The booklet is based on three important truths.
1) Everyone is very valuable in God’s sight. God has made this clear to us many times in the Bible. For example, Jesus says, “The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'” (Matthew 25:40) Jesus looks at the way we treat the least respected person in our lives as if that is the way we treat Him.
2) Every Christian has been called to love their brothers and sisters, serve others, and grow in Christ. Every believer has something stirring, maybe very deep in their heart, moving them to love, service, and growth. In the first chapter, we’ll look at some specific commands that show God wants us all to love, serve, and grow.
3) God has called leaders to help their brothers and sisters love, serve, and grow. Paul wrote, "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-13)
Unfortunately, the church sometimes tends to create spectators who watch others preach, sing, and serve. Some are spectators because no one has tapped into the passion that is in their heart. Others are spectators because they choose to draw back because of fear, complacency, or past disappointments. Still others get overlooked, maybe because someone thinks they are too young, too old, or lacking ability. Leaders have the privilege and responsibility to help people move from being spectators to really living a Christian life.
The strategy of Mercy Night is to make teams the primary spot for helping people love, serve, and grow. The goal of this booklet is to help team leaders and future team leaders for Mercy Night see how they can develop a group of 4 to 12 people who will love, grow, and serve together.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
1 – What God Says To Do
This booklet focuses on three key things God wants all Christians to do, and a team-based strategy for doing them.
LOVE - Romans 12: 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
There are very strong words in this verse.
The phrase “be devoted” is translated from the Greek word “philostorgos” which refers to the deep love you have for family. You’ll do things for your family that you wouldn’t do for anyone else. If your family member is in the hospital, you’re very likely to be there with them. If you have a family member with a financial need you are very likely to help them. God wants us to have this kind of devotion to other Christians.
“Brotherly love” is translated from the Greek word “philadelphia.” This is not talking about the city where the Phillies play. It is talking about the love that you have for those that are close to you.
The word “honor” is translated from the Greek word “time” (pronounced tee-may) which refers to the value you place on something. God is telling us to place a high value on other believers to treat them like they are very important.
We are all commanded to love and honor each other. We can do this in a general way for all Christians. However, love and honor are best understood when they are shown in personal, practical ways. For this reason, we each need to develop deep friendships with a group of believers with whom we can practice brotherly love. You probably can’t practice very strong “philostorgos” with 100 people, but you can with 4 to 12. That’s why we need to be part of a team. Our goal on Mercy Night is to develop teams of 4 to 12, which obey the command to love and honor each other, and the commands to serve and grow together.
SERVE - 1 Peter 4: 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.
This verse shows us that every Christian is gifted and the purpose of our gifts is to serve others. Every believer should find a way to serve. A believer who does not serve others will never be healthy themselves. Many acts of service will be done spontaneously and will not need planning, leadership, or organization. However, a team working together can help each other see needs and work together to meet them. Working with a team will help new believers discover gifts they may not have known they had.
It has often been said that a church typically has 20% of the people doing 80% of the work. This not only leaves the other 80%, who aren’t serving, unhealthy, it leaves the 20% who serve overworked. This will make them timid about taking on new challenges or breaking new ground. By opening doors for everyone to serve, the church can discover its full strength.
GROW - Ephesians 4: 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
This passage shows that it is God’s will for all of us to grow to maturity. This means that each one of us will know and speak the truth and each of us will do our part for the body to grow and become strong.God hasn’t called any of us to be spectators. He’s called us all to be active in love, to apply our gifts to serving others, and to grow strong in Him. Let’s be a fellowship where everyone is given an opportunity to reach their potential. That’s the goal of team based ministry. Mercy Night exists for those who aren’t accustomed to church, so teams will need to find ways to love, serve, and grow, that are not complicated or hard to become part of.
LOVE - Romans 12: 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
There are very strong words in this verse.
The phrase “be devoted” is translated from the Greek word “philostorgos” which refers to the deep love you have for family. You’ll do things for your family that you wouldn’t do for anyone else. If your family member is in the hospital, you’re very likely to be there with them. If you have a family member with a financial need you are very likely to help them. God wants us to have this kind of devotion to other Christians.
“Brotherly love” is translated from the Greek word “philadelphia.” This is not talking about the city where the Phillies play. It is talking about the love that you have for those that are close to you.
The word “honor” is translated from the Greek word “time” (pronounced tee-may) which refers to the value you place on something. God is telling us to place a high value on other believers to treat them like they are very important.
