My last posting on Teams was last year, at the end of November. Since then I posted a series of ‘one off’ blogs and also took a Christmas break. Now I would like to return to this series on ‘Teams that work’. But first I would like to talk about books.
I was greatly encouraged recently to be told from different sources how helpful my book The Poor deserve the Best is proving to be. I am aware that it is difficult to obtain this book at present as the Newfrontiers Resources are being reorganised and not taking orders at present. So if you do not yet have a copy (or of the accompanying publication Embracing the Poor, which is also available on Amazon) I would be very pleased to fulfil an order. Just write to me at the email address in the side panel.
Teams
Now back to the series on Teams. Since September 15th I have been working through a mnemonic of TEAM - backwards! So far we have looked at:
Mission - what are we trying to accomplish?
Achieve - are we hitting our goals?
Equipped - what skills and gifts are needed or represented on the Team?
Now we come to the ‘T’ - Together.
Working Together
In the sporting world, where success is everything, winning teams are those that work together. To help us look at this topic in the context of teams working together in the church I want to explore the second chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippians where he exhorts the church to be more like Christ.
In Phil 2:1 we find assumptions being made by Paul, although he expresses them conditionally; ‘if’. He clearly has the expectation that to Be like Christ (the heading to this section in my Bible) there should be plenty of Encouragement, Love, Fellowship, Affection and Compassion. These words define excellent characteristics of the atmosphere in which we would all like to be ministering, whether working together on some project or leading a church on its kingdom-advancing mission.
Encouragement
We all like to hear ‘well done’. In the parable of the talents (Matt 25:14-30) the master commends the servants who multiplied their talents and rewarded them with further responsibility and opportunity for investment. He did not just look at a balance sheet and comment on the ‘fiscal growth rate’. He recognised the need to affirm the person.
Let us be generous in our encouragement. But to make someone ‘glow inside’ is not a technique. Any good leader will look for the things that an individual is doing and bring genuine encouragement. Encouraging a team member in this way not only boosts his or her self-confidence and sense of personal worth but it also strengthens a team and makes it more effective. Any correction that may be necessary should be given only once the bridge of encouragement has been strongly established. The person then knows you have his or her best interests at heart.
Next time we will look at the other four characteristics which make up the atmosphere in which a team operates: Love, Fellowship, Affection and Compassion.
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This is my first posting since before Christmas. I hope you had a good break and were able to celebrate the coming of Jesus to Earth for our sakes. Also, that you have entered the New Year full of hope and expectation!
The past month
There have been two significant events in my life in the last month. First, the Newfrontiers office in Hove closed just before Christmas. All enquiries should now be referred to David Devenish’s office in Bedford (ddoffice@swissmail.org). Second, I have just returned from Kenya.
I was there to monitor what is happening through Newfrontiers churches to assist with alleviation of shortages of food and water caused by the long drought they have been experiencing over the last 12 months. They are doing well but I heard many heart-rending stories and will report more fully in due course. However, there is still a desperate need. Rains came a few weeks ago but were so heavy that many of the crops which had been planted were washed out of the ground. Also, those crops that are growing now need further rain which is lacking. If your church has not made a contribution to the Newfrontiers crisis fund for Kenya could I urge you to consider doing so (address below)?
Can I help you?
The last month has also been a month of reflection for me. What does my future hold? I feel that God is saying that in my ‘retirement’ I should continue to be involved with those who are poor or disadvantaged, and that I should also help with ‘capacity building’ (training and empowerment). With this in mind I would love to be able to help churches with their ministries with the poor. For instance, the Ministry Health Check I have developed to help churches assess their ministries and raise the standard of ‘good practice’ is proving invaluable. I would be very pleased to facilitate this process with churches.
Resistance Fighter
In April I recommended Susie Howe’s excellent book Resistance Fighter. I know that many have read it as a result. I am delighted to say it has now been nominated for the UK Christian Book Awards. I would encourage you to vote for this.
The future
I will now be returning to posting blogs on a weekly basis and the next ones will include a report on the Kenya situation and also the conclusion to my series on Teams. I hope they will be a blessing to you and contribute to advancing the Kingdom in our generation!
Address for contributions to the Kenya Crisis Fund:
You can donate online at Virgin Giving or cheques can be sent, payable to Newfrontiers and marked Kenya Crisis Fund, to:
The Finance Team
Newfrontiers
The Matrix Complex
91 Peterborough Road
London, SW6 3BU
Well, more in fact - but I liked the rhyme!
I have decided to postpone the rest of my series on team building until the New Year. Why? On Friday December 16th the Newfrontiers office will finally close after over 30 years so it seems appropriate for this blog to explain what is happening.
