Running Head: TEAM DYNAMICS
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Team Dynamics in Ministry Proposal
Student Name
John W. Rawlings School of Divinity, Liberty University
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Thesis Statement
Effective team leadership requires a level of competent leaders to foster collaboration, drive
motivation, and achieve organizational goals successfully.
The success of every organization depends on the quality of the teams they create and
maintain. Leadership may look to a host of virtues, abilities, or even characteristics when it
comes time for choosing. MacMillan (2001) highlights six key characteristics of what he
considers to be “high performance teams.” He goes on to list them as: common purpose, clear
roles, accepted leadership, effective processes, solid relationships, and excellent communication.
Recognizing, building, and maintaining an effective team is vital to the success of any
organization. Examining the ministries of Paul and Christ, for example, will show that even the
Bible upholds the ideal of cultivating effective teams to produce characteristics of high
performing teams.
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Reference
Adler. (2022). Hire with your head: Using performance-based hiring to build outstanding
diverse teams (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
This book will assist in the writing by helping to solve readers recruiting and recruitment
problems and improving the efficiency. The author highlights several key concepts of
performance-based hiring by reforming the entire procedure to reflect the
way top talent truly searches for new positions, evaluates offers, and chooses
possibilities. Readers will learn how to hire for the future rather than the start date to
produce more effective outcomes in the hiring process. Through practical strategies and
proven techniques, Adler guides readers on how to attract, assess, and hire top talent that
aligns with the organization’s goals and values. Overall, this book contributes to
building a strong foundation from the start within leadership.
Chin, R.J. (2015). Examining teamwork and leadership in the fields of public
administration, leadership and management. Team Performance Management, 21
(3/4), 199-216.
This content analysis examines over 80 journal papers which discuss leadership in
teams with the goal of identifying existing patterns in the literature as well as concepts
needing to be furthered studied. The papers were categorized based on the type of team
stricture as well as the leadership style utilized. The findings suggest that there exists a
shift in the systematic approaches utilized by organizations as many are moving away
from an authoritarian style of leadership and embracing a teamwork approach which
solicits input from team member’s not just leaders, to produce successful organizational
outcomes. The author also implies that research in the area of teamwork and leadership
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across all fields is needed. The author was thorough in his analysis and clearly identified
areas, such as teams utilizing many leaders (shared leadership) coupled with the inclusion
of technology within organizations, as a starting point for continued research. This
content analysis contributes to the proposed research as it will help to establish known
leadership styles and team structures while highlighting the gaps in existing literature.
Cooper, M. (2005). The transformational leadership of the apostle Paul: A contextual and
biblical leadership for Contemporary Ministry. Christian Education Journal:
Research on Educational Ministry, 2(1), 48–61.
https://doi.org/10.1177/073989130500200103
This author offers both educational and leadership insights from the life experiences of the
Apostle Paul. Paul, being the most influential person during his time, having wrote over
half of the New Testament, centers his teachings on and around Christ alone. This is
helpful as we center education and leadership around Christ to form a biblically sound
worldview. Cooper chooses to highlight aspects of Paul’s life and his transformational
leadership influence he had on certain individuals, like Timothy. Who better, outside of
Jesus Himself, in both speech and deed, then the Apostle Paul to demonstrate with his
lifetime tested biblical leadership characteristics that the church can adopt and emulate
today. This article is beneficial to this paper because it outlines the essential aspects on
ministry leadership and God’s expectation from it.
Hartwig, R. T. (2015). Teams that thrive: Five disciplines of Collaborative Church leadership.
InterVarsity Press.
This book's greatest contribution is that it provides a framework for any Christian leader
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or secular leadership group that wants to start the process of making changes for the good
of your church, your team leaders, and the senior leadership within the organization. The
author is careful to point out that collaborative teamwork is not an easy task at first, but
with much discipline, teams can grow to become something extraordinary. Change is not
always easy but necessary for growth and success to take root. These changes could range
from simple adjustments to a potential overhaul. According to the author, “Teams that
thrive (1) believe that collaborative leadership is practically and biblically the right way to
lead, and (2) discipline themselves to practice the fundamentals ¾day in and day out¾that
makes a great team" (p.16). What makes this source beneficial to this paper is that the
authors believe that from thorough research, biblical principles, and church case studies,
churches of all sizes and traditions can flourish under sound team leadership. The outcome
from this research and effort presents a valuable tool that Hartwig and Bird have produced
that can encourage discussion and development for a flourishing team ministry.
