{"id":738,"date":"2021-05-07T05:10:34","date_gmt":"2021-05-07T10:10:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/?p=738"},"modified":"2022-12-19T13:25:05","modified_gmt":"2022-12-19T19:25:05","slug":"teamwork-in-ministry-is-like-a-good-loaf-of-banana-bread","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/teamwork-in-ministry-is-like-a-good-loaf-of-banana-bread\/","title":{"rendered":"Teamwork in Ministry is Like a Good Loaf of Banana Bread"},"content":{"rendered":"

My wife\u2019s banana bread is one of my absolute favorites. While it is only a few simple ingredients, mixed together and cooked properly this recipe delivers a mouthwatering loaf of delicious and unforgettable banana bread.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Teams and teamwork remind me of baking. By itself a spoon full of flour is tasteless and fairly insignificant. However, mixed with the right combination of ingredients, flour becomes the foundation for a magnificent outcome. So it is with teams. Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.<\/span>[1]<\/sup>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Team – A Biblical Concept<\/h4>\n

Teamwork is a concept that fills the pages of the Bible. The phrase \u201cone another\u201d or \u201ceach other\u201d (both from the Greek \u201cAllelon\u201d), which is used almost 100 times in the New Testament, often indicates that God wants us to work together, live in fellowship, and be the body.<\/span>[2]<\/span><\/sup> In story after story we see God using teams, groups, or collaborations to accomplish great things for the His Kingdom. From God Himself as a Trinity to David and his mighty men to the calling of the 12 disciples, teamwork is a common thread.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As ministry leaders and pastors, we are often working with, leading, and developing teams. My hope, through the course of this 4-part blog series, is to observe this concept of teams in the Bible and to encourage and equip you to strengthen your leadership of healthy, productive teams.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To begin here are four truths about teams and teamwork<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Some tasks require teamwork<\/h4>\n

Have you ever tried to hang a light fixture or anything on the ceiling by yourself? It is nearly impossible. Holding your arms above your head for long periods of time while balancing a fixture, screwdriver, screws, and the installation manual\u2014it just doesn\u2019t work. Ceiling-based projects attempted alone are multi-injury opportunities waiting to happen!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam couldn\u2019t subdue the earth and fill it on his own. The apostles couldn\u2019t spread the gospel of Jesus alone. There are many tasks in ministry that require teamwork.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What task are you trying to accomplish alone that really requires a team?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

2. God calls us to do things corporately, not just individually<\/h4>\n

Some of us live in individualistic cultures. However, we are called to be people of relationship. God created us to work together with others. Perhaps the best example is the description of the Church in 1 Corinthians 12:14-27.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Paul describes the Church as a body made up of many individual parts. One relies on the other, and together they accomplish the mission of Christ.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why might you be choosing to work alone on something that is better accomplished together?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

<\/b>3. The Bible says two are better than one<\/h4>\n

\u201cTwo are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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.\u201d Ecclesiastes 4:9-10<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Shared successes and shared sorrows not only give greater encouragement and edification, but it\u2019s also how we are designed to live.<\/span>[3]<\/span><\/sup> Working as a team is far superior to working alone. Together we can accomplish so much more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Are there any ways you have limited others from joining with you to accomplish a certain ministry task?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

4. Teamwork multiplies our efforts<\/h4>\n

Did you know that one draft horse can pull 8,000 pounds alone, but when yoked with another draft horse, together they can pull 3 times more weight?!<\/span>[4]<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When people work together for a common purpose, the result is more than the sum of the individual contributions. Teamwork multiplies our productivity and success.<\/span>[5]<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How have you seen this come true in your past team experiences?\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your ministry Depends on it<\/h4>\n

As ministry leaders, it is crucial that we learn the value of teamwork. In doing so we will see greater results, learn from one another, draw encouragement from one another, and protect one another from mistakes. The success of your ministry, church, or work depends on it!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the next three parts of this series, we will look at particular Bible stories that illustrate teamwork and learn 8 key ingredients for team success.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\n
[1] https:\/\/www.teambonding.com\/power-of-communication\/<\/span><\/h6>\n
[2] <\/span>http:\/\/www.globalreach.org\/english\/images\/DA2103EN_L09.pdf<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n
[3] https:\/\/dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com\/ecclesiastes-4-9<\/span><\/h6>\n
[4] <\/span>https:\/\/timmaurer.com\/2012\/01\/16\/horse-sense\/<\/span><\/a><\/h6>\n
[5] https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/doc\/22349079\/Teamwork-The-Value-of-Teamwork-Core-Values-Lesson-12<\/span><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My wife\u2019s banana bread is one of my absolute favorites. While it is only a few simple ingredients, mixed together and cooked properly this recipe delivers a mouthwatering loaf of delicious and unforgettable banana bread.\u00a0 Teams and teamwork remind me of baking. By itself a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":742,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leadership-skills","category-eng"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=738"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":745,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/738\/revisions\/745"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/742"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/reconciledworld.org\/flourish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}