With Terry Virgo moving to London (Surbiton), and the whole of Newfrontiers being redefined for expansion and a new season, the need for an office in Hove is no longer there. So the wonderful team I have had the privilege of leading is being disbanded. And that is where the 100 comes in. In fact they have served for over 100 years - and that does not include Terry himself! What a record and what a joy it has been to work with such committed and dedicated people.
Confused?
Recently someone wrote to me and headed the email ‘Confused!’ They expressed a lack of clarity about the future of Newfrontiers, which I understood. We are in a process. My good friend Colin Baron recently used a helpful analogy. Like a river, we know where we are headed, but if you take a short snapshot of a portion of that river it may look as if it is going in the wrong direction at any particular time due to the ‘meanders’ it executes.
My reply was not a definitive statement, but may help to bring some clarity if you also feel unclear:
In a nutshell, Terry has been founder and father of Newfrontiers for 30 years. He is 72 and we have been working on transition for over 3 years following a deliberate timetable. Now is the time to begin implementing. Biblically we feel that apostolic spheres are the way to advance the Kingdom (Terry spoke on this in 2009 at TOAM) and so we have not looked for an individual to take over from him as successor but that there should be a network of apostolically lead spheres defined by relationship, not geography. David Devenish is going to coordinate combined international initiatives.
Prophetically we feel that Terry still has much to do through equipping our own men who have emerging and extant apostolic gifting, and also in helping other streams. Together we are called to advance the Kingdom, not just as one family of churches. Terry will not carry executive responsibility for the family of Newfrontiers which will continue as a network of apostolic spheres.
A number of you will know the above team personally. So what of their futures?
Our History
When Terry formed his first apostolic Team in September 1980 he invited me to join him as his administrator. ‘I don’t know what an administrator does but I know I need one’. I responded ‘I don’t know either - but “yes!”‘.
On this inauspicious foundation Newfrontiers came into being. For the first three years we were called Coastlands, from a verse in Isaiah, ‘the coastlands wait expectantly for your instruction’, referring to the ends of the earth. However, the name changed as people interpreted it geographically - the south coast of UK since Terry lived in Hove. And so the Hove office was born - although it was ‘virtual’ for some time, Terry and I each working from our homes.
Adrian Willard joined us in 1984 and was instrumental in shaping much of the ‘structure’ of Newfrontiers in the early days, overseeing the finances, bringing excellence to all aspects of Communication and, in the late ‘90s, leading the Management Team of the Stoneleigh Bible Week. In 1987 Janis Peters moved to Hove from Catford (London) and in 2000 Jan Mitchell joined the staff.
More recently, Georgina (‘George’) Earey, Spike and Josie Milligan, and Becky Tuson have been on staff, the successors to an amazing cohort of wonderful, committed staff who over the years have served the mission of Newfrontiers with grace and excellence, always willing to go ‘the extra mile’.
Our Future
So what are we each doing from now on?
Terry and Wendy have already moved to Kingston. From there they will travel nationally and internationally teaching, encouraging, mentoring and ‘apostling’. Terry expects to have extended time both within and outside Newfrontiers contexts, helping to build up apostolic ministry and to influence other movements and streams.
Adrian will be doing Marketing consultancy for 3 days each week and hoping for continued involvement with the disadvantaged possibly in the UK.
Janis is excited about the future and is waiting on God with Malcolm to see what plans He has for them. She and Malcolm have sons with their families in South Africa and are considering living there part-time. They will explore this option when they go there for two months in March.
Jan will be joining her husband in ‘retirement’ and, being a very ‘people person’, will almost certainly be quickly involved in her local community and the church in Eastbourne.
George has worked part time with Adrian for many years and her heart is to continue to do so. She is waiting to see if this will be possible once Adrian has clarity about his future.
Spike wishes to remain involved with communication and is planning to work with another member of CCK to provide a service of design and technological support for websites and associated communications activities.
Josie has been working part time in the office of CCK since the summer and will join their full-time staff in January.
Becky has just given birth to Zachariah! Her future is probably to be determined by this chuckling little bundle!
For myself, I will continue to minister in the area of my passion - helping those who are poor and disadvantaged. I hope to continue serving various apostolic spheres both internationally and within the UK. I will also serve in my home church, CCK.
Recently I was interviewed. You may like to hear about my hopes and expectations
All at the Hove Office have greatly enjoyed relationships with men and women around the world. We have enjoyed working together with you in God’s mission for our generation. May He bless you all as you continue to serve Him. We will be watching from the sidelines cheering you on!
