There are five distinct types of people that must be included on your ministry team in order for your team to make the most profound impact possible.

If everyone on your team is similar in temperament, gifting and personality, then you may have built a very boring team. Although initially the members of your team may seem unified, you will quickly discover that sameness begets a static friction that will cause vital projects and important initiatives to die.

God does not build unity out of conformity but He builds unity out of diversity.

The first member on the team is the leader. The leader inspires with words, vision and character. Let's call this person the "Team Captain." The Team Captain may not be the most talkative member of the team or the most vivacious member of the team, but will always lead by word and by example. The Team Captain sets the tone and the atmosphere in which the ideas and gifts of others can flourish. This commander in chief has the uncanny and God-given ability to smoothly guide a team of differing personalities to a common goal.

The second vital member of the leadership team is the rational and sensible pragmatist. Let's call this person the "Engineer." Those famous "nuts and bolts" of any planned event, as well as the ability to engineer through a myriad of challenges and difficulties, is the expertise of the Engineer. Although this person may not be the best-loved member of the team, this sane and efficient bottom-liner will deserve most of the credit for any task that is completed with excellence and on time.

The third important team member we will call the "Cheerleader." Every team needs someone who will believe when it seems impossible and who will make it his or her personal goal to encourage each member of the team for what they are contributing. The Cheerleader rarely becomes discouraged and seems to find the good in every person and in every situation.  The Cheerleader is pure sunshine and often will provide the emotional impetus that it takes to get the job done. After all, everyone needs a word of affirmation from time to time!

The fourth member of the team is the prayer warrior, who also functions as the spiritual heartbeat of the team. Let's call this person the "Chaplain." The chaplain continually reminds the team of the importance of a spiritual focus on the Word of God and on hearing the voice of God. This invaluable member will often call the other team members to pause for prayer when facing a challenge or they may come to a meeting armed with a Bible verse. The role of this team member is to call the others higher and to remind them that they play for an audience of One.

And finally, every team is incomplete if they lack a team member who is simply willing to serve. We will call this team member the "Servant." This humble team player cares nothing for recognition or for promotion. His or her fulfillment is found in serving the other members on the team and in performing menial tasks. The servant generally makes the coffee, cleans up after a meeting and then makes sure that all the lights are off and the doors are locked.

This valiant and often quiet team member works hard between meetings on a variety of tasks from making copies, to making phone calls, to picking up doughnuts for the next meeting. This person is not afraid of hard work and is the first to volunteer to roll up his or her sleeves. Although this team member may not appear to be the most important member of the team, in actuality and in practice, your team could be all bluster and no substance without this precious member.

Does the team that you are currently working with embrace all of the team members that are mentioned above? You can certainly have more than five team members on any team but make sure that within your team DNA, you have made room for the Team Captain, the Engineer, the Cheerleader, the Chaplain and the Servant. These five personality types will build a strong and durable team that will ensure successful programs, events and decisions. I guarantee it!

Carol McLeod is an author and popular speaker at women's conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. She has written five books, including No More Ordinary, Holy Estrogen!, The Rooms of a Woman's Heart and Defiant Joy! Her most recent book, Refined: Finding Joy in the Midst of the Fire, was released last August. Her teaching DVD The Rooms of a Woman's Heart won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award for excellence in religious programming. You can also listen to Carol's "A Jolt of Joy" program daily on the Charisma Podcast Network. Connect with Carol or inquire about her speaking to your group at justjoyministries.com.

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