Moses was the main leader of the people of Israel during their 40 years in the wilderness. But Moses couldn’t handle all of the responsibilities himself. Notice the advice of Jethro, his father-in-law:
“You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people-- men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” (Exodus 18:18-23)
Moses needed leaders who possessed wisdom and others who excelled at administration. Jesus also carefully selected men and women with various gifts and abilities to accomplish His mission. They were the teachers, inspirational leaders, and visionaries of the early church. No one person has all it takes to see the vision of a ministry become a reality.
STEPS TO TAKE
An effective team must be a group of individuals who possess the necessary gifts and abilities that will cause the ministry to flourish. After selecting your campus ministry leader, choose the people who will complete your team and help accomplish your mission. There are six roles you will need to complete a team.
The Visionary - This person has the gift of faith in looking at the future. The visionary will dream dreams which are beyond your normal rational thinker. The visionary says, “This can happen!” The visionary is a person like the apostle Paul, D. L. Moody or Bill Bright. They are the inspirational force behind their Godgiven vision for ministry. Not everyone possesses this gift to the same degree, but a visionary is needed for an effective ministry.
The People Gatherer - This person draws the masses—your extrovert with natural charisma. This person will talk to anyone, speak publicly, and do the surveys with ease.
The Builder - This is your true discipler. He or she is the one who shepherds others, models the Christian life, and trains them to live out the Christian life in a dynamic way.
The Administrator - This person is good at details and can get the job done. You need someone who can plan and work out the myriad of details of a conference, retreat, meeting, etc. Without the administrator, your vision will not be accomplished.
The Men’s Leader and Women’s Leader - These two people will lead the men’s ministry and the women’s ministry.
To understand the validity of the above roles, study any growing church or Christian organization. You will discover that some form of the above six roles are filled by qualified and gifted individuals in those specific areas. When people are working in areas of their giftedness, the whole team or organization will be maximized to its fullest potential.
APPLICATION
Once a key leader has been chosen, pray and seek out people to surround that leader who can faithfully execute the roles above. This model of teamwork may not happen right away, but with prayer and hard work, it can become a reality for your ministry.
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