Harvard Business Publishing (2022). Good leadership? It all starts with trust.
https://www.harvardbusiness.org/good-leadership-it-all-starts-with-trust/
There are many online resources available that highlights blogs, articles, research materials
that help aid individuals or companies looking for the latest trends in leadership and how
they can improve either their personal or professional lives. Abbey Lewis (2002) highlights
3 key components to what she believes are essential for building leadership trust in any
organization. She notes, “Trust is one of the most vital forms of capital a leader has today.”
Teams require a level of trust and confidence in those leading them. When leaders are able
to make those on their team feel safe to take risks, the outcomes tend to be more
successful. This source is beneficial to use because the trust relationship between teams
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and leaders makes the difference between effectiveness and success. Through
understanding on how leaders can build trust amongst their teams by being authentic,
transparent, and reliable, this creates dialog and connection that can help any organization
thrive.
Henry, M. (1706). Matthew Henry commentary on the whole Bible (complete) (Vol. 1). Bible
Study Tools. http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-
henrycomplete/genesis/
Biblical commentaries provide a level of depth and insight into the biblical author’s life
and writings to extract rich theological truths to live a transformed life. The work of
Henry’s commentary on the writings of Paul in Corinthians help to connect the dots on
how Paul was making a case for the fact that every person had a part in the role of the
church. This implication is significant to the overall requirement that teamwork in a
biblical mandate. As Henry mentions in his commentary, “By telling us that one body may
have many members, and that the many members of the same body make but one body (1
Cor. 12:12): As the body is one, and hath many members, and all members of that one body,
being many, are one body, so also is Christ; that is, Christ mystical, as divines commonly
speak. Christ and his church making one body, as head and members, this body is made up
of many parts or members, yet but one body; for all the members are baptized into the same
body, and made to drink of the same Spirit, 12:13” (Henry, 1706). This speaks volumes to
the fact that each person brings their own experience and skill to a team. Adding this
commentary as a resource will help to make the biblical connection to the mandate for
teamwork clearer in the theme of the overall paper.
Hertel, G. (2011). Synergetic effects in working teams. Journal of Managerial Psychology,
26(3), 176-184.
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The researcher in this article seeks to define the concept of synergy (process gains) within
the context of teams, as he asserts that research in this area is limited and the findings of
this study will add to the discussion on ways to effectively manage high performing teams,
while informing leaders of human resource themed approaches to drive process gains
within teams. It was found that there are 6 identified triggers of process gains in teams.
This research will be used to support the proposed thesis, specifically the need for effective
leadership to be able to foster collaboration, as this study provides a deeper understanding
of synergy/process gains and how this may serve as a catalyst for teams to exceed
performance level limitations. The study may be viewed as credible as the author clearly
outlined his purpose and utilized existing research to support the methodology for the
study. Findings were clearly discussed as well as the practical implications of the findings
and hopes for future research on this topic.
Issler, K. (2012). Living into the life of Jesus. Downers Grove, IL: IVP.
Klauss Issler is a professor of Education and Theology at Talbot School of Theology. In
this book Issler explores the transformational power of Jesus. Teams are effective when
there is trust, commitment and relationship cultivated from leadership. There is no higher
level of this than seen in and through the life of Jesus. The author provides his readers with
the tools necessary to move through the process of growth and move towards
spiritual formation with Christ. This is a practical guide whereby Issler intertwines
theology, philosophy, and educational theory to bring about a strong theoretical and
practical application. His book focuses on a detailed treatment of
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dependence of God and then moves forward to a focus of a model of Jesus as the model
of dependence and moves to a variety of way in which the Holy Spirt empowers
Christians. This book has been included as a resource for this paper because, it is
imperative that any leader have a strong and rooted spiritual foundation with Christ.
Being certain that leadership in ministry comes from a place that is deeply rooted in
spiritual formation will ensure that the team dynamic is also rooted in the same.
Klaic, A., Burtscher, M.J. & Jonas, K. (2020). Fostering team innovation and learning by
means of team-centric transformational leadership: The role of teamwork quality.
Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 93, 942-966.
This article addresses the practice of utilizing team-centric transformational leadership
and the teamwork quality model to produce innovation and learning in teams. Through an
assessment of data collected on 79 teams form universities in Germany and Switzerland,
the article found that three out of the four research hypotheses were proven to be true.
