Although traditional committees involve people doing ministry together, they often have been formed by another committee or person, and they lack the key essentials of healthy, effective team ministry. As I define it, team ministry is ownership and self-initiated vision in which members carry out plans they themselves have conceived or have had a part in conceptualizing. One worship team that recently asked me for evaluation is led by a professional music director who makes all the decisions from the choice of music to who will solo and what instruments will be used in each section of worship. Members are told what to do and suggestions are not encouraged. In fact, expressions of opinion and disagreement are seen as divisive and nonsupportive.
Compliance often appears to be more important than positive results.
Although this group of musicians may be called a team, they are too director-focused. Consider an alternative situation in which a senior pastor of a large church is a member of his church s worship team. All the team members have designated roles. The group starts its work for the coming Sunday during the week with everyone contributing to the design. Any person can conceivably determine the topics.