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Why Teams Are Important
Because it provides opportunity for ministering together, involves energy and passion,
accomplishing great things for the lord and gives chance to encourage one another.
Team or working together is a key to succeed in any leadership, organization, ministry,
etc.
Three reasons we need to build a team in church leadership
Biblical Leadership Model
1. The trinity models teamwork – the Creator of the universe works as a team which appears in
the opening chapter of the Bible.
2. The body of Christ work as a team – not only does God work as a team, but he calls his
church to function collaboratively as well. One of the most prevalent images of the church in
the New Testament is that of the body of Christ.1
3. The second reasons is one person cannot do it. True leadership reflects the power and success
of a team, rather the abilities of a single individual.2
4. The third reason is we need to stay vibrant in body life relationships ourselves.\
Applications for Building Teams
1. Selecting Teams
a. Character which includes integrity, honesty, reputation, and teachability – willing to
receive correction, criticism, and feedback.
b. Chemistry – ability to get along with fellow team members,
1 Hartwig, Bird, and Ferguson…, 44.
2 Veldsman, Theo and Andrew Johnson. Building Leadership Talent: Perspective from the Front Line, (KR
Publishing, 2017), 98. ProQuest eBook Central.
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c. Competence which means the ability to do well that which is require of the team
member.
d. Creativity which is natural for them to do things fresh and different.
2. Developing Team Purpose
Team purpose helps us to model the right behaviors, and it helps connect to a high
meaning.3 Five principles for developing team purpose which call five Cs.
1. The first C is clear – does the team’s purpose paint a clear picture of value?
2. The second C is compelling – do team members view the purpose as consequential?
3. The third C is challenging – to accomplish the purpose, is each member of the team
required to contribute in a meaningful and interdependent way?
4. The fourth C is calling-oriented – does accomplishing the purpose help members
accomplish God’s calling on their lives and pursue their goals?
5. And the last C is consistently held – do the members of a group truly know the group’s
purpose and pursue it with fervor?4
a. Remember that the purpose of our leadership or ministry team must be crystal
clear, as everything else hinges on purpose.5
3. Disciplining the Teams
There are three major principles for disciplining the teams and the first one is
1. Life and time management – helping our team members construct a weekly calendar.
2. Leadership development which includes servant-leadership, moral leadership, spiritual
leadership, and transformational leadership.
3 Ibid…,
4 Ibid…, 104.
5 Ibid…,
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3. Spiritual formation – helping our teams establish a daily time with God. They need to
practice worship in private. As a leader, we need to help them by demonstrating private
and public worship in our times with them.
4. Making the Team Successful
Apostle Paul gave us principles for making the team successful.
1. Listen to win – listen to each other. In 1 Corinthians (9:19-22 NIV)
2. Learn to love the diversity of giftedness. Ephesians 4:16
3. Look for ways to promote unity – In Romans 15:5-7
4. Learn to separate methodology (and preference) from theology 1 Corinthians 3:8-9 (NIV)
5. Live to glorify the Lord. John 17:1, 3-5
Daniel also addresses eight practical tips for making teams successful in his book A Vision of
the Possible
1. Team leadership – the best team leaders are those who are strong, secure, and gracious in
their exercise of leadership.
2. Oversight and coaching from outside the team.
3. Careful recruiting
4. Godly relationship and unity in the team
5. Being willing to change the makeup of the team
6. Keep focus on the ministry God has called us to.
7. Oneness of ministry objectives.
8. Strategic use of our time together: study the Word of God together, pray together, and
take time as a team to communicate together about all aspects of the work, and to plan.6
6 Ibid…,
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