Specifically, there was a positive correlation between team innovation and team-centric
leadership, a positive relationship between team-centric transformational leadership and
member’s learning but no significant relationship between teamwork quality and team
innovation. This study demonstrates how one specific model, the Teamwork Quality
model (TWQ) and team-centric leadership positively relate to team innovation and the
learning process for team members. This study provides an alternate approach to aiding
leaders in leading innovative teams and will be used part of the review of literature which
speaks to important relationship that exists between leadership and teamwork. It should
be noted this study was focused on scientific teams and outcomes may vary for leadership
and teams functioning within the field of ministry.
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Lencioni, P. (2002). The five dysfunctions of a team: A leadership fable. Jossey-Bass.
Building teams is no walk in the park. In fact, Lencioni (2002) notes the difficulties
surround building a successful team yet highlights the point that it is not overly
complicated. By providing what the author believes to be five dysfunctions of a team,
backed from years of research and experience working with many top executives and
CEOs, when organizations fall prey to these five pitfalls, achieving teamwork falls through
the cracks. This book provides five key elements that any organizational leader and their
teams can used to build an effective team. According to Lencioni (2002), “Success is not a
matter of mastering subtle, sophisticated theory, but rather or embracing common sense
with uncommon levels of discipline and persistence” (p. 220). Overall, this book can make
positive change in leadership, especially within Christian organizations. By understanding
these five dysfunctions and applying the principles given, no matter what issues arise,
leadership teams have the upper hand in working together to set the tone for a focus on
results.
Lencioni, P. 2016. The Ideal Team Player. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
It is no secret that teams are just as important as the leaders placed over them. Leaders who
value collaboration should explain their dedication to the three virtues to all parties
involved, including church members, partners, suppliers, and leaders. Three characteristics
highlighted by the author are: humble, hungry and smart, which are aid in producing the
concept of an ideal player. When understood rightly and lived out practically, employees
are more likely to function cohesively in a humble, hungry, and intelligent manner, which
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helps set the standard for interactions with the organization. And when word spreads, the
organization gains a reputation for its culture, making it simpler to find followers and good
people to come to the organization. This book provides a great resource when evaluating
who’s on your team and how best to assess their abilities to learn and grow to become the
ideal player in any organization. Leaders must constantly point out when employees are
not doing as required for them to improve. This book will help leaders learn to do this and
how to form an overall effective team player.
MacMillan, Pat. 2001. The performance factor. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman.
MacMillian provides great insights on team strategies that are applicable at any level of
leadership. According to MacMillan (2001), when these strategies are
implemented in the correct manner, you are bound to benefit from the results. He sets
forth to describe the characteristics of a high-performance team and then outlines the
steps that the ways to be successful at growing a team to become high performing.
According to MacMillan, teamwork can be taught and the “Willingness to cooperate is a
critical first step in any team effort” (MacMillan, 2001). While he highlights tried and
tested proven theories and experiences, he does not neglect to mention any potential
setbacks along the way. However, he does say, “Teams and teamwork are not passing
fads but rather a fundamental shift in how organizations approach work” (2001).
MacMillan’s work is a asset to use as he points out the means to reaching the goal of
creating a high performing team. Not all of MacMillan’s views may align to having and
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maintaining a biblical worldview, MacMillan does make good cases for his work and is
clear on his intent for the roles of each person on the team.
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Team. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/team
Merriam-Webster is an online source for the dictionary. The Webster company was
established in 1828 by Noah Webster who was the founder of Webster’s. He published
his first dictionary in 1806. He hoped to help standardize American speech one day. After
his death, brothers George and Charles Merriam purchased the publishing rights. Today,
Merriam-Webster company publishes reference books and is especially known for
dictionaries. It is a trusted source for English word definitions, meanings and
pronunciations. It is always good to define and understand the root and meaning of words
when researching them. For this reason, the Merriam-Webster dictionary has been
included as a resource for this paper. Understanding the meaning of the word team is
essential to the research before writing about it. One may think that a team is just a group
of people. However, teams in the sense of the team dynamics in ministry is much more.
New American Standard Bible. (1995). Thomas Nelson. (Original work published 1971).
The Bible has much to say about leadership, character building, influence, and working
with people. While there is a plethora of other bible translations to choose from, this
translation is said to be the closest to the original manuscript. The Lockman Foundation
manuscript teams worked tirelessly to provide a near perfect replica that has been tested
and proven from 1960 until 1995 and is one translation many pastors rely upon. This
work will be beneficial as many scriptural references and examples will be used to add a
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layer of biblical support for leadership and what God expects from those in these
positions.
Meschitti, V. (2019). The power of positioning: How leadership work unfolds in team
interactions. Leadership, 15(5), 621-643.