The most severe crisis of drought and famine that has been faced by the Horn of Africa for over half a century has now been impacting several nations for over one year. Our involvement with churches in Kenya has enabled a crisis fund, currently standing at £230,000, to be channelled direct to places of the most severe need through this network of churches in the tribal semi-arid desert regions of Samburu and Turkana. Particularly it has been possible to meet people’s needs in their communities thus removing the added trauma of having to relocate to Relief Camps with all the attendant challenges and risks.
Recently Edward Buria, who brings oversight to the Newfrontiers churches in Kenya, spoke to us on video. Through this you will see that rain has now come and planting has been able to take place. It is anticipated that there are now only another 2-3 months for which it will be necessary to supply food while the crops grow.
Building dams
By Easter it is hoped to complete all the small dams that have been started (sand dams and pan dams) so that the water that comes in the rainy seasons (typically April and November) can be trapped; in an average year this totals only 350mm so every drop has great value.
Christmas Offering?
About £150,000 is still needed to accomplish this. Maybe you could consider a Christmas offering. You can donate online at Virgin Giving or cheques can be sent, payable to Newfrontiers and marked Kenya Crisis Fund, to:
The Finance Team
Newfrontiers
The Matrix Complex
91 Peterborough Road
London, SW6 3BU
Tags: Famine, Kenya, Poor, Relief and Development
Initiator/Responder
Continuing our ‘pairs’ of personality characteristics we will now consider the Initiator/Responder. This pairing is close to, but not identical with, Creator/Implementer. The Initiator is someone who wants to get on with the task in hand and is not frightened to take initiative. He or she will be willing to take the lead if there is no appointed leader. He will be peaceful about making decisions and taking responsibility for the consequences.
The Responder is waiting for a leader but will then serve faithfully. He is secure in a team framework and is not looking for personal profile or recognition (though a bit of encouragement always helps!).
A few years ago three couples in my local church approached the eldership to seek permission to start a ‘soup kitchen’ for those who were street homeless in our town. We were happy for them to do so as they had a good track record in related ministries. Once this was public news another 40 people identified themselves as wanting to get involved! These 40 had been waiting for Initiators to be identified so that they could respond and fulfil their passion to serve in this way.
Sprinter/Long-distance Runner
Have you noticed how in the Olympics sprinters start from blocks while long distance runners are standing up when the starting gun is fired? In the church some people have huge amounts of pent up energy waiting to be released and, when the opportunity arises they let it out in a burst. However, a few weeks later they may no longer be involved. Meanwhile there are others who serve faithfully week after week with dedicated energy, tenacity and faithfulness. They are the ‘slow burners’ who are able to keep going and feel fulfilled in doing so.
To recognise this distinction is important. When, as a leader, you wish to delegate or mobilise someone it is vital to match the task to the personality. To give a ‘sprinter’ a task which requires a steady and sustained pace will lead to frustration for both of you. Similarly, don’t give a long-distance runner a task that requires high energy to get it going.
Knowledge/Process
The final pairing that is worth considering differentiates between those who have an overall knowledge and experience of a situation or set of criteria, and those who apply themselves to the detail. To have those in a team who are able to ‘stand back’ from the minutiae of an activity and bring an overview is a powerful way of developing strategy. But to lack those who can take that overview and interpret it through reliable and efficient processes of planning and implementation may result only in discussion and theorising without practical application.
The pairings I have suggested are deliberately somewhat simplistic. There is inevitable overlap between some of the particular characteristics. However, to recognise that we are all different and to give each other permission to contribute from those differences without feeling threatened or vulnerable brings significant strength to a team.
Next time I want to show you a video update on the Kenya famine which is still very serious. Some may like to consider a Christmas offering. After that we shall look at the final section of this series on Teams, how members can support one another.
Personality tests?
There are many personality tests which allow you and your colleagues to score yourselves in response to various questions. These result in defining you with particular personality types. For the team, or for serving in a church, I have found that a rather more pragmatic approach is often sufficient.
Often people demonstrate certain characteristics by which people might define them: ‘Creative’, ‘Initiator’, ‘Extrovert’ etc. Let’s look at five such pairs and see how they can help us.
Introvert/Extrovert
A few years ago I had two excellent members of my staff team. For various reasons it was convenient for them to share an office. I soon discovered that something was wrong. Because they showed much grace it was necessary to be sensitive to dig out what the problem was. It turned out that one of them liked to work in peace and quiet and remain focussed on the task in hand, while the other could think only by talking out his ideas. Needless to say they were incompatible and I had to give them separate work spaces.