We are all commanded to love and honor each other. We can do this in a general way for all Christians. However, love and honor are best understood when they are shown in personal, practical ways. For this reason, we each need to develop deep friendships with a group of believers with whom we can practice brotherly love. You probably can’t practice very strong “philostorgos” with 100 people, but you can with 4 to 12. That’s why we need to be part of a team. Our goal on Mercy Night is to develop teams of 4 to 12, which obey the command to love and honor each other, and the commands to serve and grow together.
SERVE - 1 Peter 4: 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.
This verse shows us that every Christian is gifted and the purpose of our gifts is to serve others. Every believer should find a way to serve. A believer who does not serve others will never be healthy themselves. Many acts of service will be done spontaneously and will not need planning, leadership, or organization. However, a team working together can help each other see needs and work together to meet them. Working with a team will help new believers discover gifts they may not have known they had.
It has often been said that a church typically has 20% of the people doing 80% of the work. This not only leaves the other 80%, who aren’t serving, unhealthy, it leaves the 20% who serve overworked. This will make them timid about taking on new challenges or breaking new ground. By opening doors for everyone to serve, the church can discover its full strength.
GROW - Ephesians 4: 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
This passage shows that it is God’s will for all of us to grow to maturity. This means that each one of us will know and speak the truth and each of us will do our part for the body to grow and become strong.God hasn’t called any of us to be spectators. He’s called us all to be active in love, to apply our gifts to serving others, and to grow strong in Him. Let’s be a fellowship where everyone is given an opportunity to reach their potential. That’s the goal of team based ministry. Mercy Night exists for those who aren’t accustomed to church, so teams will need to find ways to love, serve, and grow, that are not complicated or hard to become part of.
2 – We Have To Do This Together
A family hike is much different from a competitive marathon. If you run a marathon, you devote your full energy to completing the race as quickly as you can. You expect that there will be others who drop out of the race or who lag far behind. You won’t have the time or energy to help them. In fact, the more people you leave behind, the better you feel.
If you take a family hike, however, one of your most important commitments is finishing with everyone you started with. You can only consider the hike a success if everyone that started the hike comes home safely. If you get home and discover that you left your daughter or your little brother behind somewhere, you’re going to have to go back and find them.
We do find the New Testament using the metaphor of a “race” to describe the Christian life.
…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7)
Run in such a way as to get the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24)
These verses emphasize our need for determination and perseverance in living the Christian life. They are not meant to make us think we should run alone or leave others behind. The New Testament also clearly shows us that we need one another to love, serve, and grow. Following are 30 New Testament verses or passages that show our need to love, serve, and grow together.
LOVE
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34)
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35)
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:12)
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10)
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. (Romans 12:16)
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Romans 15:7)
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. (1 Corinthians 1:10)
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2)
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21)
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:13)
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. (1 Thessalonians 5:15)
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. (1 Peter 1:22)
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. (1 Peter 3:8)
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7)
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:11)
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:12)
SERVE
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. (John 13:14)
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13)
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24)
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (1 Peter 4:9)
GROW
On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. (1 Corinthians 12:22-26)
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, (Ephesians 5:19)
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13)
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)
See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (Hebrews 12:15)
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)
Look at the commands in this chapter and think about where you have the opportunity to practice them. Where do you have the opportunity to bear with someone? Who can you spur on toward love and good deeds? How many people can you encourage daily?
We won’t get the opportunity to keep these commands by merely sitting in a church once a week. We must get involved with other believers in a personal way where we have contact with them in a smaller group. Team ministry will give us the opportunity to keep these commands as we love, serve, and grow together.
On Mercy Night, we want to ask everyone in the fellowship to make a weekly habit of these three things:
1) Gather with us once a week to celebrate together, and encourage each other
2) Spend some time during the week alone with God, in prayer and Bible reading
3) Meet with your team to love, serve, and grow
If you take a family hike, however, one of your most important commitments is finishing with everyone you started with. You can only consider the hike a success if everyone that started the hike comes home safely. If you get home and discover that you left your daughter or your little brother behind somewhere, you’re going to have to go back and find them.
We do find the New Testament using the metaphor of a “race” to describe the Christian life.
…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7)
Run in such a way as to get the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24)
These verses emphasize our need for determination and perseverance in living the Christian life. They are not meant to make us think we should run alone or leave others behind. The New Testament also clearly shows us that we need one another to love, serve, and grow. Following are 30 New Testament verses or passages that show our need to love, serve, and grow together.