The article describes the vital role of positioning in streamlining how leadership unfolds
within a team and seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the impact of interactions
between organizational members and how leadership arises. The article utilizes analysis
of ethnographic data collected on the group interactions of an academic research team, as
the goal was to address two primary research questions, namely identifying the resources
utilized during positioning and the impact of the positioning process on leadership work.
It was found that positioning: influences the power position, is applicable whether
communication is verbal or non-verbal, may be intentional or unintentional and shapes
the type of power positions created over time. The researcher provides a substantial
review of literature to support the definition of leadership work and how this may be
viewed as a discursive process, as well as positioning in relation to leadership work. This
discussion on positioning will be used to clarify the role of leaders in employing effective
leadership to promote successful organizational outcomes. Additionally, this article
examines how leadership develops through discourse. Within the context of ministry,
discourse is common practice; consequently, the need to understand how such
interactions influence leadership work is warranted.
Sanders, J. (2007). Spiritual leadership. Moody Publishers.
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Having authored several works over the course of 20 plus years, from topics ranging
from leadership to discipleship to Christian character, he lays the foundation for all
believers, providing wisdom and insight from several biblical leaders like Paul, Peter, and
Christ, our Lord. According to Sanders (2007), “The need for talented, vigorous leaders
in the church today cannot be overemphasized. Such times demand the active service of
men and women who are guided by God and devoted to Jesus Christ.” Leaders must be
competent, and the Bible lays out several principles for believers to grow and develop
leadership qualities for both the church and private lives. This source contributes by
adding biblical clarity and characteristics on the importance of spiritual leadership and
teams.
Stainbank, L.J. (2009). Working in teams: improving the team experience. Meditari
Accountancy Research, 17(1), 69-80.
The author, LJ Stainbank, examines cooperative learning (working in teams) within the
accounting field as a factor which influences the level of performance by students in a
team setting. The key focus of this research was to determine whether there was a
positive relationship between internal factors such as meeting management and
interpersonal skills on mark and viability and sought to compare findings to the previous
findings in existing research. It was found that there is a positive relationship between
these two internal factors and viability but no relationship with mark. The author
discussed research limitations such as the utilization of a single team project for the
purpose of the study. While this study is particular to the field of accounting, it will be
used to support the rational that helping one’s team shape these internal skills from a
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leadership standpoint, could lead to the creation of more effective teams, as team
members’ experiences of collaborative work may be more positive, should they possess
enhanced meeting management and interpersonal skills.
Staniforth, D. (1996). Teamworking, or individual working in a team? Team Performance
Management, 2(3), 37-41. https://doi.org/10.1108/13527599610126256
This article examines the concept of teamwork as the author sought to discuss the lack of
organizational alignment with the true meaning of teamwork, and the consequences for
organizations when individuals function individually within the context of a team as
opposed to demonstrating genuine teamwork. To support this position, the author first
discusses theoretical frameworks that support the need for delegation to help
organizations address shifts in the organizational structure. Such delegation requires
involvement from other organizational members, not just managers, and hence teamwork
becomes a vital component for success. The central focus of the paper is the discussion of
the practices (recruitment, selection, training, appraising, promoting and rewarding) in
which organizations are not truly attuned to the concept of teamwork, as the author
suggests that organizations tend to use processes designed to be applied at an
individualistic level rather than a team mindset. This article will be used to support the
discussion of teamwork as it relates to providing effective leadership, as competent
leaders should be knowledgeable of the distinction between teamwork and working as an
individual within the framework of a team. While the author did not include an array of
supporting references and discusses his views from an opinionated lens, this concept
must be addressed.
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Toler, S. (2013). Leader-coach: Developing effective ministry teams. The Foundry
Publishing.
Stan Toler combines his expertise in leadership and ministry to provide practical
guidance on cultivating a strong cohesive ministry team. By providing both biblical and personal
experiences, Toler provides his readers with real-world application and strategies by empowering
team members to reach their full potential. Toler emphasizes the dual role of a leader-coach by
blending leadership principles with coaching techniques, offering a unique approach to team
development. As a result, his approach fosters collaboration, innovation, and spiritual growth
within a ministry context. Toler (2013) notes, “team ministry refers to a group of church leaders
working together for the purpose of building God’s kingdom. These Ministry Action Teams will
be vital to the success of the church in this new century” (p. 15). Toler demonstrates how
effective leader-coaching can transform ordinary teams into high-performing, mission-driven
entities dedicated to serving a higher purpose. This work will contribute to the paper by
strengthening the roles leadership play in standing firm the biblical mandate to going and making
disciples for the kingdom.
