March 29, 2024
Teaming, Team Leadership

The Track Team on the Mission Field

This entry is part 4 of 7 in the series Types of mission teamsIn a previous post, we talked about the three main types of teams found in our mission organization.   When new missionaries think about teaming, they are generally thinking about what we have called a basketball team.  Basketball teams work together closely and interact frequently with each other about their various ministries. But many of our mission teams are more like track teams than basketball teams.   Track teams have a common purpose and team members support one another, but each person on the team works independently. They generally do not do ministry together.  For many of our track teams, each team member works in a different church, a different ministry project, or even in a different town.  While they are geographically close enough to one another to make it feasible to meet together regularly, team meetings are relatively… Read the whole post
Teaming, Team Leadership

The Basketball Team on the Mission Field

This entry is part 3 of 7 in the series Types of mission teamsIn our last post, we talked about the three main types of teams found in our mission organization. Now I would like to discuss each of these three types in more detail. Basketball teams work closely together and interact frequently with each other about their various ministries. Planning must be done as a team because most of the key ministries involve more than one person on the team, and each ministry role is interconnected with what other team members are doing. Biblical examples of this type of a team would be Jesus with his disciples and Paul with his missionary band of Silas, Timothy, Luke, and others at various times.   These ministry teams did ministry and life together, side-by-side experiencing both the joys and hardships of proclaiming the good news.… Read the whole post
Teaming, Team Leadership

Are We a Team?

This entry is part 1 of 7 in the series Types of mission teams Our mission organization and many other agencies are committed to teaming. Our mission’s policy manual says that we seek to place our personnel in areas where they can meet and minister with other Christian workers (missionaries and/or national workers) who are committed to a common purpose, goal and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. A desire to serve on a team The majority of our new missionaries want to serve on teams. Yes, many of them are assigned to isolated locations, but nevertheless they want to be working together with other missionaries. So it should come as no surprise that almost all missionaries talk about their “team”. Our staff meetings are called “team meetings” and our supervisors are called “team leaders”. Commonly, whenever more than one missionary family are located in the same city,… Read the whole post
Leadership, Mission Leadership, Team Leadership

Do Not Make Me a Leader!

A man will seize one of his brothers in his father’s house, and say, “You have a cloak, you be our leader; take charge of this heap of ruins!” But in that day he will cry out, “I have no remedy. I have no food or clothing in my house; do not make me the leader of the people.” – Isaiah 3:6–7 When a nation experiences God’s judgment, no one wants to become leader. Formerly leadership in Israel had been a desirable role because leaders used their positions to enrich themselves (Is 1:23).  But in the future when God’s judgment falls on these disobedient and ungodly people, Isaiah prophesies that no one will want the responsibility.  The need for leadership will be urgent, for all those in leadership roles will be killed in battle or taken away in exile (Is 3:24-26).  In these hard times, the bar set for leadership… Read the whole post
Leadership Training, Team Leadership

Team Leader Training in Germany

All the missionaries from the Eurasia region of SEND gathered in Lemgo from June 8-14 for Family Conference, which happens about once every 3-4 years.   This year, the team leaders and area leaders from Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine arrived 3 days earlier (with their families) to participate in our first-ever Becoming an Effective Leader of a Team training (B.E.L.T.). We met at a beautiful conference center called Sanderhof, just outside Lemgo.… Read the whole post
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