Workshops, Seminars, and Events

Educational and training events are available to be conducted in local churches, districts, conferences, and jurisdictions. Workshop or training events are offered for leadership and congregations on a variety of topics in the areas of Visioning/Transformation, Evangelism, Leadership, and Stewardship or may be custom designed to address a specific ministry need. Contact the ministry for more information on an issue, topic, or event of interest. The following is a partial listing of topics and events currently offered.

Visioning/Transformation

• Are You Ready to Vision? ~ A two-hour session with church leaders to ascertain a church’s readiness to "vision."
• Visioning for Ministry ~ A five to six hour event for church leaders to discern God’s unique vision for each church.
• Dealing with Change and Conflict ~ Designed to address specifically identified issues.
• Who Moved My Church? ~ An event to address issues of change and what must happen to enable relevant ministry in the 21st century.
• Moving Members to Disciples ~ This workshop for clergy and church staff provides practical suggestions on how to move the church from a membership to a discipleship emphasis, and how to help members identify their passion for leadership.

Evangelism/Church Growth

• Casting Your Net: Doing Evangelism in the 21st Century ~ A six-hour event that enables leadership to understand the priority and techniques required for doing evangelism in changing times.
• Becoming a More Hospitable Congregation ~ A 3-5 hour event that offers practical help in training members to become more welcoming and inviting.
• Opening the Front Door -- Closing the Back ~ Practical suggestions for attracting new members and assimilating them into the church.
• Getting the Word Out: Effective Church Communications ~ Developing effective internal and external communications to communicate about the church’s life and ministry.
• What First Impression Does Your Church Make? ~ An analysis of the impression a visitor has from a first visit to the church. This involves an unannounced visit by the consultant on a Sunday morning followed by a meeting with church officials and recommendations.

Clergy and Lay Leadership Development

• Developing a Team Concept for Ministry in a Multi-Staffed Church ~ Ideal for staff retreats to assess effectiveness and to identify areas for growth.
• Spiritual Discernment for Effective Leadership ~ This event provides opportunities for church leadership to experience Bible study, journaling, reflection, and spiritual discernment. Participants will be provided insights into the role effective leadership plays in addressing the challenges facing the church today as it seeks to discern where the Spirit is leading. This event can be designed for a 6-8 hour time frame either in one-day or as an overnight retreat.
• Developing Effective Lay Leadership ~ A two-to-four hour event aimed primarily at Leadership Development Committees, this event addresses how to recruit, train, and nurture leaders for effective ministry.
• Discovering and Utilizing Spiritual Gifts ~ A gifts discovery workshop to help members discover and find ways to use their gifts in ministry.
• Administrative Structure Analysis ~ Assisting local churches in looking at how the church is structured and ways it might need to change in order to accomplish its vision and ministries.

Stewardship

• Capital Funds Campaign ~ An individually designed plan including leadership training to enable capital fund-raising for an identified purpose and goals.
• Annual Fundraising Campaign ~ A thematic approach to annual fundraising that educates the congregation on the ministries of the church and support required.
• Consecration Sunday Campaign ~ Leadership for annual financial campaign based on the Herb Miller model and resources.
• Growing a Giving Church ~ Assistance in developing a comprehensive plan for Christian stewardship through an examination of the general principles, requirements, goals and action steps for effective fund raising.
• Will You Be Loyal? ~ Exploring the meaning of Christian stewardship of time, talents, gifts and service.

Christian Education

• The Art of Effective Teaching ~ A three-to-five hour event that explores the methodologies and lesson preparations that go into effective teaching at each level of learning.
• How to Use the Bible in the Adult Classroom ~ A two-hour event that enables teachers of adult classes to explore a variety of techniques to experience the Bible in the classroom.
• Developing a Children's Ministry ~ A comprehensive 4-8 hour workshop offering a buffet of topics to choose from, including the Components of a Children's Ministry, the Development of the Child, Involving the Parent, Developing Good Leaders, the Church with Few Children, Programming, Promoting, and Resourcing the ministry. Depending upon need and time, the church can select the topics that best fit their needs or include all topics.

Program Development

• Planning for Effective Ministry ~ A two-to-four hour event to help a church understand the need for direction in ministry so it more clearly addresses the mission God has established for the church.
• Moving the Budgeting Process from Conflict to Concord ~ A one-two hour review of the budget development process that diminishes the stress of budget reconciliation and the likelihood of the church budget running in the red.
• The Work of the Church Council ~ A two-to-four hour event addressing what a church council is supposed to do and how they can do it effectively and faithfully.
• The Program Development Cycle ~ A six-to-eight hour event on how to guide the church from visioning, through program planning, to leadership development, budgeting, and program implementation as a synchronized whole.
• Vision: Moving Dreams to Reality ~ A six-hour event to help leaders determine next steps in developing program ministry.

Personal Development

• It’s About Time: Time/Life Management 24 Hours a Day ~ Based on Dr. Gillis’ book, It's About Time. Designed for ministers' meetings and staff retreats in a workshop setting.
• Encountering God's Call: Walking On Water As Vocational Response ~ An event for persons who have responded to God’s call and who need to experience support, reaffirmation, and commitment for the future calls that come in ministry.
• Life Management ~ A six-hour event exploring how to improve one’s life through time, stress, and conflict management. Any of these courses can also be offered separately.
• Sabbath Rest ~ A spiritual retreat for clergy designed to experience “Sabbath rest,” re-creation and renewal for ministry.
• Coaching ~ Personally designed coaching sessions with a ministry consultant to address individual concerns.

For more information on a topic/event or to have an event custom designed to address a specific issue, or the discuss the services of a ministry consultant, contact Franklin Gillis, director, (phone: 804-272-3313; email: fgillis@fourseasonsministry.org)