Team Development - Part 2

Your Spot in the Big Picture

In Team Development Part 1 we sought out our individual calling/purpose in our role as a team leader. Now it’s time to take that piece of the puzzle and figure out where it fits within the bigger picture. Why has God called you to this particular church or organization? How will your role connect your area of responsibility to the rest of the picture?

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Philippians 2:1-2

Before you begin building a team, you need to be clear on the vision for the full body of Christ within your church and you need to be comfortable with what part God is calling your team to play in that bigger vision. Don’t expect the leaders of the bigger picture to tell you your role. You need to be able to tell them what God is calling you to do so that all of you are moving in the same direction with Christ.

Here’s a bit of my philosophy of women’s ministry. I picture women’s ministry as somewhat of a service station along the highway. To be fully effective as part of the church Jesus prayed for in John 17:20-23, women’s ministry cannot be viewed as a separate entity from the rest of the church. God calls us to be united, not segmented. Therefore, women’s ministry should always aim at meeting the unique needs of women so that they can better function in the full body of Christ.

The church where I served as volunteer women’s ministry director had an exciting vision to be a church for those who were turned off by traditional churches. As with most churches in that era, they had the three letters that represented the various aspects of ministry. Basically those areas in any church relate to introducing Christ, discipleship, and getting involved. The twist for this church was to make the message of Christ hit the needs of people who wanted more than to be known as someone who attended church. (Yes, this church was located in the Bible belt where that mattered.) Many, including me, had a history of being skeptical or disenchanted with church. They still had questions but wanted answers that go beyond what I call “Sunday school answers.”

The task for our women’s ministry, then, was to anticipate the unique questions women ask in each of the areas of finding Christ, discipleship and getting involved? You can adjust the question to fit the unique vision of your organization and your team. The point is to focus on what God is doing in the lives of those around you then allow God to use you to blend your specific ministry into this bigger picture.

Here are some ideas for finding your ministry’s spot in the bigger picture:

• Read the mission statement for the church.
• Discuss the vision with those who are most directly involved in determining the direction for the church. They may not call it a vision. You may want to word it this way, “If everything goes as you expect, describe the people that will make up this congregation a year from now, five years from now, ten years from now?”
• Develop a relationship with the decision makers. Even if you are a volunteer, create a plan to meet regularly one-on-one with the staff position responsible for your ministry. Keep this person informed of what is going on and what dreams you have for the ministry. Find out what dreams he has for his bigger area of responsibility. What would he like to see happen in your area of ministry? Pray with this person each time you meet.
• Be an observer. Ask God to open your eyes to what he is doing in your church. Who are the women in your church? What God-potential do you see in them?
• Listen as an advocate. If you were the typical women in your church (not a leader), what questions, thoughts or actions would the weekend message stir in you?
• Put it on paper. Either in words or with a picture, show how your ministry fits in the bigger picture. This may be parallel list showing each of the areas of ministry then a column showing how the church meets that need and another column showing how women’s ministry meets a unique need of women in that same area.

Don’t expect instant change. If you are leading an area with a long history, don’t be discouraged by the slow pace. God will lead you in the specifics day by day. As the leader, he has given you the joy of a glimpse of the big picture. Remember the leaders of the Old Testament listed in Hebrews 11 – Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses’ parents, Moses, Joshua and Israel, Rahab and many more.

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Hebrews 11:39-40

Next month we’ll look at the organizational chart and how it serves as a lure in casting vision.

Are you hungry?

Even though Hannah was honored by her husband with a double portion, she could not enjoy it because she was so tormented by her adversary. How could God allow this? Notice it was God, not the devil, who closed Hannah’s womb. Why? I believe God closed it to create a divine hunger in Hannah, one greater than a child could satisfy, one only He could fulfill. (Lisa Bevere, Discover Your Inner Beauty, 65)

How long have you been hungry for the things you ask of God? Has your hunger changed? Are you seeking a temporary satisfaction or are you seeking to be filled by God?

Bevere’s quote above easily applies to women longing for a child but it can apply to anything you are seeking from God. Are you seeking relief from or answers to your pain or loneliness? To the unjust actions of others toward you or toward someone else? What do you see as the outcome of your request?

Year after year she [Hannah] prayed for a son. At first her motive might have been, “God, give me a son for my husband’s name sake.” Then it may have changed to, “God, give me a son because of my adversary.” But when it became, “God, give me a son, and I will give him to You,” God gave to her the desire of her heart. (Bevere, 66)

Watch out. You may be tempted to read that and think “oh, if I pray and say I will give this child (or whatever it is you are asking for) back to God, he’ll give it to me.” As I tell my kids, it’s not your behavior, it’s your attitude that makes a difference.

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Yes, I believe God wants to give his children the desires of their heart. As a mom, there is no better joy than seeing my kids excited about getting something they have longed for. But when their desire is against God’s will, I pray they will not receive it because I know that the struggles that follow will be much more painful than the shallow desire of wanting it. And it may not be the object itself but their motive for wanting it that makes all the difference.

