John Maxwell wrote an article on the five C’s of a winning team. I added one to the mix that totally defines how we can win as a church team.

1. Commitment.

It is a commitment to the cause and the vision of the church. Every staff member of the church should have an unwavering faith that God is going to use the local church to change the world. When you understand the vision of why God uses the church it changes how you go to work every single day.

2. Contribution.

Everybody does their part and if somebody drops the ball, help your teammate. I remember last year when we had no worship services coordinator and we ask our finance administrator to have a dual role. She could have said no but she took it as a challenge so she can contribute to the team. Even if it was not her core competency she was willing to contribute to the overall success of the team. Because she went beyond the call of duty, God has blessed us with a new worship services coordinator.

3. Competence.

Committed and doing whatever it takes can be a great attribute to having a winning team but you’ve got to have the competency to do the job required of you. I was with my family eating at a famous Chinese restaurant when the owner came and talked to us. He said the secret to having a successful restaurant is for you to know how to run a restaurant. Made perfect sense!!!

4. Communication.

Encourage open and honest communication on the team. If we don’t communicate, we can never win. I love watching Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmare and one quality successful chefs possess is the ability to communicate to his staff clearly. Same applies to church. You need clear open lines of communication.

CLEAR, CANDID AND CONSISTENT COMMUNICATION!!!!

5. Cooperation.

As the saying goes, “In union there is strength.” To be cooperative requires a high level of trust. Many organizations tend to look harmonious but if you check deeper most are artificial. After 3 years of leading a church I’ve realized that the lack of conflict breeds artificial harmony. To run a church is to invite conflict. A pastor must learn conflict management. Tensions will always be present and working through those conflicts makes the team stronger as long as it is done right and biblically.

6. Christ Jesus.

This verse would best describe why we need Christ to make it a winning team

Col. 1:15      Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
Col. 1:16      for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.
Col. 1:17      He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.
Col. 1:18      Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.

IF YOU WIN, YOU DO IT ON PURPOSE. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU DO IT AS A TEAM – JOHN MAXWELL