Several decisions lay important foundations for a team working in harmony toward a common aim. If you’re a team leader, recruit for the team only people who are in completely alignment with the team and its vision. If you’re looking for a team to join, choose one based on your alignment with its clear vision for the results and methods.
An increasing number of teams write a team covenant that helps clarify team values, goals and expectations. Such covenants may describe the theological bent of the team, the methodologies that will and will not be used, standards for team involvement, and unique values. For example the missionaries of one mission agency in one Arab country insist that non-Arab missionaries not date or marry Arabs. This is not because they believe such dating is wrong in principle, but for two reasons.
- Muslims conclude that the former Muslim was deviously enticed through marriage or through the benefits of marriage to a westerner to convert
- the pool of available Arab Christians for marriage is limited, and Arab culture needs to see Arab Christian family life modeled.
Assuming that you and your team have carefully united around very clear goals, values and methods, all that remains to work in harmony with the goals is to plan and evaluate the ongoing ministry in light of these clear expectations.
If your team did not organize around such clear expectations, and is experiencing confusion or conflict about the team and its purposes, establishing clear guidelines is the team’s next step.
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