Leadership Skill: Team Building

Category: Leader Skills

As a leader one of your responsibilities is to steer the Body in following God's design and purposes for the Church. This is accomplished by modeling it in your own ministry, by structuring for it to happen, and by equipping others to align with God.
 

Biblical Basis for Teams in Ministry:

Just as the varying parts of the human body need each other to best accomplish its work, so the Body of Christ needs to function interdependently, like a team. (Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:12-27). God so designed the Church that it "grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (Eph. 4:16).
 
By following God's design you will:
  • accomplish more than if working on one's own in terms of possibly both quantity and quality
  • have varying perspectives brought to the table that help one see more clearly
  • bring a sense of accountability to individuals that help them and the whole Body grow
  • affirm and encourage one another in their walk with God
Leaders, due to personality and background some of you might tend to want to go it alone. You are either a more independent type or a perfectionist who is threatened by people wanting to do things a different way than what meets up to your standards. For others, you will tend to thrive on this kind of group endeavor. You are a people person or the type who looks more at the big picture. Regardless of your bent, you need to remember that God designed the church to operate this way.
 
Think About It:
How can you better line up with God's design without losing the uniquenesses He built into you?
 

Biblical Principles to Guide Teamwork:

  1. Assess and utilize the unique strengths/gifting each member brings to team and pull on that (personality, spiritual gifts, experience, previous training, etc.).
     
    ... It's not about losing ourselves to gel into a homogenous entity. (1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4:16)
     
  2. Accept differences of opinions as a valuable asset, not a liability.
     
    ... As you work through differences, you have a greater potential of arriving at what is best for all. (Phil. 2:1-4)
     
  3. Assume attitudes of servanthood.
     
    ... It's not about one person rising to the top and controlling, although you often will have someone who facilitates the process to keep you on track, but that is not a hierarchy in action. (Phil. 2:5-8)
     
  4. Acknowledge God in all you do.
     
    ... Pray and worship together so as a team you are trusting God for direction in all you do, not depending on yourselves. (Prov. 3:6-7)
     
  5. Align with the plan and purposes to which you believe God has brought you.
     
    ... Keep it about God, not you. Seeking to align with God over conforming with one another is the greatest deterrent to infighting or letting egos get in the way. (Isa. 48:17)
     
When you follow these principles you build:
  • comradeship centered around the Lord, not what you have in common or because you all agree
     
  • communication based on honesty, not to appease or avoid conflict or manipulate people to one's point of view
     
  • collaboration aimed at finding what's best, not merely compromising to fit individuals' agendas or get something out of it for one's self

This is a team that makes a difference for they have learned to adapt for the glory of God and the advancement of His work.
 
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