Team Health

For teams to be effective, they require the right people and the right working environment*:

7. Communication makes collaboration possible. Communication from the council to the teams and from the teams to the council is the lifeblood of the church functioning as a healthy body.

8. The earlier teams can identify their goals and outcomes, the easier it is for the teams themselves to be focused on the work instead of personality issues or other distractions.

9. The primary role of the council should be support. At first, given our size, council members will need to take immediate leadership of the specific teams with the goal of “passing the baton” as soon as possible. Teams, if run properly, can take the leadership necessary to running the everyday life of the church. THIS TAKES TIME AND CONSISTENCY.

10. Teams that celebrate their members and accomplishments create momentum towards future goals and attract future members.

 

 

  1. The people on the team have to be given the authority to make and follow through with the responsibilities given. This requires the team to understand the church’s mission, vision, and core values as well as its collaborative role with the council.
  2. The people on the team have to commit to the team—to its purpose and to its people. Ideally, our teams should be between 4-6.
  3. Each team needs to create a specific vision for their area of oversight. When teams get excited about their part of the mission, they dream, plan, budget, schedule, and carry out their “vision within the Vision”.
  4. In order to do this, we have to emphasize core values that promote collaboration. This means, we have to teach people (or free them up) to collaborate when working together, interacting, solving problems, and making decisions.
  5. Teams help people to grow into their spiritual gifts. Teams become a part of discipling when led from a mature, Christian perspective.
  6. Teams need structure—that requires leadership at the team level and at the council level. Teams without leaders become dysfunctional and take away from (instead of implementing) the mission. The council needs to facilitate who is in charge and help keep that balance through servant leadership.

*Concepts adapted from an article in National Institute of Justice Journal, July 2004.