It’s About the Team
Jun 29th, 2009 by timmccalmont
Just finished a series of Sunday messages on Paul’s letter to the Colossians. A great letter, some say it should receive much more attention for its emphasis on the person of Christ and the teachings on the basics. I really enjoyed my time in this epistle. When I came to the last verses, I thought of passing over them as they are just a rundown of hard-to-pronounce names and places.
Then I got to thinking, who are these people? Some of them I have heard of like Mark and Onesimus (from the book of Philemon) but there are others, who oversee the Colossian churches, others who will hand-carry the letter over the thousand mile journey into the Lycus River Valley as well as a woman who hosted one of the churches in her home. And Paul’s words in chapter 4:7-18 are not only to encourage the Christian communities in Colossae but to put them in touch with each other. This was his strategy and he did this wherever he went. He would start with a small group in the local synagogue and stay there teaching as long as he was permitted, then would find another hang out to proclaim the good news and add to the community.
The great apostle shows us the importance of his team approach to ministry and living the Christian life. We are never in this alone. Even though it can be frustrating and complex much of the way, it is so much more interesting and even fun. I think of the great discoveries made and victories won with brothers and sisters from Hollywood to Seattle to Orange County, opportunities I never would have had without my team. Currently we are opening new roads to a new generation of young adults in our church, along with bringing God’s good news to children and their families. We have a team of 60 ready to launch our biggest outreach of the year in our annual Vacation Bible School. Everyone is preparing their own skill and assignment and praying up for this big week.
I hope all of you are experiencing your faith in community. The model comes from Jesus and the intentional community he built with and for his followers,
beginning with the twelve disciples. For them it meant choosing to follow him at his invitation and to respond as a team in the ministry they were exposed to. After the resurrection, they gradually picked up the torch and carried the message to the waiting world. None of these relationships played out without hard work, forgiveness and patience, but it meant the fleshing out of what God was wanting to accomplish His new kingdom and the restoration of His beloved creation.
This is new life in the form of team and fresh relationships. May God be praised with how we move out together!




