Building Strong Ministry Teams

that enable churches to thrive

An ACTS Workshop by Don and Daryl Page

May 31, 2014

SERVANT LEADERSHIP DEFINED

Intentional stewardship of one’s influence to enable and empower other people to identify and achieve the goals of the community.

The servant leader asks not what is in it for me, but what is in it for the well being of the people being served.

THE RPR FORMULA -- LEADERS PRODUCE RESULTS THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS THAT DRIVE PROCESSES.

What is a Team?What is a Team?

““A TEAM is a highly A TEAM is a highly effective cohesive group of effective cohesive group of individuals who work individuals who work together with commitment together with commitment to reach a common to reach a common goal.”goal.” . . . Lesley Bendaly . . . Lesley Bendaly

T-E-A-M-S meansT-E-A-M-S means

•T – TOGETHERT – TOGETHER •– – How – through How – through collective collective input and input and action, not action, not individualistic.individualistic.

•E – EVERYONEE – EVERYONE•Who – everyone is Who – everyone is included in included in order to order to strengthen the whole.strengthen the whole.

•A – ACHIEVESA – ACHIEVES•Why – there is a specific Why – there is a specific goal to goal to be achieved be achieved by the team.by the team.

•M – MOREM – MORE•What – More than they What – More than they could as could as the sum of a the sum of a group of group of individuals.individuals.

•S – SUCCESSS – SUCCESS•When – Success comes When – Success comes by by reaching the goal reaching the goal within the within the specified specified time limit.time limit.

T-E-A-M-S meansT-E-A-M-S means

•T -- togetherT -- together•E -- everyoneE -- everyone•A -- achievesA -- achieves•M -- moreM -- more•S -- successS -- success

Teamwork is a principle-based Teamwork is a principle-based value that drives human value that drives human connectedness among team connectedness among team members. The team’s interests members. The team’s interests come before that of any come before that of any individual. It requires a “we-individual. It requires a “we-opic” vision that supersedes the opic” vision that supersedes the traditional “me-opic” mindset of traditional “me-opic” mindset of individuals.individuals.

Why HaveTeamwork in Why HaveTeamwork in Churches?Churches?

1. 1. Teamwork is the Biblical Teamwork is the Biblical basis for all ministry. The basis for all ministry. The Bible recognizes Bible recognizes communities of believers communities of believers working TOGETHER.working TOGETHER.

Eccl 4:7-12;Eccl 4:7-12;

1 Cor. 12:14;1 Cor. 12:14;

Eph. 4: 11-13Eph. 4: 11-13

The Biblical Basis for The Biblical Basis for Team Ministry Team Ministry

The Biblical Basis The Biblical Basis for Team Ministry for Team Ministry

The Biblical BasisThe Biblical Basis for Team Ministry for Team Ministry

Why HaveTeamwork in Why HaveTeamwork in Churches?Churches?

2. Jesus came to serve, not to be 2. Jesus came to serve, not to be served. served.

For SERVANT LEADERS to serve the For SERVANT LEADERS to serve the well well being of others, they need being of others, they need to stay to stay connected to those people connected to those people and good and good teamwork best teamwork best provides that collective provides that collective means.means.

““““In just three and a half years JesusIn just three and a half years Jesusestablished a movement that has established a movement that has lasted twenty centuries and lasted twenty centuries and inspired billions of people. . . . He inspired billions of people. . . . He didn't succeed because he didn't succeed because he recruited a team of superstars, but recruited a team of superstars, but because he passed on to his team because he passed on to his team the character traits and skills they the character traits and skills they in turn would need to pass on to in turn would need to pass on to others.”others.”

. . . Bill Perkins, . . . Bill Perkins, Awaken the Leader Within YouAwaken the Leader Within You

Why Have Teamwork in Why Have Teamwork in Churches?Churches?

3. 3. Teams involve more people, thus Teams involve more people, thus affording more resources, ideas, affording more resources, ideas, perspectives and energy than would a perspectives and energy than would a group of individuals. Individual insight group of individuals. Individual insight is seldom as broad and deep as a team’s is seldom as broad and deep as a team’s when a team takes on a problem. when a team takes on a problem. Teams produce more than the sum of Teams produce more than the sum of the individuals involved through the individuals involved through synergy.synergy. No one individual can know No one individual can know everything about leading a church of everything about leading a church of diverse individuals in the information diverse individuals in the information age.age.

Why Have Teamwork in Why Have Teamwork in Churches?Churches?

4. Teams maximize a leader’s 4. Teams maximize a leader’s potential and minimize her potential and minimize her weaknesses. Strengths and weaknesses. Strengths and weaknesses are more weaknesses are more exposed in individuals.exposed in individuals.

Serving team leaders look for Serving team leaders look for complementarity when complementarity when hiring.hiring.

Why Have Teamwork in Why Have Teamwork in Churches?Churches?

5. Teams share the credit for 5. Teams share the credit for victories and the blame for victories and the blame for losses. This fosters genuine losses. This fosters genuine humility and authentic humility and authentic community. Individuals take community. Individuals take credit and blame alone. This credit and blame alone. This fosters pride and sometimes fosters pride and sometimes a sense of failure.a sense of failure.

Why Have Teamwork in Why Have Teamwork in Churches?Churches?

6. Teams keep leaders 6. Teams keep leaders accountable for the goal. accountable for the goal. Individuals connected to Individuals connected to no one can change the no one can change the goal without goal without accountability.accountability.

Why Have Teamwork in Why Have Teamwork in Churches?Churches?

7. Good teamwork reduces 7. Good teamwork reduces the stress on individual the stress on individual leaders trying to do leaders trying to do everything and supervise everything and supervise everyone themselves.everyone themselves.

Why Have Teamwork in Why Have Teamwork in Churches?Churches?

8. To experience the joy of 8. To experience the joy of working collaboratively working collaboratively rather than competitively in rather than competitively in reaching desired goals that reaching desired goals that brings meaning to what is brings meaning to what is being accomplished. being accomplished.

Why Have Teamwork in Why Have Teamwork in Churches?Churches?

9. To develop a sense of 9. To develop a sense of oneness in that we share oneness in that we share the burdens and the the burdens and the victories through united victories through united vision, purpose, and vision, purpose, and direction.direction.

Why Have Teamwork in Why Have Teamwork in Churches?Churches?

10. To enable people to 10. To enable people to learn new things more learn new things more quickly through close quickly through close contacts with each other.contacts with each other.

Chuck Swindoll on Chuck Swindoll on TeamworkTeamwork

"Nobody is a whole chain. Each one is a link. But take away one link and the chain is broken. Nobody is a whole team. Each one is a player. But take away one player and the game is forfeited. Nobody is a whole orchestra. Each one is a musician. But take away one musician and the symphony is incomplete. You guessed it. We need each other. You need someone and someone needs you. . .

Chuck Swindoll on Chuck Swindoll on TeamworkTeamwork

. . . Isolated islands, we're not. To make this thing called life work, we've got to lean and support; relate and respond; give and take; confess and forgive; reach out and embrace; release and rely. Since none of us is a whole independent, self-sufficient, superbly capable, all-powerful hotshot, let's quit acting likewe are. Life's lonely enough without our playing that silly role. The game's over. Let's link up."

Committees are not Committees are not TEAMS!TEAMS!

Teamwork takes prTeamwork takes practiceactice