Ministry Teams

From Transforming Church
Article by Gregg Burch

Team is one of the most misused terms in the lexicon today. How many times have
we seen church committees renamed teams, and nothing else changed? I have worked
in groups, both at work and church, my whole adult life. The typical output was
a total not equal to the sum of the parts. Most groups I experienced operated
somewhere between 40-90% of the potential of the individuals. Hence, the
expression, “A camel is a horse designed by a committee.”
Teams, on the
other hand, are about synergy. Look at the great sports teams. Everyone
contributes out of their strengths, or they are not on the team. Everyone is
clear about their role. They pursue team goals, not their own agenda.
Expectations are clear. Norms of behavior are important. It is a rare church
committee that exhibits these traits.
I never experienced an effective team
until my EMBA at Georgia State University from ‘96-’98. Our cohort of 50 had to
self-organize into work teams that would stay together for the entire two years
of the program. Often, team projects made up the majority of the grade for a
class. Through a very intentional process of developing a covenant, clear roles,
expectations, consequences and norms, five of us bonded into a wonderful team.
Our work projects emerged from dialog on the team among very diverse people.
Dialog is equal parts inquiry and advocacy...

http://www.transformingchurch.com/resourcetoolbox/2005/10/the_body_of_chr.php