VISION OF THE POSSIBLE- CHAPTER 3
Overview
Working in teams and team building are discussed. The biblical aspect of team building and the inherent social need to share in such a difficult task is covered along with the stages of a team being built from the start.
Comments
The concept of a team brings forth thoughts of warm images of togetherness and partners on the field as you watch the book of Acts unfold in your people group. The reality is, as we all know, that statistics tell us one of the top reasons for leaving the field is problems with co-workers or teammates. What a sad statistic this is and how Satan must love these problems he sees amongst fellow missionaries. We REALLY, REALLY need to encourage one another on our team even though we may live 10-15 hours apart. Phone calls and emails can mean a lot(something I need to be doing more of to my teammates). I understand and agree with his assertion that teams are biblical as there is ample evidence of this in the Bible but I also understand organizational limitations to not send 2 or more families to small population people groups. Workers are few and the job is large to reach all people groups. Thus, our reliance must come with national partners. This most likely will be more difficult and maybe not as “comfortable” as with a fellow missionary from the states but is necesary and we have a decent chance of seeing quicker success if we can achieve these valuable relationships with national partners. I don’t have a lot of field experience but I do have a few national partners that are helping me in my ministry here and have proven to be successful.
His notation on the gifting of Barnabas and Paul and how they used their different gifts to spread the gospel and complement each other was noteworthy. In our ministry, (not counting national partners) our team consists of my spouse and I and we are different and have been gifted by God differently. We have seen in the states and more so here how our gifts complement each other and can be used by the Lord. As Sinclair points out, we need others to help us mentally and spiritually and our spouse can and should do this but I believe a man/man or woman/woman accountability program is important. This can be achieved in a team setting where families live close by but not always depending on the personalities involved. In a perfect team setting it is happening but in the real world where there are actually teams living in close proximity, I imagine it is still not happening a lot of the time. Unless one can find a good, open and trusting relationship with a national, email and phone accountability partners with a team member from a distance probably is an answer although it is not easy to do. On a personal note, I will say I am proud to serve with my fellow team members and cherish the relationships we have built over the last several years and continue to have even though we are scattered in various locations across Mexico.
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Teams are critical, especially in the pioneer stages of church planting where realistically, the unbelieving national’s part as a like minded player on the team is necessarily limited. I feel like the bottom of pg. 33 and pg. 34, the section titled, “One person can’t do it”, makes very good points about team work and the biblical model for it.
Team and teamwork are seen differently by many people. Some would see Barnabas going to Cyprus and Paul going to Asia Minor (pg. 33) as being a team, because they know each other and have the same ultimate goals (They are just spread out to “get more done in less time”). To me, “team members” of this nature may more accurately be called friends and associates.
Others see a team as being a group of workers plopped in one area working independently often with gifts that don’t complement, cooperating for occasional events and having “team meetings”. This fulfills an organizational commitment to have “teams” in the field, but in my opinion is problematic, and does not result in true teams. I have heard this type of team described well as an “administrative grouping” (a gathering of independently functioning missionaries that report on the same piece of paper, try to share a budget, and gather for “team meetings” each week).
Successful teaming ideally needs members who are gathered for their complementary gifts, applying those giftings in a coordinated fashion locally to the same strategy. Their work may be very different, but needs to TOUCH the work of the other team members to be a team. When a “team” is working and the gifts of one member in the field do not remotely touch the work of others on the team, I believe we are talking about associates and friends, but not team members (again…an “administrative grouping”). In a functional team, members feel the impact (+ or -) of others work and giftings on their own efforts.
Confusion and frustration can occur when part of a “team” sees the team as an “administrative grouping”, and the other parts see it as a complement of giftings committed to touch each others work in a positive manner for the purposes of God. It all comes down to the definition of team.
We value greatly the joint trainings and times spent together with the Indigenous Team. Donny has done a great job making us feel as much like a team as possible, given the distance and differences in our jobs/language groups. We did not have that in our previous IMB experience, and can testify to the positive difference it has made for our family.