I later discovered that this is a well-known phenomenon. The Introvert internalises his thinking and comes up with his conclusions while the Extrovert formulates his conclusions through interaction with others - thinking ‘out loud’. So, while one is saying ‘please leave me in peace’ the other is saying ‘please talk to me’. As an introvert myself (in this respect) I am always amazed that people are able to work in open plan offices. I think that would drive me crazy due to the inevitable interruptions!
How does this affect a team? Once I worked with a team leader who was an extreme extrovert. The challenge with such a person is to know when a final conclusion has been reached. Often one feels that his view has been expressed only to discover later that it appears to have changed. In reality the conclusion had not been reached at the point I thought I was being asked to act! Result? Frustration! Failure to recognise such differences, both of which are perfectly valid (and one type cannot convert to the other), may lead to tensions and a lack of clear decision-making.
Creator/Implementer
I have had the joy of working for many years with Adrian Willard. He is entrepreneurial and has a hundred good ideas before breakfast! Although I am not without original thinking I tend to be a practical Implementer. I like to get things done. So frequently I will sit with Adrian just to share my current thinking knowing that he has the ability to think outside the box. The Newfrontiers family of churches has been greatly enriched by his creativity, though many would not be aware of it.
In any team it is probably wise not to have more than two creative people of this sort. Indeed, one may be sufficient. It is also important that they are not seen as too influential but that everyone on the team feels free to probe and discuss any particular idea without losing trust in and respect for one another. But without such creativity life can be very dull!
Next time we shall look at some further pairings.
Matching need with availability
Recently we explored the appointment of another trustee for the local church. (In the UK all churches have to be within a charity structure). The person I wanted (I am Chair) would have much to contribute and would complement the gifting already on the trustee body. But he is a very busy man and so I had a conversation with him spelling out the time commitment I would expect. As we spoke it became clear that, although he was very willing in principle, to load him with another responsibility would be too time consuming.
What is the time for?
It is important to analyse what an individual’s time is needed for. In the case of our trustees I make it clear that I want them for their knowledge and experience, not for hands on activity. Some people are detailed people (I am one!) who are willing and enjoy getting involved in making things happen. Others are more valuable for their knowledge. The time demand on the latter is much less than on those who are implementers. So, in creating a team, be aware of what you want from each member; creative thinking and strategising, or implementation?
Types of time
Time may be considered in various ways e.g. calendar time (ie dates), regular time (ie evenings or Sundays). For instance, a teacher may have chunks of time available in school holidays but very little time to spare during term time.
In order to build a strong team it is important that each member is available for the amount of time required and on the key occasions. In these days of many people working shifts or on Sundays (in the UK) those with the right gifting for a particular team may not be available at times that suit you. If invited to join your team it is important for people to be free to say ‘no’ on the basis of their availability without any sense of ‘letting you down’.
Balancing values
The high value of giving quality time to families etc must be respected, even if a person is the ‘ideal choice’ from your point of view. Alternatively, help them to review their other commitments and priorities so that they can free up some time if their involvement with you is highly significant.
Building a team is not only about bringing together the most gifted and equipped. There are other considerations. We have now seen how spiritual maturity and time availability must be considered. Next time we will look at temperament and ‘heart’s desire’, those matters that people feel passionate about.
Spiritual maturity
Any team leader would like spiritually mature people on his team. Clearly, when building an apostolically-appointed eldership team this is not negotiable. Elders must have their own walk with God and be able to ‘take the rough with the smooth’ without falling apart.
The people who are following must have the security that the church is being well led without irresponsible decisions being made. Nevertheless, some churches I am aware of do have ‘leaders in training’ sitting with them on occasion as a way of not only training future leadership but also of exposing such men to some of the pressures of eldership without them holding the ultimate responsibility. This can provide a great opportunity to see how they react in times of challenge, one way of following the Biblical injunction of ‘testing first’ (Acts 6:3, 1 Tim 3:10) before making an appointment.
What about the Administrator?
For me it is vital that someone with the spiritual gift of administration (see Biblical Administration part 2 - The Gift of Administration) is seen at peer level with the elders. There may be times when it is inappropriate for him (or her) to sit in with the elders, such as when handling confidential pastoral issues. But if the Administrator is to serve the elders well he or she should be integral to the development of strategy and core to the planning ie not just a ‘do it’ person. For this to work satisfactorily spiritual maturity must be demonstrated.
Event teams
Through this series I have tended to polarise teams into short term (e.g. events) and long term (e.g. elders). Clearly there are other teams but this provides two models from which you can extrapolate for your own needs.