LOVE
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34)
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35)
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:12)
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10)
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. (Romans 12:16)
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. (Romans 15:7)
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. (1 Corinthians 1:10)
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:2)
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21)
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:13)
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. (1 Thessalonians 5:15)
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. (1 Peter 1:22)
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. (1 Peter 3:8)
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7)
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:11)
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. (1 John 4:12)
SERVE
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. (John 13:14)
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13)
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24)
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (1 Peter 4:9)
GROW
On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. (1 Corinthians 12:22-26)
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, (Ephesians 5:19)
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13)
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)
See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. (Hebrews 12:15)
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)
Look at the commands in this chapter and think about where you have the opportunity to practice them. Where do you have the opportunity to bear with someone? Who can you spur on toward love and good deeds? How many people can you encourage daily?
We won’t get the opportunity to keep these commands by merely sitting in a church once a week. We must get involved with other believers in a personal way where we have contact with them in a smaller group. Team ministry will give us the opportunity to keep these commands as we love, serve, and grow together.
On Mercy Night, we want to ask everyone in the fellowship to make a weekly habit of these three things:
1) Gather with us once a week to celebrate together, and encourage each other
2) Spend some time during the week alone with God, in prayer and Bible reading
3) Meet with your team to love, serve, and grow
3 – The Need for Leadership
If people merely gather for church once a week, listen to a message, smile, and shake a few hands; will they love, serve, and grow? Some will. Many won’t. The Bible teaches us that leaders are needed to help believers. We all need each other, but leaders play a critical role.
Ezekiel 34: 1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.
In this passage, God gives five things that leaders need to do to take care of the flock:
· Strengthen the weak
· Heal the sick
· Bind up the injured
· Bring back the strays
· Search for the lost
Why won’t people love, serve, and grow on their own without organization and leadership? Some will, but the Bible makes it clear that we are like sheep, prone to wander off, get injured, become weak, and lose track of where to find food.
We are also prone to develop patterns of thinking that limit our growth and service. God uses leaders to stir us up and bring us new vision. Here are some examples from the Bible.
After many years in Egypt, the Israelites thought and acted like slaves. Moses came to tell them that God wanted to lead them out.
After the rebuilding of the temple stopped, the people thought it just wasn’t the right time to start again. They were overworked and downhearted. Haggai came to tell them the time to build the temple was now.
The wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the people were discouraged. Nehemiah came to lead the people and the wall was rebuilt in less than two months.
Samson was pretty crazy and doesn’t seem like a very good example of a leader, but he did bring something Israel needed. The leaders of Israel at that time accepted the oppression of the Philistines as something they couldn’t change. They said, “Don't you realize that the Philistines are rulers over us?” (Judges 15:11) Samson was the only man among Israel willing to question the oppression and do something about it.
The church had become divided over the distribution of food. The Seven were appointed and they settled the conflict so the church could continue to grow.
The nation of Israel was oppressed by the Midianites. Gideon, with some reluctance, led an army to victory. God used a small group to bring victory so that Israel wouldn’t be confused in thinking they had done it with their own strength.
The army of Israel had their weapons taken away and had only garden tools to defend themselves. Many of them had hidden in the hills or had traded sides and joined the enemy. Jonathan had the courage to attack the Philistines, the tide turned, and the army of Israel found new courage.
The worship of Baal had become widespread in Israel. Elijah had the courage to confront the practice and challenged the prophets of Baal to a showdown.
Most Christians have more in their heart than we give them credit for. God has spoken to them about ways He wants them to serve others. They want to grow strong. They want to give and receive Christian love. Leaders can be used of God to draw out the gifts and service of others. Leaders can be used to inspire new hope and vision.
For team based ministry to flourish on Mercy Night, we will need team leaders who will help a team to love, serve, and grow.
Ezekiel 34: 1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.
In this passage, God gives five things that leaders need to do to take care of the flock:
· Strengthen the weak
· Heal the sick
· Bind up the injured
· Bring back the strays
· Search for the lost
Why won’t people love, serve, and grow on their own without organization and leadership? Some will, but the Bible makes it clear that we are like sheep, prone to wander off, get injured, become weak, and lose track of where to find food.
We are also prone to develop patterns of thinking that limit our growth and service. God uses leaders to stir us up and bring us new vision. Here are some examples from the Bible.
After many years in Egypt, the Israelites thought and acted like slaves. Moses came to tell them that God wanted to lead them out.
After the rebuilding of the temple stopped, the people thought it just wasn’t the right time to start again. They were overworked and downhearted. Haggai came to tell them the time to build the temple was now.
The wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the people were discouraged. Nehemiah came to lead the people and the wall was rebuilt in less than two months.
Samson was pretty crazy and doesn’t seem like a very good example of a leader, but he did bring something Israel needed. The leaders of Israel at that time accepted the oppression of the Philistines as something they couldn’t change. They said, “Don't you realize that the Philistines are rulers over us?” (Judges 15:11) Samson was the only man among Israel willing to question the oppression and do something about it.
The church had become divided over the distribution of food. The Seven were appointed and they settled the conflict so the church could continue to grow.
The nation of Israel was oppressed by the Midianites. Gideon, with some reluctance, led an army to victory. God used a small group to bring victory so that Israel wouldn’t be confused in thinking they had done it with their own strength.
The army of Israel had their weapons taken away and had only garden tools to defend themselves. Many of them had hidden in the hills or had traded sides and joined the enemy. Jonathan had the courage to attack the Philistines, the tide turned, and the army of Israel found new courage.
The worship of Baal had become widespread in Israel. Elijah had the courage to confront the practice and challenged the prophets of Baal to a showdown.
Most Christians have more in their heart than we give them credit for. God has spoken to them about ways He wants them to serve others. They want to grow strong. They want to give and receive Christian love. Leaders can be used of God to draw out the gifts and service of others. Leaders can be used to inspire new hope and vision.
For team based ministry to flourish on Mercy Night, we will need team leaders who will help a team to love, serve, and grow.
4 – A Team for Everyone, Everyone on a Team
We have seen that everyone needs to love and be loved, have an opportunity to serve, and grow in the Lord. Our strategy for helping people do these things is to include them in a team. Our goal on Mercy Night is to offer a team for everyone and have everyone on a team. We particularly want to make it uncomplicated for the person who is not accustomed to church, isn’t familiar with Christian jargon, and isn’t sure what to expect.
To meet this goal, we will need a variety of teams with creative ideas and a leader for each team.
If someone wants to be a spectator on Mercy Night, they are welcome and we won’t chase them away, but we are not looking for spectators. We hope that spectators will see that they really need to get in the game and that there are doors wide open for them.
Mercy Night is also open to people coming by who belong to other churches. We’ll have people speak or sing who aren’t going to become part of one of our teams because they already have their place to love, serve, and grow in their own church.
Because individual needs and interests are different, we need to be creative to develop a variety of teams each with a little different focus. Chapter 6 offers a few ideas of how a team can serve, but we hope that teams and team leaders will be much more creative in developing ideas that ignite the passion that the Lord has put in people’s hearts. Our different teams will each have a different focus, but we want to see them all become “three dimensional”, that is they exist to help everyone in the team love, serve, and grow.
Study Focused – A team may make Bible study their primary focus. They meet weekly and spend the majority of their time studying the Word together. They will probably choose a topic that is of importance to the members of that group. To call this a team, however, we want to see them also find an opportunity to serve together. And, we want them to spend some time praying for each other, caring for each other in times of need, and following up on team members that have quit meeting with the team.
Prayer Focused – A team may make prayer their primary focus. However, to call it a team, we’d ask that they also include some Bible study (almost all prayer groups do this anyway), care for each other, and find a way to serve as a team.
Task Focused – A team may have serving as their primary focus. A music team, a team that cleans the church, and a youth ministry team are examples of teams whose focus is serving. To complete the picture, though, we’d ask that these teams meet for study and prayer, even if only monthly, and make sure they are caring for each other. It’s easy for a church to get ingrown when all the service in the church is focused on the needs of the church members. We’d like to have at least as many task focused groups serving people outside the church as we do serving people inside the church. There are some ideas in Chapter 6, but we believe that we haven’t thought of the most creative ideas yet.
Fellowship Focused – Some teams may meet primarily for fellowship, getting to know each other, praying for each other, and caring for each other. We’d ask a fellowship focused team to also study some Scripture together and serve together in some way.
Can a person be on more than one team? We aren’t out to limit anyone, so if someone wants to participate in more than one team, they can. However, we want to encourage whole hearted team participation. So we would rather have someone fully engaged in one team than partially engaged in more than one.
What if a team gets bigger than 12? – When a team gets bigger than about 12, it begins to lose its ability to keep all the “one another” commands we read about. It’s time for them to think about how to launch a new team. This can sometimes be difficult and painful, because people have grown close to the members of their team. A team doesn’t need to abruptly split, but can gradually expand into a second team.
