It Takes A Team

Mike, Tye, Mark, Kim and Brian

It's been a good morning. I've started a once-a-month group called A Bagel and A Book. We had the first meeting this morning at Panera to discuss the book, The Wisdom of Teams. I love learning together in community, so times like this morning are energizing for me.

The premise of the book is that organizations and groups of people are more effective when they work together as a team. A team is defined as a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable.

And though the Bible does not use the word team, the concept of teamwork is reflected throughout Scripture. The Trinity, the 12 disciples, Paul's missionary teams, the metaphor of the church as the body of Christ and many more examples show us the importance of working with others in order to accomplish our mission.

So why is true teamwork so rare? Because working effectively as a team requires humility. Teamwork by it's very nature means that I need others, that I can't accomplish my performance goals by myself, that others can do something better than me and add value to my life, that I don't have all the answers, and that I can't and don't control everything. Teamwork requires commitment and trust and a compelling vision and goal.

This coming year, I'm committed to becoming a better team member, a better team leader and a better servant leader. It's a joy to do this together with people you love and trust - my family, our church staff, the many wonderful ministry leaders and members in our New Covenant church family. It takes a family to raise a child; it takes a team to lead a church.