Spiritual maturity may not be so important for every individual in the event team provided that the team is broadly mature. Sometimes the need for particular skills is the more important factor in determining team membership. It is not necessarily essential for the person organising the sound system, say, to be spiritually mature, though I would hope they would be spiritually sensitive. I am more interested in someone who produces a high quality sound and does not dominate a meeting with too loud volume or acoustic distortion.
Next time we shall look at the matter of Time Availability.
Tags: Administration
The role of the Spirit
When Jesus returned to the Father he said to the disciples that it was good that he was going away so that the Holy Spirit would come (John 14). How is the Spirit manifest? Apart from his speaking to us and drawing our attention to Jesus in worship he gives us grace gifts for the benefit of the church to be exercised on a daily basis.
Being entrusted with specific spiritual gifts is no credit to us any more than the delivery man takes credit for the present you may have been given by a favourite aunt for your birthday. His job is to deliver it safely to you so that you can benefit from it. Likewise, our job is to deliver the gifts He gives us to edify the church. So our role is to be faithful.
We need to be exercising spiritual gifts at all times - they are basic equipment. A soldier is not given a rifle as a reward for fighting well - he is given one in order to be able to do so. In 1 Cor 14:12 Paul tells us that there will be manifestations of the Spirit as we strive to build up the church. Once we are ‘on the move’ he gives us the gifts we need to make progress.
How many gifts?
There are various classic lists of gifts e.g. in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12. But these are not all. For instance, craftsmanship seems to qualify as mentioned in the last posting. If we are willing to acknowledge such as gifts it can be argued that there are 28. But it would be a bold person to be dogmatic on this issue - only the Holy Spirit knows!
Some gifts are clearly more relevant to a team setting than others but potentially all are of value. In order not to be overwhelmed it may be helpful to think of them in 4 categories, excluding the ‘gifts of men’ in Ephesians 4 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher):
- Manifestation Gifts (e.g. Word of knowledge, Word of wisdom, Prophecy…)
- Sacrificial Gifts (e.g. martyrdom, celibacy - not always popular gifts!)
- Service Gifts (e.g. Giving, Administration, Serving…)
- People Intensive Gifts (e.g. Hospitality, Leadership, Evangelism, Pastoring…)
How do these fit into a team setting?
It can be envisaged how all have a place (well, perhaps not martyrdom) though some may be more obvious than others. As an example, any team I have been in with Terry Virgo has always laid great emphasis on the place of prayer and prophecy. No team he leads ever begins its agenda without a substantial amount of time in prayer. The fuller the agenda the more need there is for prayer with the expectation that God will speak through prophecy.
How often has this happened - and the agenda has totally changed as a result! The outcomes of the meeting with its affect on the development of Newfrontiers had been totally unpredicted until that intervention of the Spirit. Conspicuous among these would be, for instance, the time when God spoke to us in such a time of prayer about closing the Downs Bible Week (view video), a very successful annual event held in south east England to which 8,500 came on the tenth and final occasion in 1988. We had already invited the speaker for 1989 but God told us to close it. Two years later, in 1990, God told us to reopen a Bible Week in the heart of the nation. As a result, the Stoneleigh Bible Week was held from 1991 - 2001, ending with 28,000 attending.
Such directions did not come by discussion of an item on the agenda but from a prophetic words which were weighed and for which we sought confirmation in the subsequent weeks. This was a spiritual gift (prophecy) in action in a ‘business’ meeting which changed the lives of thousands of people!
So, don’t feel spiritual gifts are only for ‘spiritual’ meetings. The whole of life is about walking in the Spirit.
Next time we will progress to the third and fourth items on our serving profile: spiritual maturity and time availability.
Tags: Newfrontiers, Terry Virgo
Both Debt and Homelessness are two major problems in these days of recession and many churches are becoming involved in helping people in their localities. We, in Newfrontiers, are privileged to have two highly experienced long-standing networks which are eager to equip other churches to serve those who are affected by these two social issues.
Debt Advice
Community Money Advice was birthed in the Newfrontiers church in Burgess Hill. It now represents a network of about 100 centres across the UK, both within Newfrontiers and among other Christians. Envision, the annual CMA conference, will be held at HTB in London November 4th - 5th. This provides an ideal opportunity for those considering starting a debt advice ministry to understand what is involved, how to access training etc. You can book here.
Homelessness
The Kings Arms in Bedford is famous for their work among those who are homeless with all the associated problems that condition often represents. Loving to Life is a national training day for those working with such people. It will be held in Bedford on November 26th. This Day will not only envision you but will equip you to be more effective in your ministry and provide great networking opportunities so that we can learn from each other. To join us book here.
Tags: Finance, Homeless, Newfrontiers, Poor
