Teamwork really does make the dream work!

Teamwork still makes the dream work!

How many times have you endeavored to get a job done and realized that if you had others working with you that it would be a “Heck-of-a-lot” easier? It may have been in accomplishing a project way too big for one person to begin with. Or even in leading a small organization or church group. Hey, even guiding a home ladies (gents too!) I mean, sometimes even the children can lend a hand to get the dishes done or the laundry folded! It doesn’t have to naturally fall on mom (I’m not trying to be politically correct hereJ). My point is this “Leadership need not be such a lonely and burdensome task when there are others who are capable of assisting!” Sounds simple huh? Well, it would appear that more and more “leaders” are dead set on doing things all on their own thereby not allowing others to grow. Sometimes as a leader you have to allow others to help even if they only get it half right at times. Then you praise them for the effort!

Here’s the CLUE …

My interest in biblical leadership and administration has often brought me to the apostle Paul. Paul in several places lists the qualities for effective leadership and administration. On a few occasions he stressed that there should always be unity, order, and harmony in the Lord’s church (1 Corinthians 1:10-10; 14:33, 40). As an administrator Paul literally “wrote the book” on choosing qualified personnel, training them, and setting them over assigned tasks. Passages such as 1 Timothy 3:1-13; 2 Timothy 2:2; Titus 1:5-9, stress the importance of faithfulness, hospitality, teaching ability, good family life, respectability, etc for individuals desiring leadership positions in the church.

            Part of the reason the apostle Paul was so effective was his ability to work well with other people. How many horror stories have you heard of the “associate pastor/minister” and the senior pastor/minister never getting along because one or both of them were insecure of themselves and worried about their positions? This usually narrows boils down to a lack of proper communication. In an article I recall reading, the author shared several ways to improve communication and overall work environment among pastors and associate pastors. (I cannot recall the article as it was for a class project some time ago)  He suggests (through various interviews) that associates and others working with senior pastors need among other things: clear areas of responsibility, praise, public support, and social “hang out” time, i.e. just spending time together. He rightly stated that a healthy relationship between the senior and associate pastor is crucial to the life and ministry of the church. 

We see this clearly in the Apostle Paul’s relationships with his younger associates Timothy and Titus. He left Timothy at Ephesus and Titus at Crete to “set things in order” i.e. teach, train, and lead, but before that, he spent time with them … teaching them … giving them time to grow and learn from him (2 Corinthians 12:18; Galatians 2:1; 2 Timothy 2:2; 3:10-17; Titus 1:5).  Is it any secret that the churches we read about in the bible were taught to work together and share responsibilities with each other? As Paul spent time and taught his young associates, he instilled in them the idea of teamwork. Teamwork or shared leadership is a mark of a healthy church, group, home or organization. The traditional standards of “Top-down leadership” only, may have worked in the past, but leaders today will not survive without teamwork and shared leadership experience. Teamwork really does make the Dream Work!
You now have the CLUE!