
Should a Church Have a Teaching/Preaching Team?
If I am honest, when I was a local pastor and Church Planter, I found it much easier to just do the preaching myself. Whenever I trained up other people and empowered them in the pulpit, I found myself much more nervous and fidgety. I found myself in an excessively controlling state as that was my way of coping with the unknown of what the new preacher might say. Would they say something offensive? Would they bomb the whole thing or say "uh" every other word? Maybe they became a heretic overnight and they are going to spew something that we can't take back as a church? Why should we go through the slow slog of pouring into other preachers and deploying a teaching/preaching team approach? Here are Five reasons to prove that training up a team is well worth it!
Decentralization- The Church in the West is over centralized. We build our models around one personality, one character and one leader. They run every meeting, preach every sermon, teach every class, do the announcements and make every hospital visit. We then are shocked when they burn out or let us down with a narcissistic explosion. Jesus is really clear about His Architectural Design for the Church. The Church will be a His Body(1 Cor. 12) and He is the head. The Church will have a mix and a balance of gift sets and functions (Ephesians 4:11-16). Jesus will be the cornerstone one (Mark 12:10), it will not be one person with a strong communication gift. That last one may seem patronizing to you, and from your gut, you may have said "of course". However, we always ask the "hit by the bus" question in our office. It goes like this: "What is the plan if you get hit by a bus?". If you got hit by a bus, would the church severely suffer and maybe even fall apart? Well then who is the chief cornerstone? Honest reflection is required and necessary here! Not only was Jesus clear about this in His metaphors laced throughout the New Testament, but the results have been clear as we have watched leader after leader falter and the church crumble behind them. Raising up a team will help ensure that you are not the axis on which the Church spins around.
Intentional Rest- Pastors are tired and so are their listeners! The grind of preaching week in and week out is unique and weighty. I get it! Sitting down with the Scriptures and then the blinking cursor to follow week in and week out can cause someone to pull their hair out or in much less dramatic fashion just recycle the same illustration over and over. If you are tired, your people probably are too. Rest from the pulpit will not just help you physically, but it will benefit your heart and soul. You can use that time to press into Jesus and remember how to abide in the Vine. Remember, John 15 says you "can do nothing" apart from Him. It is easy to get into a fleshly rhythm in the grind of ministry and forsake the source of your strength and inspiration.
Dream Space- It is also easy to forget that you need space to give leadership love to the other facets of the church. Your staff may need unity or your outreach may need careful attention. You may want extra space to carefully disciple some leaders. If you are able to have 12-15 weeks a year to do that, you may find that those arms and legs of the church grow stronger with that additive attention. You may also find more space to dream. Sitting down with the Holy Spirit, your team and a white board is often the First thing to go when you are preaching 48 times a year. Having four to five weeks a year to dream will help your church take risks and try new things, assuring you don't get dragged through the slow mud of excessive repetition.
Leadership Development and Multiplication- The pulpit is one of the most visible places to see someone's anointing, leadership and attentiveness to the Scriptures. Their heart is on full display and since you are in relationship with these people you can easily discover if what they say and proclaim, actually matches their life. In a devastating shortage of leaders and Church Planters, it is critical to have pipelines in your church where you can discover leaders. How will you multiply leaders and churches if you don't have a discovery platform? The pulpit is not just one of the best places to discover leaders, it is also one of the best places for your people to discover them. The tone in 1 Timothy 4 implies that Timothy could be at a leadership detriment because of his age unless he listens to his mentor. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers(1 Timothy 4:12-16 ESV). If Timothy will teach the Scriptures with integrity, practice the gift of prophecy and make progress with diligence, his youth will surely fade and people will hear the Gospel with clarity and power. Sharing the pulpit is a great way to discover leaders, empower them, and learn who you need to send out!
Discipleship- There is something really intimate about walking alongside someone as they learn to preach. You are inevitably studying the Scriptures together. You will be near to them in some of their most vulnerable moments as they struggle with the Text, the crowd and their feelings. It will require consistent attention and encouragement as they learn to find their voice. Raising up other preacher or a team of preachers can be a great avenue for discipleship.
In the end, this is not an easy task. It will be a slow and messy marathon not a quick successful sprint. Your people will need to have patience as your team learns how to preach, but there is another added benefit as you begin to create a culture of team and body, not consumerism and centralization. Most worthwhile adventures in following Jesus are slow, methodical and full of sanctification. This journey is one of those worthwhile adventures.
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