Session 8: Better Together - Building a Called and Balanced Team for Church Planting

Importance of a Team in Church Planting

• Higher Success with a Team: Teams increase the likelihood of success in both business and church planting.
• Support and Encouragement: A team provides emotional support, shares burdens, and celebrates victories.
• Utilizes Complementary Gifts: Teams allow for a variety of skills and perspectives, enhancing effectiveness.
• Focus on Important Tasks: Working in a team reduces procrastination and distractions.

Types of Teams in Church Planting

Prayer Team

• Importance: Essential for spiritual support and prayer.
• Size and Confidentiality: At least 50 members, plus a confidential inner circle.

Advisory Board

• Role: Acts as outside elders to provide counsel until the church establishes its own leaders.
• Protection: Shields from outside influences and ensures decisions align with the church’s vision.

Partnership Coalition

• Role: Consists of individuals and entities that provide prayer, involvement, financial support, and advocacy.
• Details: To be covered more in sessions 10 and 11.

Core Group

• Focus of Today’s Session: Central team working day-to-day on starting the new church.
• Role Models: Jesus as a model for team building.
  • Preached the gospel, cast a vision, and invited followers.
• Diversity: Followers from diverse backgrounds, helpful for outreach and community engagement.
• Commitment: Members should have strong character, be good at their roles, and be generous.
• Variations: May include members "on loan" from partner churches.

Launch Team

• Temporary Focus: Helps in initial phases, especially starting worship services.
• Diverse Involvement: Not all need to be Christians, but key spiritual roles require mature believers.

Core Group Leadership

Importance of Right Leadership

• Multipliers: Leaders should recruit and train others.
• Servant Hearts: Leadership should be humble and service-oriented.
• Avoiding Wrong Leadership: Wrong fit in key roles can hinder growth.
• Making Disciples: Leaders should actively share faith and grow community.

Leadership Team

• Commitment: Leaders as committed as the church planter.
• Diversity of Skills: Should cover various ministries (worship, discipleship, community building, etc.).

Building the Team

Prayer and Discernment

• Spiritual Guidance: Pray for the right leaders using passages like Matthew 9:37-38.

Identifying Needs

• Spiritual Leadership Roles: Based on Ephesians 4: apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, teachers.
• Balance: Need diverse giftings for a well-rounded team.

Vision and Mission Alignment

• Clear Vision: Articulate a compelling and clear vision.
• Avoid Mission Drift: Regularly communicate and reinforce vision and mission.

Recruitment and Alignment

• Recruit for Vision Match: Ensure alignment in vision, mission, values, and doctrine.
• Expectations: Clarify roles, ministry plans, and operational procedures to avoid future conflicts.

Conclusion

• Unity and Cohesion: Necessary for growth and to avoid painful breakups later.