"what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses,
commit to
faithful men who will be able to teach others also."
2 Timothy 2:2 (HCSB)
Paul challenges Pastor Timothy as he does Titus and other leaders in the church to not serve alone but find others who will serve with you. Whether it was Timothy, Barnabas or John Mark, Paul was looking for others to serve with him. Building a team is critical to effective ministry.
For the first time in my 25 years of ministry I am serving a church with a plurality of Elders. It is a joy to serve alongside other men for the mission of Christ and His vision for our church. But it can also be a challenge for us to know how we build a good team. I will make the assumption at this point that in building a team we will make prayer a priority, seeking the men that God has set aside for the task. Also assumed is that the men we will bring alongside us will be mature in the faith and will meet the qualifications that we find in Scripture (1 Timothy, Titus etc . . .). But what can we do to bring together a team for effective ministry?
Let me suggest to you four ways to build and solidify a team for ministry.
- Share History. I think it is critical that we share history. But what does that mean exactly. For the team to be solidified they need to share some history. The team should spend time sharing personal history. Where they have been, mistakes, joys, heartbreaks and victories. A team also needs to share together the history of the church.
- Affirm Gifts. The Scripture is clear that we all have gifts. We have different gifts. If your team has all the same gifts you will have difficulties. A team benefits from a variety of gifts, personalities and experiences. So affirm the gifts that each person brings to the team.
- Set Goals. As the pastor or lead elder it is my responsibility to at least begin the discovery of God's vision for the Church. But for a team to be solidified set goals together. Hold each other accountable for praying about and accomplishing the goals around the vision God has set for your church. Flexibility is important. But don't be so flexible that nothing ever is done.
- Celebrate Unity. Unity in and of it's self is not a worthy goal. We can be unified around the wrong things. Unity in the Spirit however is a different story. Celebrate and cling to the unity that you have together as a team in the Spirit. As the leader make sure that your team knows its not about you and that you will not throw them to the wolves. You watch their back and if they are worth their salt they will watch yours.
In most churches we will ask our members to serve together as a team. Make sure you demonstrate to the body how that is done and what it will look like.
