It takes everyone working together from all walks of life to carry out the Great Commission. As part of our AG church-planting initiative, we share our vision on college campuses, and we’ve had as many as two hundred young people on a single campus say, “We will be part of a church planting team.” That means you have schoolteachers, accountants, lawyers, and business people who join in and staff the work.
Ministry is a Team Sport
You’re not meant to be on your own in ministry. If you’re building a group that can reach out, counsel, teach, serve, and rise to whatever ministry occasion presents itself, you’re in good company—like Jesus and the apostles.
Surround Yourself with Strong People
Growing up in the church, I developed an image of the leader as a heroic, lone pioneer—the Lone Ranger who single-handedly accomplishes great things for the kingdom of God. Perhaps the struggles of the Assemblies of God’s formative years shaped that view of a tough person who goes it alone to hammer out a work for God. But that is contrary to the New Testament.
Ministry Together
I read through the Book of Acts and the Epistles recently and wrote down the names of all the people associated with the ministry of Apostle Paul. There were ninety-one. Ninety-one people! Paul didn’t carry out his historic ministry alone. Then as now, ministry requires a team.
The one time Paul was alone in Athens, he couldn’t stand it. He wanted his team with him. If you note what he did in Philippi, he traveled with Silas, Timothy, and Luke. There were four full-time staff members and no church. That’s the way to do church planting.
George O. Wood is general superintendent of the Assemblies of God. For the original article, visit georgeowood.com.
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