A45 How to lead a team at church

Practical help for beginners

First published on this website in June 2019 and last updated in May 2023

Synopsis

Churches include all kinds of so-called teams, such as a Finance Team, a Newcomers Team, a Ministry Team. But should a Music Group not be a team, and can even something like a Church Council seek to work as though a team?

This article investigates what a team really is and gives practical help to anyone who leads one, especially those who have not had opportunity to reflect on the distinctive nature of team leadership.

It starts by listing four features that turn a group into a team. It then demonstrates the biblical foundations for working together and lists typical church teams.

A second part warns against common misconceptions, both concerning the use of the ‘team’ word and especially relating to team leadership. Does the leader need to be the most senior member … and is it better for them to chair team meetings or not? Why do teams need to be small?

The third and main part of the article lists eight pieces of advice for leaders:

1. Hold everyone to the team task and vision
2. Identify and model the team values
3. Build the personal relationships
4. Demonstrate your leadership role
5. Understand individual and team needs
6. Identify and utilise team roles
7. Enable team development
8. Make team meetings special

This Article has been updated in May 2023 with some minor amendments to the layout.