Dr. Richard Herman
Wheat Ridge Ministries

Just about everyone has a favorite athletic team. If you live in San Francisco, perhaps it’s the Giants or the ‘Niners. In Nebraska, it’s got to be the Cornhuskers. In New York, there are lots of possibilities - the mighty Yankees, the Mets, the Knicks, or maybe the Jets.

Our society’s focus on sports provides us with a variety of examples that help us form perspectives about teams. While we may want to “be like Mike” or be awed by Randy Johnson’s fastball, most of us really admire teams that achieve beyond what seems possible given the ability of individual players. Likewise, when teams perform poorly, we learn that the lack of team “chemistry” or the inability of a coach or manager to communicate effectively is often to blame.

Of course, sport is not the only activity that relies on the effectiveness of teams. Whenever people work together to accomplish a common goal, a team exists. Businesses use teams to accomplish their goals. Churches and schools, too. As in the world of sports, team health in any setting is critical to its success. An unhealthy team can very quickly affect production, lower morale, and impact the confidence of clients and customers.

The health of leadership teams in Christian churches and schools is especially important. Reaching the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ is a big job, requiring the best effort we can offer. In addition, church leaders are looked to as models. People expect pastors and teachers to exemplify through their work together a spirit of cooperation, effective communication, and positive, supportive relationships.

Realizing both the importance of effective team ministry and the challenge of developing and maintaining team health, Wheat Ridge Ministries is developing the “Healthy Teams Project.” This project provides resources to assist church and school leaders who want to grow in their ability to work in team relationships.

The Healthy Teams Project is built on the assumption that there are several components that contribute to the health of teams. These include:

ACCOUNTABILITY – Being accountable to self and other members of the team for carrying out responsibilities and following through on assignments.

CHARTER – Establishing a reason for the team’s existence.

DECISION MAKING – Making team decisions in an effective and appropriate manner.

FEEDBACK – Giving and receiving effective feedback as a member of the team.

NORMS – Establishing and articulating group norms as a tool for developing trust, openness and productivity.

ROLE DEFINITION – Understanding and appreciating the unique role each member plays in contributing to the team’s success.

SPIRITUAL RENEWAL – Helping each member of the team maintain spiritual health through the actions and activities of the team.

SYNERGY – Understanding the dynamic potential of interpersonal relationships and common tasks.

The Healthy Teams Project includes two major components. A Healthy Teams Website has been established to provide resources and a discussion forum for those interested in learning more about effective teams. The site can be found at the Wheat Ridge Ministries web site: www.wheatridge.org.

A series of Healthy Teams workshops is also being developed in partnership with CORNERSTONE, a highly respected human resource development training and consulting firm. These one-day workshops provide an opportunity for teams to learn more about the components of healthy teams and to explore ways they can grow as a team. A unique feature of these workshops is “on site” follow-up activities that will be provided for six months following the workshop.

Making your ministry team your favorite team requires commitment and hard work. The payoff isn’t a Super Bowl or World Series ring. It’s much greater than that! It is effective ministry carried out to God’s glory and for the expansion of His kingdom. And, it is the joy of experiencing strong and healthy relationships with others with whom you have been called into service. May God be with you as you seek to enhance the health of your ministry team!

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