All teams should be preparing for expansion, developing potential future leaders as the team grows.
To meet this goal, we will need a variety of teams with creative ideas and a leader for each team.
If someone wants to be a spectator on Mercy Night, they are welcome and we won’t chase them away, but we are not looking for spectators. We hope that spectators will see that they really need to get in the game and that there are doors wide open for them.
Mercy Night is also open to people coming by who belong to other churches. We’ll have people speak or sing who aren’t going to become part of one of our teams because they already have their place to love, serve, and grow in their own church.
Because individual needs and interests are different, we need to be creative to develop a variety of teams each with a little different focus. Chapter 6 offers a few ideas of how a team can serve, but we hope that teams and team leaders will be much more creative in developing ideas that ignite the passion that the Lord has put in people’s hearts. Our different teams will each have a different focus, but we want to see them all become “three dimensional”, that is they exist to help everyone in the team love, serve, and grow.
Study Focused – A team may make Bible study their primary focus. They meet weekly and spend the majority of their time studying the Word together. They will probably choose a topic that is of importance to the members of that group. To call this a team, however, we want to see them also find an opportunity to serve together. And, we want them to spend some time praying for each other, caring for each other in times of need, and following up on team members that have quit meeting with the team.
Prayer Focused – A team may make prayer their primary focus. However, to call it a team, we’d ask that they also include some Bible study (almost all prayer groups do this anyway), care for each other, and find a way to serve as a team.
Task Focused – A team may have serving as their primary focus. A music team, a team that cleans the church, and a youth ministry team are examples of teams whose focus is serving. To complete the picture, though, we’d ask that these teams meet for study and prayer, even if only monthly, and make sure they are caring for each other. It’s easy for a church to get ingrown when all the service in the church is focused on the needs of the church members. We’d like to have at least as many task focused groups serving people outside the church as we do serving people inside the church. There are some ideas in Chapter 6, but we believe that we haven’t thought of the most creative ideas yet.
Fellowship Focused – Some teams may meet primarily for fellowship, getting to know each other, praying for each other, and caring for each other. We’d ask a fellowship focused team to also study some Scripture together and serve together in some way.
Can a person be on more than one team? We aren’t out to limit anyone, so if someone wants to participate in more than one team, they can. However, we want to encourage whole hearted team participation. So we would rather have someone fully engaged in one team than partially engaged in more than one.
What if a team gets bigger than 12? – When a team gets bigger than about 12, it begins to lose its ability to keep all the “one another” commands we read about. It’s time for them to think about how to launch a new team. This can sometimes be difficult and painful, because people have grown close to the members of their team. A team doesn’t need to abruptly split, but can gradually expand into a second team.
All teams should be preparing for expansion, developing potential future leaders as the team grows.
5 – Becoming Three Dimensional
We’ll call a group “three dimensional” when it gives people the opportunity to love, serve, and grow. Groups in churches tend to be one or two dimensional. In this chapter, we want to think about how to stretch a little to become three dimensional.
Bob likes to lead a Bible study. He gets together each week with six or seven others to study the Bible. Everyone in the group thinks Bob is a great teacher and they also feel free to say what they think about what they study. If someone quits coming to the study, no one makes it a point to contact them. If someone in the group gets sick enough to go to the hospital, someone in the group might call the pastor to ask him to visit the hospital. This group has never done anything together to serve others. Bob feels that he is serving because he is leading the Bible study and he encourages others in the group to find a way to serve. What needs to change for this Bible study group to become three dimensional? They need to do a little more to care for each other and they need to find a way to serve together. Some groups may add service to their Bible study by asking the members to take turns bringing cookies to the Bible study. That’s not bad, but this group can think of ways to serve that are much more challenging and meaningful. There are some ideas in chapter 6, but you can be more creative if you think and pray about it. The possibilities are endless. A team should be quicker to go visit a member in the hospital than they are to call the pastor and ask him to visit. (Call the pastor too; he’ll want to know what’s going on.)
Jenny organizes a group of people who show up at the church each week and clean it. They enjoy each other’s company and have a good time doing their work. How far are they from being three dimensional? They are already serving. They are experiencing a little bit of Christian love. They need to extend the love and find ways to grow together. They could also become creative in finding other ways to serve. Maybe Jenny doesn’t feel that she is very good at leading a Bible study. She could use a study guide, ask the team members to take turns leading the study, or just do her best leading a study even if she doesn’t feel very good at it. Something good will happen when the team stretches to be three dimensional. Depending on the team, they might only study and pray together once or twice a month. They might clean the church every week, but go do something outside the church once a month.
