Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

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Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

TeamWorksGuidebooksandTools• Use theSpiritual LifeTemplateto buildyourgroup• Discoveryourgroup’sSpiritualGifts

TWS:SpirituallifeoftheLeader

• Discover yourhomelandandlearnaboutdisplacement• Use theNICHEProcesstolearnaboutyourcommunity

TWS: ConnectingtoYourCommunity

• Learn abouttheLifecycleoftheChurch• DiscoveryourSettingforMinistry

TWS:CreatingaDiscipleshipSystem

• Learn tousethepowerfulVAPàITStrategicPlanningTool• TaketheTeamWorksChurchAssessmentTWS:Futurecasting

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

What’sinaTeamWorksGuidebook?

Two 2-HourSeminars

FourMyWorksDevotions

Two Toolsforcongregationallife

Support atwww.TeamWorksUMC.org

TeamWorks

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

InstructionsforSeminarLeadersTeamWorksSeminarsaredesignedtoencouragediscussion.Toprepareforeachseminardoasfollows:

• Setuparoomwithtableandchairsforyourseminar.

• YouwillneedanLCDprojectorandascreenoralargeTVthatcanbehooked uptoacomputertoshow thepresentations.

• DownloadthepresentationslidesforTW:ConnectingSeminar2:NICHEfromwww.TeamWorksUMC.org.YoumaygetthemasaPDForinPowerPoint. WhenusingPowerPointuseitinpresentationmodesoyoucanviewthenotesforeachslide.

• DownloadTWConnectingSeminar1HomelandwithNotesPDF.Hereyouwillfindeveryslidewithtipsandideasabout itscontent.

• Beforeleadingaseminar,gotowww.TeamWorksUMC.organdwatchtheSeminarLeadersWebinarfortheseminaryouareleading.Thewebinarwillgothrougheachslideandwilloffertipsandideasforhowtoleadtheseminar.

• Setdatesfortheseminarsorfortheone-dayexperience.

• RecruitagroupofparticipantswhowillagreetoattendbothseminarsandtodotheMyWorkdevotions.

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

ScheduleyourSeminarsSchedule for the TeamWorks: Connecting With Your Community seminars and MyWork devotionsUse the template below to schedule your sessions. TeamWorks Seminars are designed for 2-hours.

If you offer this as a one-day experience, make sure participants fill out the Demographics By Walking Around Surveys before they attend or take alunch break and give them time to visit as instructed.

Session Date

Seminar One: Looking for Homeland __________ MyWork – NICHE: Nexus __________MyWork – NICHE: Informed __________MyWork – NICHE: Context __________MyWork – NICHE: Hopes & Experiences __________Seminar Two: Finding your NICHE __________

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

Howtoleadtheseminars• TeamWorksSeminarsaredesignedtofosterdiscussionswithin

thegroup.Yourprimaryroleastheseminarleaderistofacilitatediscussions.

• Whenyoucometoadiscussionslidedividepeopleintogroupsofthreeorfourpeople.Havethemsharewithoneanother.Aftertheyarefinished,youcanaskindividualstosharewiththewidergroup.

• Avoidstartingwiththelargergroup.Why?Becausefewpeoplearewillingtotalkinfrontoflargergroups.Bydividingintosmallergroupsyouhelpeveryonehaveanopportunitytosharetheirideas.

• SpiritualLifeTemplate:IfyoudidTeamWorks:SpiritualLifeoftheLeadersandaredoingthewholeseries,starteachseminarwiththeSpiritualLifeTemplate.

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

Justafterdaybreak,Jesusstoodonthebeach;butthedisciplesdidnotknowthatitwasJesus.Jesussaidtothem,“Children,youhavenofish,haveyou?”Theyansweredhim,“No.”Hesaidtothem,“Castthenettotherightsideoftheboat,andyouwillfindsome.”Sotheycastit,andnowtheywerenotabletohaulitinbecausethereweresomanyfish.John21:4-6

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

Discussion1FishermenofJesus’timetrainedalltheirlivestothrowthefishingnettotheleft.Sotobeaskedtofishfromtherightsidewasacompletechallengetotheconventionalwisdomabouthowtocatchfish,nottomentionachallengetothemechanicsofhowyouthrewthenetintothewater.

