Teamwork in Ministry

Teamwork.

I think that is one of the best terms to use when it comes to leadership. When we lead as a “Lone Ranger,” it has the tendency to become more about our own agenda. I truly believe that there is so much more that can be accomplished by a good team than any one individual, especially when it comes to ministry.

We can read different verses in the Bible that tell us that about the importance of teamwork (see Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31). These are good words that remind us that not one of us has everything that we need to live the Christian life by ourselves. But I wonder do we miss the “other” teamwork that is needed?

When I read Colossians 1:28-29 this morning, something stood out to me like a neon sign…

We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me.

While we may think about teamwork as bringing others into the equation with their gifts, talents, and abilities, we may lose sight of the greater team. We were first invited to be part of a team… God’s team – where He is the leader and in control.

For ministry to truly happen as it should, it must be led by the Holy Spirit. The question arises: are we working with the Holy Spirit in the work of ministry, or are we trying to do it all in our own strength?

We need to guard against just doing things – even good things – in our own strength. This is God’s show and His work has to be done in His strength and leading. He has graciously invited us to be part and has said that He would use us. That is the only way that we will see God’s fingerprints on the ministry that is done.

What team are you working with?

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How important is VBS?

This week has been a wild one at our church. It has been VBS week. We have partnered with two other churches in our area to reach out and provide this great ministry to children in our community. We have seen some really good things happening. I thought that I would pose the question and give my answers to it.  The questions: “How important is VBS?”

For those that may not be familiar with the terminology, VBS stands for Vacation Bible School. This is typically a week-long event that includes singing, Bible studies, games, crafts, and more. I know that some churches have gotten away from the name “VBS.” That is okay. I don’t see the name “VBS” anywhere in the Bible, so you can call it whatever you like. I have been a part of churches that called it various things but the overall goal was the same.

I raise the question of how important is this type of ministry is from the direction of evaluation. I believe that it is important to constantly check and see if what we are doing is the most effective way to accomplish the goal. I know that there are those who think that because something was done 50 years ago then it needs to be chunked. I do not believe that to be true. It may need to be tweaked and updated some, but just because it was used by our grandparents does not mean that it should be thrown by the wayside.

Here are some valuable things that I have seen from VBS this year:

• Teamwork. There is no way that VBS could happen with just one or two people involved. It takes the work of many people to come together to make this happen. In our situation, we live in a rural area of north Mississippi. We had three churches in our area come together and pool our resources to make this happen. It was a beautiful picture of cooperation in a time when (sadly) we see many congregations “competing with one another.”
• Freshness. This might be my favorite point in this list. VBS is a chance to make the timeless message come to life in a brand new way. Our VBS has been telling the story of Joseph from Genesis. We have seen the children respond to seeing pyramids, palace guards, and the Nile River in a great way. It is not just reading it to them while they sit in seats. The message of the gospel must never change but the methods of sharing it have to as Ed Stetzer shares in an article. 
• Recruiting. In church work, we are always looking to recruit new people to join the team. Most churches run on the work of volunteers. It is important for believers to find their gifting and jump in where God is leading them. When churches have people that refuse to be their part of the team, the mission suffers greatly. VBS has proven to be a great way to let people get their feet wet with serving. It gives a leader the opportunity to see where some people can serve even when you never thought they would do it.
• Reality-Check. I have found that VBS can be a great reality check for churches. With so many things pulling our attention in various directions, it is easy to let some things slip from where they should be. It may not be intentional, but it happens. VBS can remind a church that the younger generations are important. If we do not pour into them when they are younger, then the possibility and opportunities to do it decrease with every passing year.

With all of that said, I believe that is clear of what my views are on VBS. I’m so thankful to the countless people who made VBS possible at our church for the first time in over a decade. May it bring a new day and new focus.

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Church Teamwork

This past Sunday at New Life Fellowship, we were blessed by the presence of a small group from the Church at Brook Hills.  I know a couple that is in this small group.  It's amazing how this meeting came about, but that is a topic for a whole other post.  The bottom line of this group being in worship with us this past Sunday was to meet our fellowship and meet afterwards with me about the possibility of teaming together to do ministry in our local area.

One comment that I made during the service was that it is a beautiful thing to see the Body of Christ coming together and working together to carry out the Great Commission.  I'm not sure where it all started, but it makes me sick when I see "churches" at war with one another instead of working together.  I have had the dreadful experience before in watching churches in a community fight over the same couple of hundred people, while many more hundreds in the area were not being reached with the Gospel at all.  I believe that I read somewhere that if one has trusted Christ as Savior and Lord, then they will spend eternity together with others who have worshipping the Lord.  If we are going to be a team then, why not start now?

Why is it that churches who practice the same faith fight and "compete" with one another instead of joining hands and helping bring about what Jesus prayed for in John 17?  I see it happen most when a congregation loses its focus on the task at hand (the Great Commission) and focuses more on building a kingdom for themselves.

I pray that we might hear the words that Jesus prayed so many years ago on our behalf...

May they all be one,
as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You.
May they also be one in Us,
so the world may believe You sent Me.
I have given them the glory You have given Me.
May they be one as We are one.
I am in them and You are in Me.
May they be made completely one,
so the world may know You have sent Me
and have loved them as You have loved Me. (John 17:21-23 HCSB)

If we do this, then maybe... just maybe we might see the Lord move in even more amazing ways than we are currently seeing.  Do we all have to look the same and use the same approach? Of course not! If we share a common belief though, then we should be building one another up and so showing the world around us a clear picture of Jesus Christ.

In what ways do you see the Body of Christ (the church) working together in unity?

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