Crystal gets together with a group of other women each week. They pray for each other and enjoy a lot of laughter. Because they are developing great friendships, they call each other throughout the week to share joy, sorrow, and worry. They find it easy to pray for each other over the phone or anywhere they are together. They are very open with each other and honest about how they are feeling. What would this group need to do to become three dimensional? They could add some Bible study to their regular meeting and find a way to serve someone once a month. This would help the members of the group grow and serve. It would also help the group avoid becoming a little clique that is great at caring for each other, but cares little for anyone else.
Why should these groups that are already doing something well consider becoming teams that are three dimensional? Three dimensional teams will help believers develop rounded, healthy lives. Some of the unhealthy conditions we find in the lives of American Christians are:
Spectator – There are many Christians who think that serving is someone else’s job, that their lives are too busy to serve, or that they aren’t qualified. We have found, though, that even spectators have a desire deep in their heart to serve in some way. Being asked to clean the church may not ignite their passion, but some form of service probably will. Serving with a team can be the start of a new direction in a person’s life.
Isolated – Some people, who have had mostly bad relationships with others, choose to spend their lives in isolation. A healthy team can be very effective in helping a person come out of their shell and have meaningful friendships with other believers. A one dimensional group may fail to do this.
Overworked – When a team shares a task, the load on any one person is usually manageable. When we serve by ourselves, we can feel overworked. One of the important benefits of teams serving together is avoiding loading too much responsibility on any one person.
Complacent – We were really meant to care about others. A person who is disconnected, though, from meaningful relationships with others can easily get caught up in their own problems and become complacent about doing anything with or for others.
Underchallenged – If a person is only given the opportunity to serve in ways that he or she is not passionate about and that do not seem challenging to them, they may wither from the lack of challenge. Serving with a team can help them uncover the things that really challenge them.
Bob likes to lead a Bible study. He gets together each week with six or seven others to study the Bible. Everyone in the group thinks Bob is a great teacher and they also feel free to say what they think about what they study. If someone quits coming to the study, no one makes it a point to contact them. If someone in the group gets sick enough to go to the hospital, someone in the group might call the pastor to ask him to visit the hospital. This group has never done anything together to serve others. Bob feels that he is serving because he is leading the Bible study and he encourages others in the group to find a way to serve. What needs to change for this Bible study group to become three dimensional? They need to do a little more to care for each other and they need to find a way to serve together. Some groups may add service to their Bible study by asking the members to take turns bringing cookies to the Bible study. That’s not bad, but this group can think of ways to serve that are much more challenging and meaningful. There are some ideas in chapter 6, but you can be more creative if you think and pray about it. The possibilities are endless. A team should be quicker to go visit a member in the hospital than they are to call the pastor and ask him to visit. (Call the pastor too; he’ll want to know what’s going on.)
Jenny organizes a group of people who show up at the church each week and clean it. They enjoy each other’s company and have a good time doing their work. How far are they from being three dimensional? They are already serving. They are experiencing a little bit of Christian love. They need to extend the love and find ways to grow together. They could also become creative in finding other ways to serve. Maybe Jenny doesn’t feel that she is very good at leading a Bible study. She could use a study guide, ask the team members to take turns leading the study, or just do her best leading a study even if she doesn’t feel very good at it. Something good will happen when the team stretches to be three dimensional. Depending on the team, they might only study and pray together once or twice a month. They might clean the church every week, but go do something outside the church once a month.
Crystal gets together with a group of other women each week. They pray for each other and enjoy a lot of laughter. Because they are developing great friendships, they call each other throughout the week to share joy, sorrow, and worry. They find it easy to pray for each other over the phone or anywhere they are together. They are very open with each other and honest about how they are feeling. What would this group need to do to become three dimensional? They could add some Bible study to their regular meeting and find a way to serve someone once a month. This would help the members of the group grow and serve. It would also help the group avoid becoming a little clique that is great at caring for each other, but cares little for anyone else.
Why should these groups that are already doing something well consider becoming teams that are three dimensional? Three dimensional teams will help believers develop rounded, healthy lives. Some of the unhealthy conditions we find in the lives of American Christians are:
Spectator – There are many Christians who think that serving is someone else’s job, that their lives are too busy to serve, or that they aren’t qualified. We have found, though, that even spectators have a desire deep in their heart to serve in some way. Being asked to clean the church may not ignite their passion, but some form of service probably will. Serving with a team can be the start of a new direction in a person’s life.
