One way to offset our cultural tendency toward individualism is to be part of a team ministry, whether this is associated with a church or with a ministry organization. The gospels tell us about the team Jesus built around Him, and Acts and the epistles show that the apostles followed His example by ministering in tandem with others.
A team ministry provides fellowship, interdependence, encouragement, division of labor, cooperation, synergism, and a broad gift mix. Members of a ministry team commit to a common cause by covenanting together to fulfill a vision and mission. They also commit to a community (each other), and this partnership creates an environment of grace and mutual bonding as they purpose to walk together in peace and trust.
In any team ministry, it is normal to encounter a creative tension between the individual and the community. But the diversity of many projects can be brought into the unity of a larger vision that contextualizes these projects and is too big for one person to achieve.
It is wise to count the cost of being a team player, and this includes the conscious choice to focus on others’ positive attributes in light of a commitment to an ongoing relationship. A team requires the interpersonal chemistry of like-minded, sympathetic collegiality and mutual respect. When the members meet together, they encourage each other and “stimulate one another to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24-25). Team ministry relates to the need for corporate spirituality.
Taken from Ken Boa’s Handbook to Spiritual Growth
