19 Sep One Team

Although the term “team” may not be found in the Bible, the concept is consistently exemplified.

Jesus assembled a team and called them disciples.

Peter assembled a team and called them deacons.

Paul assembled a team and carried the gospel to the corners of the Roman empire.

Every good leader knows that if they want to have maximum effectiveness, they will have to assemble or develop a team. 

In Good to Great, researcher Jim Collins spends an entire chapter discussing leadership. In the very next chapter he discusses assembling the right team.

Ed Stetzer (Comeback Churches) noted the major habits of churches that were able to make a comeback after experiencing plateau or decline. One of the key characteristics identified was they “launched a team-oriented vision; implemented team strategy in everything.” Stetzer went on to say, “The study made it clear—you cannot turn around a church alone. It takes a team effort.”

Whether we are building a church or a ministry, to be effective we need a team.  

This afternoon I watched the men’s final at Wimbledon.
In what seems to be a highly individualistic sporting match, both the winner (Novak Djokovic) and the runner-up
(Kevin Anderson) thanked their teams. No matter what discipline you explore, whether sports, military, corporations or education, you will likely find that success involves more than one particularly gifted leader or intellectual. Sustained effectiveness almost always involves a team.

One of the most impactful events that I’ve ever attended was Tommy Barnett’s “Pastor’s School.” Although Barnett had both the finances and relational connections to bring in any top-tier speakers to inspire participants, he did something quite different. He allowed us to benefit from his ministry team. We were able to hear their stories, benefit from their experience(s), and see their context. I was so inspired at Pastor’s School that I returned three more times, often with my pastoral staff and deacons. Our team grew in vision, passion, and our church grew in ministry effectiveness.

How are you doing as a team leader, member,
or developer? 

This year at Ministers’ Enrichment we are asking our Network ministry team to share inspiration and information that we pray will enhance and enlarge your vision for effective ministry. Although it’s not possible for every team leader to speak, we have asked several of our full-time staff to speak broadly enough to include everyone present, yet specifically enough to represent the focus of ministry which they lead.