Isolated – Some people, who have had mostly bad relationships with others, choose to spend their lives in isolation. A healthy team can be very effective in helping a person come out of their shell and have meaningful friendships with other believers. A one dimensional group may fail to do this.
Overworked – When a team shares a task, the load on any one person is usually manageable. When we serve by ourselves, we can feel overworked. One of the important benefits of teams serving together is avoiding loading too much responsibility on any one person.
Complacent – We were really meant to care about others. A person who is disconnected, though, from meaningful relationships with others can easily get caught up in their own problems and become complacent about doing anything with or for others.
Underchallenged – If a person is only given the opportunity to serve in ways that he or she is not passionate about and that do not seem challenging to them, they may wither from the lack of challenge. Serving with a team can help them uncover the things that really challenge them.
6 – Where Do We Serve?
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. (1 Corinthians 12:14)
What can a team do to serve others? The possibilities are endless. Here are some ideas, divided into two types of service, “Inside” means service within the fellowship, “Outside” means serving people outside the fellowship. We would like to develop as many teams that are doing things outside are we have teams doing things inside. Be creative. You will find that there are great ideas for service in your heart.
INSIDE
Children’s Ministry – The primary responsibility for raising children and leading them to faith in God belongs to parents. However, most parents will appreciate the important support role of the church. We would consider adding children’s ministry to Mercy Night if we had a team that was ready to step up to the challenge.
Youth Ministry – The decisions that young people make during their teenage years often shape their lives for many years to come. Working with teenagers can be very challenging, but extremely rewarding. We could add youth ministry to Mercy Night if we have a team able to take it on.
Singles Ministry – American churches have generally not done very well at serving single adults. According to Scripture, singles have a special opportunity to focus their lives on pleasing God. “I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs—how he can please the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 7:32)
Unfortunately, some singles struggle with direction and important choices in their lives. Single adults need encouragement to pursue God’s best for their lives. Adding a team that is focused on singles would be a valuable addition to Mercy Night.
Worship – Those who lead worship in the local church have a special opportunity. People gather in churches each week, but they come in a wide variety of emotional states. A worship team that is prepared and prayed up can lead others into joyous worship that will sweep away the discouragement and worry they may have brought in with them. A worship team also has the opportunity to plant songs of joy in the hearts and minds of people that will help carry them throughout the week. On Mercy Night, we’ll use a variety of worship leaders and teams and generally keep our worship times pretty simple for the sake of people who aren’t accustomed to going to church.
Drama – Simple skits and dramas acted out to music can be a powerful way of communicating a message or setting the stage for someone bringing a spoken message.
Greeters – God wants people to encounter Him when they come to church. Paul wrote that when someone new comes in, they should say, “God is really among you!” (1 Corinthians 14:25 - He was talking about the gift of prophecy when he said this). However, when someone comes to church, they aren’t always comfortable at first. It may have been a big struggle just to get there. The friendly face of a greeter may break the ice for them and make them start feeling at home. Greeters have many other opportunities to help people in simple, but important ways. Examples include letting people know what their options are for child care, where to find rest rooms, etc.
OUTSIDE
Evangelism – Jesus taught us to, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mark 16:15). Many Christians have never led another person to Christ. A church’s organized outreach activities can provide a learning experience for believers, touch the lives of people in the community, and keep the heart of the church aware of the needs in the community.
There are many creative ways that a church can reach out to its community, and a leader can open the door for a team to get involved.
Benevolence – A local church often has people stop by looking for help with their daily needs, such as food, clothing, rent, utilities, etc. Most of the time, people with these needs have many other needs that are deeper, but may be less obvious. A team may develop a creative way to help people with these needs.
God teaches us to be generous and caring with those in need. “If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs.” (Deuteronomy 15:7-8) Notice in this passage how a hard heart and a tight fist go together.
Jails and Prisons – Our local jails and nearby prisons will allow volunteers to come in and hold Bible studies or church services for the prisoners.
Nursing Homes – Almost all nursing homes will welcome teams from churches to come and visit their patients. This can be a challenging form of service.
Block Parties – We have sponsored several block parties in parks and apartment buildings. A team could take the lead in developing a block party.
Skills Development Mission – SDM is a local ministry that works primarily with immigrant children and families, helping them develop academic and job skills. There are many creative things a team could do to serve these families.
