New volunteers and staff members that are seconded to be a part of a dynamic and effective team in the life of your church often go through seven stages before the ‘Team Thing’ really clicks and the authority of God really emerges.
1. The Honeymoon Stage
The superhero comes in!! We’ve been waiting for this person for so long, and finally God has supplied. Yippee everybody’s happy. John Maxwell’s books take pride of place on the bookshelf.
2. The Snowed Under Stage
The hero has taken on a little more than he can chew. In all of the enthusiasm and testosterone, quite a bit of work heads in this person’s direction. Snowed under but still smiling!
3. The Crack in the Armour Stage
Nobody’s perfect! What did you expect? A real superhero. The cracks start showing as this person starts to operate outside of their capacity and gifting. Stiff upper lip ensues. Slight distancing emerges as you take a reality check on Mr Invincible.
4. The Martyr Stage
‘It’s unfair!’ ‘Nobody cares.’ ‘I’m doing all the work around here!’ ‘I was promised support’. ‘I don’t think I like him.’ All images and impressions are well and truly smashed. Love-hate relationship develops. Ratty attitude evident. Loss of motivation, joy and energy.
5. The Personal Crisis Stage
Mr ‘Nine spiritual gifts wrapped up into one exciting package’ has a crisis of calling, confidence, attitude and faith. Finally cracks, emotions fly high, sparks rise and a cry to heaven results. A sense of call is re-affirmed and the peace of God comes in. A sense of love, acceptance and forgiveness wraps itself around the non-productive, exhausted team member.
6. The Redefinement Stage
A heart-to-heart brings about a relationship deeper than ever before. They saw how you never rejected them, even when productivity was jeopardized by wrong attitude. A reduction of workload follows as the portfolio is reduced to areas of strength in the team member.
7. The High Productivity Stage
Talent, anointing, unity, right heartedness all click in to produce a team member who is now flowing with high efficiency, high authority and high fulfillment.