As the newest members of our indigenous “team” let me say that we’re glad to be here serving with you. We still haven’t met everyone and I guess it will be a while until we do. While we may be called a team, I would say we’re closer to what Tom calls “administrative grouping” because of our distance from each other, the fact that we work with different people groups, and since we don’t get together regularly (once or twice a week!) for team meetings. I think because of our distance from each other, we won’t have the opportunity to complement each others’ spiritual gifts in our daily work. At the same time, I know that we’re not “lone rangers” because I can call each of you for support or to bounce ideas off of.
I’m glad that we’re not lone rangers because I hope that there will be lasting fruit in our ministry (33). Sometimes a certain individual with a lot of charisma can see a lot of immediate fruit, but when they are gone the ministry fades away. With a team approach (especially with national team members) the ministry has a greater chance of continuing as well as future fruit harvests.
As far as the four stages of team development, what stage do you think our team is on? Does this stage change when new members join a team? I know that we’re still in the forming stage. Because of our distance from each other do you think our team will reach the performing stage? Is it possible to skip the storming and norming stages?
Because we work distantly and essentially independently, I don’t think we have had to pass through the forming, storming, norming, performing thing quite so systematically. The way I have felt about our trainings is more like all my cousins are all getting together for a working reunion. I love it and it has been great. I really appreciate the way Donny has facilitated that with our style of training.
I think you will find that you are joining something a lot better than just an “adminstrative grouping”, even though we rarely get to work together as what I think of as a team. Great things lie ahead!
OK. We are reading the book too. It has been beneficial.
Here are my thoughts/comments.
Intro./Ch1. Sinclair stated (his 5th core conviction) that the Bible was the most important guide for Church planting. So, I stopped and read my Bible. However, I did not feel very “inspired” by reading Macabeos in Spanish.
Ch2. Having trouble here. My EBay account is frozen and I cannot bid on one of those nifty blow-up churches. I guess I will just go and work on this reproducible “DNA” stuff.
Ch3. I believe that our concept of team is a little different than the one presented in Ch. 3. Who should Melissa call when I break a water pipe? By the way, what is the IMB’s idea of team?
Looking forward to the family-working reunions.
I agree that our generation is more “into doing things as a group”. Great chapter.
Hi all!
I have been in the internet abyss known as ILC this week so I have not been able to post very often. I also did not have my copy of the book with me as I incorrectly assumed that it would be available in the library here. I guess it is too cutting edge
I will try to comment from my recollection of the chapter read several months ago.
To answer the question of how do we see teams as an organization I believe that the answer would be many different ways. You will find teams of nationals, teams of short-termers, and occasionally teams of long-term m’s serving around the world. Mostly I believe you will find teams made up of a mixture of nationals and expats.
As far as who to fix your plumbing… didn’t read the fine print on the job request??? You are supposed to be an expert plumber, electrician, and car repairman. That just comes with the turf. I should have asked for my union credentials after one term in the DR because I could do everything from wire the house to change a control arm on a car.
How do we see ourselves? Good question. Obviously we have gone to great lengths to help build an extended team throughout the field. Is that always possible? No but we have given it our best effort. One of the things we should be about is to multiply ourselves with a team of nationals. Sometimes we start without a team and build one as people come to Christ. This is a slower approach in the beginning but the payoff is huge. You build in good habits from the start.
This week someone told me that how you start planting churches is how you finish. I have been thinking about that for some time and I would have to agree. He also said that it is harder to change an existing structure (church) than it is to start from scratch. Having been there, I can say that it doesn’t always feel easier while you are in the dry beginnings.
So… where do we fit into the administrative grouping or team scale? No idea but we probably don’t clearly fit any mold. Rarely do things in real life fall in the black or white area, there are many more shades of grey. We have pro actively tried to build in helps and work towards similar goals just in different locations and people groups. Reality is that we have many more locations and many more people groups to go.
Enough for now. To quote my favorite branding commercial… Just Do It! Or wait… my favorite is Do the Dew but that doesn’t work very well unless you are in the Conner’s neck of the woods!