Synergy is a really cool word!
Synergy is defined as: the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements!
Do you want a synergistic ministry? Our individual attitudes and spiritual habits are the foundation to being a contributing member of a ministry team that has synergy. Below are a few characteristics of a healthy TC ministry team to think about and discuss. These are characteristics that we see in God’s word.
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many… But God has so composed the body… that there may be no discord in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” 1 Cor 12:12-14, 24-27
Effective communication
This is the bedrock to a healthy team! We can have a tendency in TC ministry to assume that everyone knows and understands what’s expected and where we are headed. The truth is we can get busy with the day-to-day whirlwind and forget easily that we need to communicate. Good communication does not just magically happen because we are a Christian ministry.
“Good teams are able to succeed in accomplishing their objectives because they communicate well. Teamwork is a coordinated effort directed toward a common objective.” –Doug Burrell
Doug goes on to illustrate with this story:
“I recently attended field day at the elementary school where my children attend. The three-legged race provided some interesting entertainment and a good example of the need for communication in a team. I noticed that the winners weren’t always the fastest or the best athletes, but who best coordinated their efforts. The top finishers would take the time to talk, rehearse their strategy, talk again, and rehearse again before they began the race. Those who didn’t spend some time communicating provided some good laughs for us parents.”
Good communication takes discipline and an intentional effort to make it happen and to keep communication lines open. Vision, goals and direction must be clearly communicated on a regular repeated basis. Make communication a priority. Your ministry team will be healthier and stronger as a result.
At a minimum, good communication includes clearly defined and written:
- Vision
- Goals
- Roles and responsibilities
Mutual concern and trust
Galatians 6:2 “Bear each other’s burdens…” The team members need to have one-another’s backs! This is sometimes called lateral service. Serve the other team members. It is exhibited by a willingness to occasionally do someone’s job or help them clean-up a mess they have made.
Patrick Lencioni says that trust is the foundation to an effective team.
Humility as an authority and under authority
1 Peter 5:2-6 “Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor. In the same way, you younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for God opposes the proud but favors the humble. So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.”
Enough said.
Recognition that we all bring different gifts, skills, and abilities to the team
We can’t all be quarterbacks! We all have different strengths and weaknesses and we all contribute. Jon Foreman from Switchfoot says, “What is more Christ-like? Feeding the poor, making furniture, cleaning bathrooms, or painting a sunset? There is a schism between the sacred and the secular in all of our modern minds. The view that a pastor is more ‘Christian’ than a girls’ volleyball coach is flawed and heretical. The stance that a worship leader is more spiritual than a janitor is condescending and flawed.”
Rom 12:4-8. “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”
The teacher is no more important than the work supervisor, the cook or the night duty staff. All are in positions of influence with the students and one another.
Cooperation
Acts 1:14 “They all joined together constantly in prayer…”
Acts 2:1 “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”
The miraculous happens when we cooperate! We are all on the same team with the same goal and mission! It takes a willingness for some give and take on the part of each individual.
Resolution of conflicts
I think it is important to remember that we are modeling for the students what healthy relationships look like. This includes the ability to resolve differences in a healthy manner. Conflict on teams will happen. To ignore issues and try to cover them over will result in a sick, unhealthy ministry!
Conflict can be a result of selfishness. It can also come as a result of staff members who are deeply passionate about their part of the ministry. When dealt with properly conflict is an opportunity for changes and improvements to ministry effectiveness. How leaders respond to conflict defines their leadership effectiveness. Most conflicts can be resolved in a healthy way by simply addressing the issue quickly and directly. It is important to have a safe environment for staff to talk through disagreements.
However, I am compelled to add this. I may get in trouble for saying this but I proceed anyway: If you have a bad attitude towards the leadership you are serving under and you cannot surrender your attitude to God or, you are unable to resolve it with your leader, it may be time to move on. A negative attitude can’t be hidden for long. It affects not only you, but the team and the ministry.
Effective Communication, care and trust for one another, humility, recognition of what each person brings to the team, cooperation and conflict resolution are all characteristics of a healthy team. Healthy team relationships create the environment where synergy develops and great things happen for the kingdom of God!
Think about it
Have a “let’s get real” ministry team discussion:
Discuss each characteristic separately asking ourselves:
- How are we doing in this area?
- What steps can we take to improve?
Recommending Reading: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni
