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He Chose Twelve - Part 2 Part Two: The Importance of Leading Through Teams And
it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray,
and
continued
all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his
disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Luke
6:12-13 KJV As
already mentioned in this series, Christian Leadership at any level is
more than a position, a title or a set of rules-it is a calling to divine
influence and effective change. Because of the eternal consequences
connected to those who follow their example, tremendous responsibility
rests upon the shoulders of every God called leader. As a student of leadership, I began to realize the value of teams many years ago. I still have the notes from a series of leadership lessons that I taught on teams back in the early nineties. Even though my understanding about team ministry at that time was very limited, I sincerely believed it was right and inspired of the Holy Ghost. I immediately began preparing our staff for the future with a sincere desire to transition our local church toward a correct apostolic model and structure. Little did I realize, however, the total scope and far reaching effect of that transition or just how important leading through teams would become to the church, and its ability to evangelize the world? Are Teams Really Bible? Any forward thinking leader striving to understand the times has to recognize that a leadership shift toward the use of teams has taken place over the past fifteen years. This is true both in the secular and religious world. Books on team building and leading through teams have become the primary subject of most leadership gurus of our day. By the close of the twentieth century, much of the corporate world had already made the shift and the church has been following right behind. After much prayer, I sincerely believed it was a God- thing even though I couldn’t totally explain why. In my quest to understand however, I had three primary questions that I had to have answered...
It wasn’t until about four years ago, did I really begin to understand the total purpose of the shift or its value. Little did I realize that not only are teams a biblical concept, but God is actually preparing the world for the church and the only ministry model capable of handling a world harvest! Let me explain… HE
Chose Twelve… The fact that Jesus spent all night in prayer before choosing HIS apostles reveals the importance HE places on leadership. The fact that HE chose twelve however, and not just one or two, reveals the value and importance HE places on teams. Selecting a team was the very first thing Jesus did after beginning HIS earthly ministry. Shouldn’t we follow HIS example? The farther we move into the 21st Century, the more the church will understand the value of Teams. Why Teams? There are two primary reasons for leading
through teams in the church:
Gifts…
Teams… and the Body “A man’s gift will maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” (Proverbs 18:16) Just as every member of the body is unique and clearly identified by its individual function, so are the systems or teams that make up the human body. Every single part of the body actually belongs to a team. For example… the circulatory system, the respiratory system, the digestive system, the cellular system, etc… are all vital teams with unique functions and purpose in the body. Under HIS direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As
each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so
that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. (Eph 4:16
NLT) Is there any part or system of the body that doesn’t have importance and purpose? The answer is an obvious no. The medical field has found that some of the parts that surgeons were quick to remove in years past were a serious mistake. As leaders, we must never devalue or minimize the importance of someone’s God given gifts. In the wisdom of God, HE structures His apostolic church by the gifts HE gives to each member just as HE did the human body. Different and diverse, yet each member is designed by God to work for the common good of the entire church. Spiritual gifts were never meant to operate individually, or for self edification; but in a unified team effort with and for the rest of the body. Do you know what your gift mix is (most people have more than one)? The primary purpose for identifying them is so that you will know where you can best serve in the body of Christ! Remember… whatever gifts you may possess are not for you alone, but for the purpose of the entire body! “How Did I Build MY Church?
While preparing early one morning to teach a leadership seminar in Yes, Jesus built a church by first building a team. Because of this, it is this writer’s firm conviction that ONLY through teams will the church ever is able to handle the last day harvest. Every other model is too self serving. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for God sets himself
against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble. So humble yourselves
under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you. 1
Peter 5:5-6 NLT Humility from each member to each member is the only way there can be true unity and teamwork. Humility working through a team empowers the service of each member and gives their gift a channel to flow through. There will never be true unity without humility. Everyone serving each other for one single purpose is the catalyst to effective ministry! Leading through Teams will be the ministry model that God will use for the last day Harvest! To be continued… Choosing the “Who” for your Team! T.ogether E.veryone A.chieves M.ore Contact F. Joe Ellis at: FJEWT@purposeinstitute.com HAVE YOU PRAYED TODAY?
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