What are you hungry for? Is your desire bringing you closer to God? Are you childishly demanding your way or are you seeking to know God more intimately through your growing hunger?

Are you working for God or with him?

“When we work for God instead of with God, we lose sight of God’s character, nature and perspective. Our motives become distorted and mixed. We become religious (serve God our way instead of His), legalistic (by the parameters and restrictions of man), judgmental (critical of all outside our understanding) and proud of our own accomplishments (‘look how hard I have worked’).” Lisa Bevere, Discover Your Inner Beauty, 62

Have you been there? I have. Maybe I can help you recognize it.

Are you often stressed out because you can’t get everything done? Are you trying to save the world? “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Read Matthew 19:23-30

Do you see people as the battle and obstacles to your efforts? Our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Read Ephesians 6:10-18

Is God’s saying “no” more than “go”? Read James 4:2-4

I’ve been in church all my life. I have been active and growing with Christ for over 16 years. My husband and I have attended and been leaders in a variety of church affiliations. But it wasn’t until seven years ago when we began attending a seeker driven (that differs from seeker sensitive) church that I realized how I had been trying to work for God rather than working with him.

Seeker driven churches are not trying to make truth comfortable. They simply bring up questions that many traditional churches have quit asking.

It was in this setting that I looked around me and realized that regardless of where any of us are in our relationship with Christ, we all desire the same thing. And that is to understand our role in this world – we are all seeking truth.

I miss the conversations of the seeker driven church. It seems that anyone I talked to – believer or not-yet-believer – we asked questions of ourselves and of God. We were always open to learning something far outside the box of man’s traditional ideas of who God is and our relationship to him. In the seeker driven church I attended, there was always a sense of experiencing God in unexpected ways.

Ok, maybe I’m “painting pictures of Egypt” (great lyrics of Sara Groves). Maybe I’m only remembering what I want and leaving out what God wants to show me where I am today. Confession: it’s not what was lacking then, it’s what I’m lacking now – community.

Here’s the point I’m wandering around: when we live as seekers of God instead of servers for God, we fall in love with Christ instead of ourselves.

So, are you seeking God or are you seeking accomplishments? Do you want to impress God with what you do for him or do you want to walk hand in hand along a sunny beach with Him – listening to his dreams for your life together?

Be his Bride and enjoy the romance.

Is Jesus Coming for a Wife or a Bride?

I love this question posed by Lisa Bevere in Discover Your Inner Beauty. She uses an entire chapter but I can’t wait to blog about this one section of comparing Adam and Eve to Christ and his bride.

Here’s some snippets:

“John [Lisa’s husband] did not ask me to marry him because I was a good cook, a great mother, a good housekeeper, a wonderful helpmate or financially responsible…. He married me for one reason – companionship.

“God brought Eve out of Adam’s side for this same reason…. God put Adam into a deep sleep and removed a rib from his side, which God used to create Eve. Then God presented her to Adam. Eve had been hidden in Adam all along.

“In the same way, the Father has prepared us as the bride of Christ. The death of Christ…brought forth His bride, the church. Now we, as the bride, anxiously await the marriage supper of the Lamb where we will see Him face to face and be joined together with Him forever.”

I’m not doing so well in the areas of housekeeper and helpmate these days so it is refreshing to be reminded that my husband did not marry me for those qualities.

The same thought can apply to our relationship with Christ. He didn’t die so that we would serve him. As Bevere points out “we can do nothing of eternal value apart from Him, so it is foolish to think we can do anything for Him. We only produce what is acceptable and life giving when we work with Him.”

When there is laundry in the dryer or a dish washer that needs unloaded and my husband is sitting on the couch after a long day at work, sitting beside him for companionship is much more enjoyable for both of us.

Is your relationship with Christ like the joyful days of engagement before your wedding or is it more like the tiresome days of raising a family and keeping a house? We are only a bride for a short time. But the wedding that is coming will be like none other. Once we are the wife of God’s only begotten son, there will be no more sorrow, no more dirty laundry.

Enjoy the engagement!

God, what is it that you think about me?

This question was presented by Sara Carlisle at Vineyard Columbus Women’s Summer Series last night. It’s a great question especially following the question she first encouraged us to ask: “How do I think about God?”

Most of the time, how we think about someone greatly influences our impression of what we think they think about us.

For example, several years ago I worked in an open office environment – lots of desks in one big room. One day a co-worker said something to me that still impacts me 17 years later. “Lisa, you think everyone likes you don’t you?” Stunned at first, but my response came from my heart and it applies today both in positive and negative ways. “Well, yes. I like everyone. So I assume they like me unless I give them a reason not too.”

You see. How I think about someone greatly influences how I think they think about me. Neither may be accurate but it impacts my attitude toward everything in life.

