The Power of Team

I have often reflected that scripture reading tends to elevate specific individuals who loom larger than life in our imagination. Individuals who come to mind include Moses, David, Esther, and the Apostle Paul. However, we often miss the myriads of individuals in the background that contributed to their greatness. Aaron and the Elders of Israel strengthened Moses. David had his mighty men, so noteworthy that 1 Chronicles 11 records their name and feats of greatness. Mordecai supported Esther. The New Testament names more than 72 individuals who ministered alongside the Apostle Paul, regarded as his most important co-workers, supporters, and partners in the Gospel. Great acts of faith throughout the Scriptures are rarely the product of one person but rather the culmination of a team effort. The Apostle Paul teaches that as the Body of Christ, each believer is only one member of a larger body upon whom each member must depend to fulfill God’s purposes.

In the context of American history, two early pioneers, Lewis and Clark, could never have successfully explored the West, reached the Pacific Coast, and returned home again over two years without the team of dedicated and committed individuals known as the Corps of Discovery. Given the importance of a team and the potential synergy it represents in pursuing exceptional results, it is vital to understand the foundational attitudes and skills that ultimately undergird a team’s effectiveness. Cru’s longstanding team development framework, known as “Building Powerful Ministry Teams” (BPMT), successfully supports a team leader and team members in developing a powerful ministry team.

Так называемый Building Powerful Ministry Teams team development framework was adopted and licensed by Pat MacMillan and his consulting firm Triaxia Partners in 2009. Pat previously served as a Cru Board of Directors member alongside Dr. Bill Bright and Steve Douglass. Since then, 6,000 staff globally and nearly 1,000 teams have had the opportunity to participate in a team development workshop or have benefited from a team diagnostic based on the framework. The training curriculum is now available in twenty-four languages.

This framework answers critical questions that are vital for effective teamwork. These questions would include “How can a team formulate a common team purpose and strengthen the alignment of team members toward that purpose?” Secondly, “How can a team better clarify team roles and maximize the synergy of each team member’s
strengths and gifting?” Additionally, the framework addresses how a team can improve its processes, communication, and relational trust to build cooperation between individual team members.

If you’d like to engage in a team development workshop for a newly formulated team or a team new to the framework, or if you are interested in using the team diagnostic to evaluate current team effectiveness, please feel free to reach out for assistance by contacting our Building Powerful Ministry Teams facilitators at BPMT@cru.org.