Ministry Teamwork!
July 30th, 2014
One
of the most important facets of local church growth and success is the
embracing of teamwork. Great churches are those where a large group of people
have covenanted together to play team ball. Sometimes we could make the call
without the help of others. Sometimes we could save everyone the hassle and fly
solo. Sometimes however, this is not the case. Being a good leader does not
necessarily make us a great team player, even when we need to be. Some of the
best leaders in the church whom I know personally are somewhat difficult to
work with and for, and I would include myself in that assessment sometimes.
Are
you a good team player? Do you have to be the big fish in a little pond, or are
you willing to be a good team member, even if it means you are a little fish in
a big pond? The size of the success you and I get to be a part of is dependent
upon how well we can play on a team. What could we offer the people on our team
that would help us accomplish the Lord’s mission together? I truly believe that
some focused attention in a few areas will result in exponential fruit. So what
should our team expect from us?
CHARACTER
Character
matters so much in teamwork. Our talent and our charisma will only take us so
far. We cannot be all talk; our character must be rock solid. Having character
does not mean we are flawless. Character means we are faithful and dependable.
We do not miss church. We do not take shortcuts. We can be counted on. Pastors
and ministry leaders ought to model a way of life and a level of integrity
worthy of being followed. That is such a serious responsibility. Character must
be a measure of our success. Without godly character, we ultimately fail to
honor God.
We
should fervently want our lives to be lives without concealed cracks. I do not
want to paint over flaws, hoping the cracks will never be exposed. The very
idea that we would try to hide character flaws and secret sins proves that we
often measure success by what people think about us rather than by what God
thinks about us. This should hit us all very hard! Character is a life without
concealed cracks.
CARE
People
do not care what you know until they know that you care. This is so true in
teamwork. With so much on our plates, we often do not show our love and support
for others. Our tendency is to value excellence in our project over the needs
of our team. Our tendency is to use people to get ministry done. The great
temptation for those of us who are highly driven is to overlook the personal
lives of the people on our teams and focus only on the contribution they make
to the team. In so doing, we fail to love and care for them the way they
deserve. The result just might be a wake of destruction left behind us, while
we forge ahead to change the world for Jesus.
The
best way we can show we care is to strive for accessibility. Accessibility is
one of the key ways we can communicate care to our team members. Overcrowded
agendas often mean leaders stay behind closed doors or stay booked with
appointments much of the time. This makes us largely inaccessible to our
co-workers. People need to know they can call us, email us, or get ahold of us,
and that it will not be viewed as an interruption.
CLARITY
Nothing
is more important to teamwork than clarity. We do not intend to, but we often
focus on our vision to the crowd and neglect to reveal that vision to our team.
We wrongly assume they just “get it.” Our team deserves clarity about both our
vision and our expectations. How can I hit the target if I do not know what it
is? Mapping out distinct goals and setting definitive deadlines gives everyone
a clear understanding of what the expectations are.
CONVICTION
Passion
and authority—these are the things Jesus brought to His team. To many,
Christians are complainers and do not live or lead with conviction. We must be
passionate about what we do. We need to let our team members know that we love
them, the Lord, our church, and the task that is before us. They need to see us
sitting on the edge of our seats in meetings and planning sessions as we
discuss the mission and future direction of our ministry. I love legendary
Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi’s quote, “Either you get fired with
enthusiasm or you will be fired with enthusiasm.” That will sure help our
teamwork!