Terry and Sandy Kreuger with three of their children relocated to Denver, CO in June of 2010 where they serve on the NCMI Trans-local team as well as the Church Planting / Leadership Team of Redemption City Church.
Just a quick blog post on the value of team. Having church planted and been involved with many other church plants I am more convincend than ever that some right thinking about team will help us and acclerate us, while wrong thinking on the matter will slow and impede us.
It fascinates me that after some of the high profile disasters of the past in the greater church that there are still some who question the value of ministering in team! There are unfortunately also those who even though they may have a verbal commitment to team they live outside of the team reality. As Dudley Daniel was fond of saying “There is a difference between having a team and being a team” His thought, by my interpretation is simply that there are those who in spite of their verbal and physical appearance of team in actuality stand outside of that team with little or no input from the team as well as little or no real accountability.
Team in our context is simply two or more people whom God has put together to walk in unity and mutual accountability to achieve a task.
I believe this to be true of all teams, secular or spiritual. I tell the boys on the rugby team that I coach. “You guys are only accountable to yourselves - if you can walk off the pitch able to look each other in the eye say ‘I gave my best’ thats all we can ask of you”
Unfortunately many leaders in our day prefer the ‘Lone Ranger’ model even though he had Silver and Tonto so even there we could make an argument for team.
I am fully convinced that God never intended for one man to carry the load of ministry by himself and that is why we have seen so many leaders overcome physically, morally, emotionally and spiritually. God has ordained ministry to be a team effort.
Lets look at some Scriptures ...
Let us make man ... Gen 1
“us” ... God the Father
God the Son
God the Holy Spirit
Jesus had the 12 apostles
Peter and John - Acts
Phillip, Peter and John - Acts 8
Paul and Barnabus - Acts 13+14
Paul Silas and Timothy - Acts 16 1 Thess
There are many more examples i.e. Mosses and the seventy .. Davids Mighty Men but for the sake of time and space lets leave it there
The first and most important aspect here is that we are in ‘team’ with Christ himself
Mark 16:20 ... Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
Team ministry of and active, ongoing demonstration of body ministry
1 Cor 12
Team can more accurately find the heart of God and present truth than a single voice
Matthew 18:19 ... “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
As the church grows leaders can become “unquestionable” subtly sending a message that what they say goes. Even though the team may have in-put and debate, at the end of the day the team does what the leader says EVERY TIME! It is a short step from ‘unquestionable’ to ‘untouchable’. Once we get here then we have a team rather than we are being a team!
Team is more effective.
Eccl 4:9-12 ... Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Team is a protection for those in team as well as those the team is ministering to.
Prov 11:14 ... For lack of guidance a nation falls,
but victory is won through many advisers.
but victory is won through many advisers.
Lets remind ourselves that team is Gods intended plan for ministry. Rather then ridiculing it or spending time trying to find our way around it lets embrace it - see God bless it - live in the benefit of it and complete the task he has assigned us!
