One of my least favorite classes in elementary school was Physical Education, particularly during the sessions dealing with team sports. While I LOVED playing organized sports, mostly football, it was during the P.E. sessions that we would pick teams. I was not the most athletic child, and I have vivid memories of standing there, hoping to be picked, praying to be chosen, only to be left standing there, until everyone else was selected, and I was assigned to a team by default. This is usually how things are done, particularly if your aim is to win, you pick the best player first. There is not a single person I have met, who wants to be in that group…the “I guess we have to take Bill” group. No one wants to be picked last because as “theologian,” Ricky Bobby in “Talladega Nights” reminds us: “If you ain’t first, you’re last”.
But have you noticed how Jesus picked his team, how he selected the first disciples? He turns picking upside down and uses the approach, the first shall be last and the last shall be first – “the least of these” approach. It doesn’t appear, on the surface, that Jesus chose the best and the brightest for his world transforming movement. But give it some thought, because that rag-tag team of early disciples shaped and shared a movement that has circled the globe and extended thousands of years.
So how do you pick a team, as Jesus did, to transform your church and your community? It starts with one powerful question that was originally shared with me by the Rev. Dr. Rodney Smothers: “Who will do this with me?” At the heart of this question is the realization that, if we want to make a difference in life, if we want to have an impact, then we can’t do it alone; we need other people serving alongside us. Jesus didn’t need the disciples to accomplish the mission God sent him to fulfill, and yet he chose them anyway, knowing the importance of empowering others to serve.
So what should we look for as we assemble a team? Here are a few thoughts:
- How many people should be on any given Team? Often we use the axiom, “the more the merrier” when assembling a team. We think we need a lot of representatives, but when we look at Jesus his core team was 12 and his inner circle was 3. The more people you have on a team, the more communication lines you have, the more challenging it is to process information. More important than the number of people is having the “right” people on the team so that there is a diversity of thought and a plethora of ideas.
- Look for the helpers. I remember this bit of advice from the PBS program “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood.” Look for people who help out before they are asked. These are the people with a natural servant’s heart. They aren’t looking for the spotlight, the recognition or the next rung on the leadership ladder. As one pastor remarked: “It’s easier to teach a servant to lead than to teach a leader to serve.”
- In Patrick Lencioni’s helpful book “The Ideal Team Player,” he writes that you want people on your team who are humble, hungry, and smart.
- A humble person listens to others, is modest about their own ideas and opinions, doesn’t insist on their way, engages in discussion, and puts others first.
- A hungry person is someone who is passionate about the work of the team. They don’t have a personal agenda, but the best intention for the group.
- Finally a smart person has nothing to do with their intelligence or education. You are looking for someone who has people smarts. They are people who are able to have difficult conversations, work through misunderstandings, come across as loving, and help others to communicate their thoughts.
As you build your team, always keep this African Proverb in mind: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
Now it’s your turn. As you have read the Jesus Stories (the Gospels) what have you noticed about him forming a team? What do you look for in team members? What would you add to our list?