How Do You Build a Ministry Team?

Summary

Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.

Start with the philosophy — Ephesians 4: leaders equip, everyone shares the work

• The question posed (in the host's frame): on previous episodes of this podcast, you have taken time to stress the importance of team ministry. But I think one of the questions that comes out of those discussions is: especially if you're a small church — you're the pastor of that church, and his wife; maybe there's not a lot of people to build a team from. Or maybe you're a lay leader, and you're trying to start a ministry. You're in a small church, and it doesn't seem like there's a lot of volunteers there; not a lot of resources there, to help you. What advice would you give to the pastor of the small church, the ministry leader in a small church, who's trying — they love the idea of team ministry, they think that's a great concept — but they're looking around at their specific situation, and asking: how can I make that happen, in my setting? The answer opens with background: let me give you some background information, or reference material. I've written a book called Spiritual Leadership in the 21st Century, which talks about these principles. And also I've written a book called Growing a Church, which takes it step by step, from a small church, or a large church. And then, if you like more of a narrative, or story, rather than a teaching format: my recent book, Reaching Austin, tells how my wife and I started church from our home, built it to about a thousand people, at that time. About 16 daughter works — well, we did start 16 daugh works (as the phrase stands, in the text). But today there are 23 churches, in the new life Network. So that would give you a narrative of how we did that. I explain along the way, at each step, what we did. So, I think it starts with understanding the concept, according to Ephesians 4:11-12: that the ministry of the church is not designed to do all the work. The leaders of the church — the pastors, teachers, etc. — are not supposed to do all the work. They're supposed to train, and equip, and build a team, so that everyone shares in the work. So you start with understanding: that's your philosophy. You're not supposed to be a solo leader. Even though, when you're in a small setting, maybe the pastor, and the pastor spouse, will do most everything. But the goal, from the very beginning, is to build a team.

Scriptures: Ephesians 4:11-12

The planting story — do everything, then work yourself out of every job

• And so, my philosophy, when we started the church: yes, we had to be the key people, in every dimension. So, for example: we started having public services. My wife took all the kids, and taught Sunday school. I took the adults, and taught Sunday school. And then, when we went to the main service: my wife played the keyboard; I MC — I led the worship; and then I turned around, and preached. We didn't have any qualified ushers, so my sons — age six and three, at the time — were the first ushers. And then I would give an Altra appeal (altar, as heard), ask people to come forward to pray. I would keep my eye on the back door, because we would greet visitors, before church. But sometimes visitors would come in late. We wouldn't have anybody, to get their contact information. So, if I saw one of those late-coming visitors start to exit, I'd run back, catch them, try to get them to fill out a visit card (as the phrase stands). And then I would try to run back, to the altar area, to finish praying with people — but of course, when I left, they all quit praying. So, I'm doing everything. When we organized a ladies group, my wife was in charge. When we organized a music ministry, my wife was in charge. We organized a men's ministry — I was in charge. We organized an outreach ministry — I was in charge. We organized a youth group, and bought a church van. Well, I was the driver, that took the kids to rallies. So, but that's not supposed to be the norm. So, my philosophy was: I'm doing these jobs, but my goal is to work myself out of every job possible. Give it to someone else, so that I can then blaze the trail, in a new job. So eventually: someone else became the ladies' leader, instead of my wife. Although my wife was the best keyboardist: when we got more people, we rotated — and we got someone else to be the music director. And someone else became the outreach director, the men's leader, the youth leader, and so forth. So, the philosophy, from the beginning, was: the leader has to blaze the trail, and initiate activities, and events, and ministries. But the goal, from the beginning, is: work yourself out of as many jobs as possible. So, ultimately, for example: the pastor should focus on doing what only the pastor can do. And if someone else can do it just as well — or maybe not even as well, but 75 5% as well (the figure stands split, in the text) — then you train someone, and turn it over to them. You learn to delegate. So, delegation means: you have to share responsibility, but also share authority. And then you have to establish lines of accountability. So you don't just turn it over to someone, and forget it. But you have to have authority, equal to responsibility, and then accountability.

Shadowing, the leadership class — and the two reasons people don't delegate

• So, practically speaking, how do you do that? Well, informally — even before, even without telling someone — you try to get someone who is an assistant. Maybe an unofficial assistant. Maybe they're not qualified to be a leader. But you get people to shadow you, to share the load. So, if I'm teaching a Bible study, I bring someone along with me, to learn how to do that. If I'm visiting someone in the hospital, I bring someone with me. Or visiting in the home, I bring someone with me. In other words, I'm trying to train others — maybe young people, young adults, people who feel a call to preach, people who aspire to leadership — as soon as possible. You use official and unofficial assistance, with the goal that some of them will become future leaders. They will get some on-the-job training. So you're spending a lot of your time, in mentoring, investing. Even toward the very beginning, when you're doing most of the work, you have to think: I need to share the load, so I can extend my work. But I need to share the load, so I can train others. So, what I did, probably in the first year, is: I started a leadership class. And people didn't have to be leaders. But I would just say: if you feel like God is wanting to use you; if you aspired to leadership; if you feel a burden to be involved more, in the church: I've got a special class, for you. So: before our evening service, come one hour early. Or before our midweek service. Or just whenever it's a convenient time — or Saturday morning, whatever. I'm going to have a special class, on time management, this week. I'm going to have a special class, on how to teach a Bible study. And I would pick different topics. And eventually I put together, kind of like a curriculum, of leadership. And ultimately we developed a more formal system, where: if you wanted to be involved, in particular leadership capacities, you needed to go through this training, first. But we started informally.
• So, what I would say, is: to answer your question, it has to start with your philosophy. That your goal is to build a team. Your goal is to delegate. Your goal is to share. You can't try to control everything. You can't try to think that you can do everything. You know, the two reasons why people don't delegate. The first reason is: nobody can do the job, as well as they can. And while that may be true, in the beginning, that's not a good excuse. Because, ultimately, that means you're not training people. If nobody else can do the job, that's because you're not training people. And, as I said before: maybe you are the best person, in the whole world, to do the job. But that's not the goal. The goal is not perfection. The goal is: somebody can do the job 75% as effectively. That might be good enough. Because then, that frees you up, to do more. The second reason why people don't delegate ('getgate', as heard) is: they do think somebody can do the job, as well as they can. So that's where you have to get your ego out of the way. And you want to help other people succeed. And ultimately: I was glad the youth pastor could do a better job, with youth, than I could. I was glad the music director could do a better job, of music, than I could. I was even glad, the assistant pastor — if I was gone — could preach a good message. And somebody might say, that was the best message they ever heard. Instead of me getting offended, I'm happy. Because that means: hey, they trust him. He's doing a good job. I picked him. I trained him. So, what if he excels? That's what I want. So we have to have that philosophy, that concept. Then, on a practical level: start mentoring. Start using assistance, whether officially designated or not. Start some kind of training program. Some kind of shadowing program. And, if you do that for every job of the church, eventually you will develop a trained team. And then you empower them. And you have ongoing training, where: as the church grows bigger, the senior pastor, the leader, is investing more and more of his time, in the leadership. And then the leaders are spending more and more of the time, at the grassroots, ministering to the needs of new people, and discipling people. So the senior leader has to shift more and more of his focus, to investing in leaders. That's a brief answer (his own close).

Scripture index: Ephesians 4:11-12.