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Excelling as a team – Part 3

By Chidi Okoroafor
30 July 2017   |   1:07 am
The role of the church in this 21st Century world cannot be achieved without the cooperation and collaboration of all the members of the body of Christ. Michael Mccartney said, “The Church (TEAM) does not exist for the member, rather the member exists for the church (TEAM).”

Chidi Okoroafor

Text: Acts 6:1-7; Acts 18:1-4; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Acts 18Key Verse: Psalm 133:1 “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.” (English Standard Version).
The role of the church in this 21st Century world cannot be achieved without the cooperation and collaboration of all the members of the body of Christ. Michael Mccartney said, “The Church (TEAM) does not exist for the member, rather the member exists for the church (TEAM).”

You cannot have a successful team without building relationships. When good relationship exists between each of the members, the Church is on its way to becoming undefeated. The key to revival is teamwork, and when a Church is functioning in this realm with different abilities put to work, then you have an unstoppable Church. If a church does not have teamwork, then it will die.

There is a difference between ‘Unity’ and ‘Teamwork’ – ‘Unity’ means to live together in harmony, which is very important. But ‘Teamwork’ means to work together as a team. Many can live together, but cannot work together; the ones who win the race are team players that work together.

John Maxwell in his book titled “The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player” states, “Great challenges require great teamwork, and the quality most needed among teammates amid the pressure of a difficult challenge is collaboration. Notice that I didn’t say ‘cooperation’ because collaboration is more than that. Cooperation is working together aggressively. Collaborative teammates do more than just work with one another. Each person brings something to the table that adds value to the relationship and synergy to the team. The sum of truly collaborative teamwork is always greater than its parts” (page 13, 14).

Benefits of Team Work
• Corporate Success: When a group of people works together towards achieving a common goal, it definitely leads to Corporate Success. No one-man company outlives the founder, simply because there is an absence of teamwork. The idea that two or more persons must form a company under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) suggests teamwork.

• Corporate Brainstorming: Teamwork generates creative ideas and solutions through intensive and interactive group discussion that help to achieve organisational goals. Teamwork helps you leverage on other team members’ skills and abilities to carry out an assignment successfully. Learn to lean on other team members, it pays, don’t always be a lone ranger. Ecclesiastes 4:12, “Although an assailant may overpower one person who is alone, two would be able to withstand him. Moreover, a three-fold cord is not quickly broken.”

• We gain perspective by having somebody by our side: We gain objectivity. We gain courage in threatening situations. Having others near tempers our dogmatism (high-handedness, dictatorial and autocratic tendencies, seeing your opinion as superior to others) and softens our intolerance. We gain another opinion. We gain what today, in our technical world is called “input.”

Here again, the Lord Jesus is our example. He never sent the disciples out alone. He sent them out two by two. Even when He wanted the upper room prepared for the last Passover, He sent more than one. In Luke 10:1, Jesus appointed 72 disciples and sent them two by two ahead every town and place where He was about to go. They helped to prepare the ground for Jesus, their Master. In Mark 6:7, Jesus sent His Disciples two by two, giving them authority to cast out devils.

• Working as a Team helps to reduce Burning out: Lack of teamwork causes burnout. The workaholic behaviour will not only work against the team effort, but is destructive to one’s own spiritual well-being and effectiveness. Take note, if you trace the causes of some death among the preachers of the gospel, it is as a result of burning out.

The book of Acts reveals that it takes a team to build a church. It takes a team to spread the Kingdom of God. The key to unlocking the door of revival is teamwork. To motivate and encourage teamwork, reward system should be put in place to reward good team players. This way, excellence is celebrated and institutionalised. Reward system will kill sanballat spirit and encourage a change of attitude to work in an organisation.
Today’s Nugget: The key to revival is teamwork.
Prayer: Lord, help me to cooperate and collaborate with other team members.
Prayer line: Send text only to 09078154261.
Dr. Chidi Okoroafor General Superintendent Assemblies of God Nigeria
E-mail: evangelgospel@yahoo.com

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