7 – What We Ask of Team Leaders

Following is a list of responsibilities that should be fulfilled for every team. Some of these things can and should be delegated to members of the team other than the leader. The team leader shouldn’t do everything, but he/she needs to make sure they are being done.
1. Develop a team of 4 to 12 people who are willing to love, serve and grow with you.
2. Meet for study and prayer to foster everyone’s growth. If you are a task focused team, your study and prayer may be brief as you prepare to serve, but do not neglect it.
3. Find an opportunity to serve as a team. Assure that everyone in the team has the opportunity to serve. If you are study, prayer, or fellowship focused, you may only pursue service as a team monthly, but do not neglect it.
4. Maintain weekly contact with each and every member of the team, through meetings, phone calls, emails, etc. If you see a person regularly in meetings, you will have less need to call or email. However, if you do not see them in a meeting, make weekly contact.
5. Encourage the team to care for each other, particularly when someone is in need. If someone goes to the hospital, their team should be quick to respond with visits, prayer, and practical help. If someone is facing a financial need, their team should look for ways to help them.
6. Maintain a list of names and contact information for every person on your team. Share this information with the pastors, so they know who is on your team and so that they will have contact information for the whole fellowship.
7. Keep the pastors informed of how things are going in your team and answer questions the pastors may have about how individuals on your team are doing.
8. If it is time to take someone off your list, discuss it with the pastor first.
9. Attend a weekly leaders’ meeting to encourage each other and cooperate to provide excellent leadership for the fellowship. If you can’t make it, send another member of your team in your place.

Don’t think that you have to do all of these things yourself. For example, a team leader may be gifted at leading a weekly study and prayer time, but might find someone else in the group who is better at keeping accurate contact information. Another person in the group may be very good at organizing a response when someone is in the hospital and their family needs meals or other help.
Make it a point to give away some responsibility, so that you are developing future leaders within your team.