• Whatdoesthistellusaboutwhat“works”?• Whatismostimportant,fishingorcatchingthefish?• Whatimplicationsdoesthishaveforyourministry?

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

DemographicsbyWalkingAround(45minutes)

• Haveteammemberstakeouttheir“DemographicsbyWalkingAround”surveyssotheycansharetheirexperienceswithoneanother.

• Onawhiteboard,chalkboard,oraneasel,copythechartonthenextpage.Haveeachpersonsharetheirexperiences.Makenotesaseachpersontalks.

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

Demographics ByWalkingAroundSummaryChart

Businessesvisited

Whomarethey

reaching?

Docustomersreflectthetarget

audience?

Dothestaffreflectthecustomers?

Service

Person 1

Person 2

Person 3

Person 4

Person 5

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

Discussion2(Breakupintogroupsof3or4)

Afterhearingallthereports,ask“Whataretheimplicationsforourchurch?”

Afterthebreakoutsconversations,useachalkboard,whiteboard,ornewsprinttocapturetheinsightsfromthewholegroup.

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

NicheNexus:What is the center of congregational life?

• the means of connection, tie, link• a connected series or group• the core or center

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

NicheInformed:What ways do you listen to the culture of the community in order to share the gospel in a way that connects?

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

NicheContext:How has your community changed in the last five years? How are retailers and restaurants connecting with new people? How does your church fit into the future of your neighborhood?

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

NicheHopes & Dreams:What are the hopes and dreams of the people who live in the community?

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

NicheExperience:What is unique about what you have to offer in the context of community life (sports, non-profits, businesses, etc.)?

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

NicheNexus: What is the center of congregational life?

Informed: What ways do you listen to the culture of the community in order to share the gospel in a way that connects?

Context: How has your community changed in the last five years? How are retailers and restaurants connecting with new people? How does your church fit into the future of your neighborhood?

Hopes & Dreams: What are the hopes and dreams of the people who live in the community?

Experience: What is unique about what you have to offer in the context of community life (sports, non-profits, businesses, etc.)?

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

DiscoveringyourCongregation’sNICHEOnawhiteboard,chalkboard,oraneaselmakethefollowingcolumns.Asagroupdiscusses eachelementoftheNICHE.

Foreachelement,firsttalkaboutYourCommunityandthenYourChurch.Keep notesforfuturereference.

NICHE YourCommunity YourChurch

Nexus:Whatbringspeople togetherinyourcommunity?(sportsteams,schools,shoppingareas,government

Whatisatthecenterofyourlifeasacongregation?

Informed:Whodopeople listento inyourcommunity?(media,cityleaders,residenthistorians,communityleaders, thechurch)

Howareyouactivelylisteningtowhatishappeninginthecommunity?

Context:Howhasyourcommunitychangedin thelastfiveyears?Howareretailersandrestaurantsconnecting withnewpeople?

Howdoesyourchurchfitintothefutureofyourneighborhood?

Hopes&Dreams:Whatarethehopesanddreamsofnewpeoplecomingtoourcommunity?

Whatarethehopesanddreamsofpeoplewhoareactiveinourchurch?

Experience:Whatexperiencesgatherpeople togetherinyourcommunity?(sports,concerts,communityevents,movies,etc.)

Whatisuniqueabout whatyouhavetoofferin thecontextofcommunitylife?

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

Discussion3

• Whatisthemostsignificantthingyouhavelearnedaboutyourcommunity’sNiche?

• Whatisthemostsignificantthingyouhavelearnedaboutyourcongregation’sNiche?

• Writedownthreeactionsyourchurchmustdotomakeaconnectionbetweenthepeoplewholiveinyourcommunityandthepeoplewhoareactiveinyourchurch.

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

NextSteps• Doamoredetailedlookatyourcommunity.Ifyouare

UnitedMethodist,contactyouconferenceofficeformoreresourcestolookatthedemographicsofyourcommunity.Youalsocangotowww.census.govandfindinfoonyourneighborhood.

• Usethisguidebookwithotherpeopleinyourchurchtohelpthemreflectonwaysyourchurchcanbetterconnectwithyourcommunity.

• Todevelopadiscipleshipsystem,useTeamWorks:CreatingaDiscipleshipSystem.

Discipleship Ministries www.TeamWorksUMC.org

TeamWorksSeries

www.TeamWorksUMC.org