of the process. 14

15. What happens in each season?
Well, that was a quick look at the overall process. Now let’s take a look at what will happen in each of the 4 seasons.

16. Seasons of Discovery Map
Take a look at the Seasons of Discovery Map. Going clockwise around the circle, you can see all four seasons, as well as the various activities, tools, and resources that will be available to you.

17. Season 1: Preparation
Introduction to the Basic Principles and Practices of Transformation (Romans 12:2)
Season 1 will be a time of preparation, in which the congregation is introduced to the basic principles and practices of transformation. As it says in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” I.e., during this first season, we want God to change the way we think, so we will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.” And what God says is pleasing to Him is that all people would be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth!
Use New Seasons language

18. Season 1 Actions
Gather & equip people who are passionate about sharing the Gospel
Survey the congregation
Introduce the process to the congregation
Pray about the process
Experience A New Season for Your Church (Sermons, SS Lessons & Leader Training)
Participate in Motivation for Mission Bible study
Specifically, during that first season:
The pastor will Gather & facilitate the People of Passion group;
The congregation will fill out the Hinge Assessment Survey Tool….And generally be introduced to the entire process.
There will be regular Prayer to support the process;
There will be a Sermon Series, SS Lessons and Leadership Training wrapped around A New Season for Your Church theme;
And the Motivation for Mission small group Bible study will be available for the whole congregation 18

19. Season 2: Visioning Discovering God’s Vision for your Community
Season 2 will be a time for Discovering God’s unique vision that He wants your church to carry out for your community.

20. Season 2 Actions
Experience Building Bridges to Your Community (Sermon Series, SS Lessons & Leader Training)
Form a visioning team
Gather data from the community
Study Discovering God’s Vision for Your Community
What that means for your congregation, is that during Season 2, you will:
Experience a Sermon Series, SS Lessons, and Leader Training all built around the Building Bridges to Your Community theme;
Form a visioning team
Gather data from the community
Do a small group Bible Study on Discovering God’s Vision for Your Community ; 20

21. Season 2 More Actions
Conduct a Visioning Day to identify critical mission targets in the community
Write a Vision Statement
Integrate the Vision into congregational life
Conduct a Visioning Day to identify critical mission targets in the community and begin formulating an outreach strategy to reach those targets;
Write a Vision Statement that is endorsed by the whole congregation, and
Integrate this new Vision into the life of the congregation 21

22. Season 3: Outreach
Finding Practical Ways to Reach Lost People in your Context
During Season 3 you will be focusing primarily on Outreach. Of course, there will be outreach activities during the entire process, but your unique focus in Season 3 will be Finding Practical Ways to Reach Lost People in the Context of your own community.

23. Season 3 Actions
Experience Living a New Vision Sermon Series, SS Lessons & Leader Training
Form small groups that will study and carry out the Natural Evangelism small group curriculum for the whole congregation
Develop & Implement at least 3 Community Outreach Events
To accomplish that, you will:
Engage in another sermon series, SS lessons, and Leadership Training based on the Community Outreach theme;
Form small groups that will study and carry out Natural Evangelism; and
Develop & Implement at least 3 Community Outreach Events 23

24. Season 4: Empowerment
Empowering your Congregation to Effectively Engage People in your Community with the Gospel
Finally, Season 4 will be devoted to Empowering your Congregation to Effectively Engage People in your Community with the Gospel. Our research shows that Empowerment is the most powerful Hinge Factor, when it comes to the long-term future of your congregation.

25. Season 4 Actions
Experience Empowering God’s People Sermon Series, SS Lessons & Leader Training
Form small groups that will study Prayer: Stepping Out Into Your Community
Conduct monthly Outreach Events
So, during this season, the congregation will again receive a number of practical resources and tools, including:
A Sermon Series, SS Lessons, and Leadership Training, entitled Empowering God’s People for Works of Service;
Small groups will be formed to study Prayer: Stepping Out Into Your Community, and
The congregation will continue to Organize & implement monthly Outreach Events 25

26. Season 5 & Following
Discovering How Your Church Can Adapt to Meet the Future Needs of Your Community Season 5: Learning How to be Missional in a Post-Church Culture
So there you have it! The TCN 4 Seasons of Discovery. However, we know that it is impossible to completely transform a congregation into everything that God wants it to be and do in just 2 years. The fact is the transformation process is ongoing, and for those who want to continue, we will offer more seasons with additional resources and support. These subsequent seasons will focus on Discovering How Your Church
Can Adapt to Meet the Future Needs of Your Community, whatever they may be. Specifically, Season 5 will focus on Learning How to be Missional in a Post-Church Culture.

27. Opening Doors to Your Community Through…
So, whether it’s Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter wherever you are, it’s my prayer that the TCN Seasons of Discovery process will indeed Open Doors to Your Community for the powerful and life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.
God’s richest blessings on the journey!