Hands On Help – Elijah’s Pit Stop is an example of a local ministry where men, who enjoy working on cars, have gotten together to offer their help to people with transportation needs and limited resources. A team might develop another way of helping others with hands-on help.
Missions Teams – We have sent teams to Mexico to build homes for families there. A team might make this their goal, raising the money and then making the trip to build the home.Adopt or Build an Orphanage – The world has millions of children that lack basic provisions. Many Christian organizations, both very large and very small, have sponsored orphanages throughout the world. Local churches have built orphanages. This is not too great a task for a small team with big faith.
What can a team do to serve others? The possibilities are endless. Here are some ideas, divided into two types of service, “Inside” means service within the fellowship, “Outside” means serving people outside the fellowship. We would like to develop as many teams that are doing things outside are we have teams doing things inside. Be creative. You will find that there are great ideas for service in your heart.
INSIDE
Children’s Ministry – The primary responsibility for raising children and leading them to faith in God belongs to parents. However, most parents will appreciate the important support role of the church. We would consider adding children’s ministry to Mercy Night if we had a team that was ready to step up to the challenge.
Youth Ministry – The decisions that young people make during their teenage years often shape their lives for many years to come. Working with teenagers can be very challenging, but extremely rewarding. We could add youth ministry to Mercy Night if we have a team able to take it on.
Singles Ministry – American churches have generally not done very well at serving single adults. According to Scripture, singles have a special opportunity to focus their lives on pleasing God. “I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs—how he can please the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 7:32)
Unfortunately, some singles struggle with direction and important choices in their lives. Single adults need encouragement to pursue God’s best for their lives. Adding a team that is focused on singles would be a valuable addition to Mercy Night.
Worship – Those who lead worship in the local church have a special opportunity. People gather in churches each week, but they come in a wide variety of emotional states. A worship team that is prepared and prayed up can lead others into joyous worship that will sweep away the discouragement and worry they may have brought in with them. A worship team also has the opportunity to plant songs of joy in the hearts and minds of people that will help carry them throughout the week. On Mercy Night, we’ll use a variety of worship leaders and teams and generally keep our worship times pretty simple for the sake of people who aren’t accustomed to going to church.
Drama – Simple skits and dramas acted out to music can be a powerful way of communicating a message or setting the stage for someone bringing a spoken message.
Greeters – God wants people to encounter Him when they come to church. Paul wrote that when someone new comes in, they should say, “God is really among you!” (1 Corinthians 14:25 - He was talking about the gift of prophecy when he said this). However, when someone comes to church, they aren’t always comfortable at first. It may have been a big struggle just to get there. The friendly face of a greeter may break the ice for them and make them start feeling at home. Greeters have many other opportunities to help people in simple, but important ways. Examples include letting people know what their options are for child care, where to find rest rooms, etc.
OUTSIDE
Evangelism – Jesus taught us to, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mark 16:15). Many Christians have never led another person to Christ. A church’s organized outreach activities can provide a learning experience for believers, touch the lives of people in the community, and keep the heart of the church aware of the needs in the community.
There are many creative ways that a church can reach out to its community, and a leader can open the door for a team to get involved.
Benevolence – A local church often has people stop by looking for help with their daily needs, such as food, clothing, rent, utilities, etc. Most of the time, people with these needs have many other needs that are deeper, but may be less obvious. A team may develop a creative way to help people with these needs.
God teaches us to be generous and caring with those in need. “If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs.” (Deuteronomy 15:7-8) Notice in this passage how a hard heart and a tight fist go together.
Jails and Prisons – Our local jails and nearby prisons will allow volunteers to come in and hold Bible studies or church services for the prisoners.
Nursing Homes – Almost all nursing homes will welcome teams from churches to come and visit their patients. This can be a challenging form of service.
Block Parties – We have sponsored several block parties in parks and apartment buildings. A team could take the lead in developing a block party.
Skills Development Mission – SDM is a local ministry that works primarily with immigrant children and families, helping them develop academic and job skills. There are many creative things a team could do to serve these families.
Hands On Help – Elijah’s Pit Stop is an example of a local ministry where men, who enjoy working on cars, have gotten together to offer their help to people with transportation needs and limited resources. A team might develop another way of helping others with hands-on help.
Missions Teams – We have sent teams to Mexico to build homes for families there. A team might make this their goal, raising the money and then making the trip to build the home.Adopt or Build an Orphanage – The world has millions of children that lack basic provisions. Many Christian organizations, both very large and very small, have sponsored orphanages throughout the world. Local churches have built orphanages. This is not too great a task for a small team with big faith.
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