Celebrating the Pastoral Team

Howard Bixby

The following is reprinted with permission from Paraklesis, a publication of Baptist Bible Seminary. The article first appeared in the Winter ‘08 issue.

As we move into the spring months each year in the USA, we are keenly aware of a variety of athletic teams vying for championships and superior accomplishments. Winning teams are teams that understand, complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and work well together to accomplish significant athletic feats.

Likewise, when pastors on a church staff or missionaries on a field together learn to work as a team, significant ministry results will be accomplished. In the early church, this concept was repeatedly demonstrated in the book of Acts and the God-given results are noted there. In the New Testament church, pastor/elder/bishops worked together to serve the Lord and His church.

God has given the church a plurality of gifted pastors/elders to provide training, motivation, example, and leadership. It is crucial that they be able to work together as a team. It is a poor testimony for a church staff to carry on a ministry while they are bickering, being jealous, or not modeling love for each other before the people.

Teamwork is vital in the USA church or in the mission field church. The Body of Christ is to be an object lesson of the benefits of team work. Here are some suggestions for building and celebrating the pastoral team:

Discussion

Inside Steve Stratford's Head

KevinM

Steven Joseph Stratford, the director for institutional research at Maranatha Baptist Bible College and a pioneer in integrating computers into church ministry, died on Saturday in Watertown, Wis. He was 52.

Discussion

Internship or Summer Mission work suggestions

Teri Ploski
I’m not sure if this is the correct forum, but my son is looking for an internship (paid preferred, but may be willing to take unpaid) or summer missions work. He’s a junior at Southwestern College - ok, not a fundy college, but still a pretty good one, as far as I can tell - and is seriously considering missions work in the future. He’s likely to end up in seminary somewhere (I’ve recommended Dallas, because I know a lot of pastors from there), but until then would like some exposure to other opportunities.

Discussion

Feed My Starving Children for Haiti

Daniel
My wife and my small group signed up to do Feed My Starving Children today. The group we were with broke the million meal mark, which was their pledge for this week.

If you live near a site for this organization, you really should take the opportunity to do it at least one time. Not only was it quite fun, but you feel extremely good about yourself afterward.

Discussion

Music class for ministry members

EMJ
Hello folks. A longtime SI lurker posting a question here.

I recently re-inherited the music director position at my church. I was music director in the past from around ‘93-‘99. Our choir has grown to about 30 people, and I see a challenge with many of the choir members not having any clue as to music theory. We have a great group of folks, but it’s discouraging when we constantly spend time going over what are really simple rhythms, dynamic changes, and phrasing.

Discussion

Correspondence school

Todd.Semko
Hello, I’m up in Edmonton Canada, looking for a good Bible Theology correspondence course. Anyone able to point me in the right direction?

Discussion

Haiti: Earthquake relief

Jim

Are you or is your church doing anything by way of earthquake relief for Haiti?

If so: Through which organizations?

Discussion