Using Your Team Values for Discipleship
Those of us who lead ministry teams know that part of our job is to disciple team members. But let’s be honest, this is easier said than done. In the busyness of preparing services, scheduling, rehearsing, tech issues and the many other details of preparing quality worship times, discipleship seems to take a back seat.
But what if the very culture you develop within your team is fostering discipleship?
The following is condensed from my upcoming book on leveraging resources in creative teams teams:
I’ve come to believe that while the operational goal of our team is to help people experience Jesus through worship, I also use the functions and systems of the creative arts team for personal discipleship. At Crossroads we settled on five core values for our creative arts team: love, timeliness, preparedness, sense of fun, and excellence. Learning to practice these values is useful for the team, of course, but that is just a training ground for the rest of life. You can use these values for discipleship.
Learning how to love one another in Christ is a big part of discipleship. This involves teaching people how to tell the truth to each other in love, how to give and receive compliments and criticism, how to always believe the best about others, and how to disagree but remain friends.
For many people in our western culture, basic life skills are lacking. It’s probably been that way for all time, but it feels to me that our technology has emphasized it somehow. The ability to follow through on a commitment. The ability to be on time. The ability to prepare privately for a public role. When people are held to the social contract of the team, they begin to build these skills, which are directly transferable to other areas of life, both professional and personal. For example, expecting timeliness and preparedness for rehearsals and services provides a framework for learning these skills in a friendly environment. Try learning how to be on time and prepared at work. It doesn’t work. In a work environment, these skills are expected to be in place already. But I’m willing to help people learn timeliness and preparedness while serving on the team, because I know I’m helping them grow.
Of course, it’s possible that people do have these basic life skills, but don’t use them when volunteering at church. That is a different problem, but it’s also a discipleship issue. Our spiritual life, which includes serving, deserves our best effort. Helping people understand that truth strengthens their faith journey and builds their personal integrity.
Serving should be fun. If it’s not, either the team isn’t healthy, or people are on the wrong team. Part of discipleship is learning to enjoy serving Jesus and discovering the benefits of serving. Having fun doesn’t mean the role isn’t challenging. Rather, if a person’s talents, skills and desires are lined up with a complementary serving opportunity, there should be a deep sense of satisfaction. Serving should bring joy and should energize a person rather than drain them. A team made up of people experiencing this phenomenon is exciting to lead.
And once again, this is simply a training ground for other areas of life and is transferable. I have known many people over the years who got stuck in roles they were not suited for, especially in their careers. Giving them a chance to feel what it’s like to effectively use their talents and skills can be a step toward positive realignment in other areas.
What are your team values? Can they be used for discipleship?
If not, you’re missing a simple but effective way to increase the discipleship quotient through your team. Of course, Christian discipleship is more than personal integrity and learning to love others…but it’s a strong start!
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