With God, I can read his word and discover that he loves me… unconditionally. There is nothing I can do to cause him not to love me.^[*] If I let that truth sink in, it will influence my response to everything that goes on around me.

So, how do you think about God? Before the next question, ask God if what you think about him is true. Now, ask God what it is he thinks about you. Keeping your mind on the truth of who God is and what he thinks about you will change the way you experience today.

Keep Growing and Sowing,

Lisa

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^[*] Romans 8:38-39

Team Development - Part 1

Praying for Clarity of Your Purpose

For the sake of this column we will assume that you already have a daily routine of meeting with God for personal growth and guidance. If not, please talk to a spiritual mentor about exciting ways to seek God according to your personality.

You know the emergency instructions reviewed each time you board an airplane. If the cabin pressure changes, those little toy-looking air masks will drop down. If you are traveling with someone who needs assistance, who gets air first? YOU! Why? Because you can’t help anyone if you pass out.

The same concept applies to Team Development. You cannot assist others in understanding their role on the team without first establishing clarity of your role.

Your individual purpose is, most likely, not the same as the vision or purpose for the ministry itself.

For example, when I was a volunteer women’s ministry director in a church with weekend attendance of 1700, the stated purpose of the women’s ministry was:

to assist women in getting to know God in such a way that
their daily life becomes a divine experience

The role of the women’s ministry director was:

To encourage the women God calls to the team
to use their giftedness as He desires

Alone, I could not assist a large number of women in getting to know God. However, I could encourage a team of gifted women called by God according to the gifts he placed in me.

Seek God’s guidance with these questions to help you clarify your role.

• What unique passion, gifts and/or desires has God given you for leading a team?
• Are you a big-picture motivating leader or an in-the-details working leader?
• How can you best assist others in their giftedness?
• What does God want to teach you in this experience?
• Have you noticed a specific scripture or recurring topic in your quiet times?

Staying focused on your individual purpose will allow others to respond to God’s calling on their life. This brings about unity and it provides clarity for the world to see the Body of Christ at work.

May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17:23

Articles to Come:
Team Development – Part 2: Your Ministry’s Spot in the Big Picture
Team Development – Part 3: Flip the Organizational Chart
Team Development – Part 4: Work with What You Have
Team Development – Part 5: Healthy Team Meetings

Why do we pray?

“I found that I’d been saying, in effect, ‘Keep me from trial or tragedy or pain or anything that would make me really grow and become a man of God. Just give me a convenient, happy, satisfying, problem-free life.’” (Bill Hybels Too Busy Not To Pray, Second Edition 1998, Downers Grove, IL: pg 106)

Maybe it is this culture of quick fixes, but I think it is easy to fall into this concept that prayer is about getting God to make this life easier. If so, that would mean this physical life is the most important part of existence - indicating that prolonging a comfortable life is our goal. This leads to the conclusion that man and God are failing because the odds of physical death currently stand at near 100% and many of those deaths are painful to the one dying and to those who love them.

So there must be another reason for prayer.

Since the Garden of Eden, the Enemy has pursued us with the desire to possess and destroy all that belongs to God. The fullness of God was ushered into this physical world through Christ. Luke 19:10 reports that Christ came to seek and to save that which belongs to God. Like a soldier planting his country’s flag to claim the land, God has planted his flag – the Cross of Christ. This is the essence of the spiritual war we have been born into.

John 17:17-19 indicates that Christ has enabled us to continue his work. There are many wounded from the war. Some have been deceived by the Enemy. Our job is to push back the Gates of Hell, usher in the presence of God, and seek and save the lost and wounded - reclaiming what is God’s.

It is not God’s kingdom that we are preparing for. The kingdom is already present. We are preparing for the greatest display of God’s power when He ends the war and totally annihilates the enemy. In that day there will be no more fear. No more pain or sorrow. The restoration of a new heaven and earth will be complete - an earth that never again needs fixed.

So why do we pray? I would like to suggest the purpose of prayer is to report the casualties and receive our marching orders from the Commander in Chief.

It’s important to remember the cause of the war. If we focus only on the comfort of our unit, we will continually get flanked by the enemy. Do you really want to prolong the world as we know it? God could wipe out the Enemy now if he wanted, but “bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation” (2 Peter 3:15). Are you ready to see the Enemy destroyed along with all those he has captured?

Our physical death is imminent. The war and our purpose in this life is to reclaim what belongs to God before the Enemy and his possessions are wiped from existence. They will not be present in the new heaven and new earth. Let us pray that God’s presence would overpower the Enemy not only for our comfort but for the cause of this war. May we ask for His strength and boldness every day to seek and save the prisoners of this war.

Related Scripture References:

Matthew 16:18 Pushing back the Gates of Hell

Luke 19:10 Reclaim what is God’s

Colossians 1:13,17,19 Ephesians 3:13-19 Usher in God’s Presence – once fully in Christ, now in us

Philippians 1:6 Preparing for Christ’s Return