Planning Your Teams

These people made your plan happen because of your power and your will.- Acts 4;28 (NCV)

Planning how to structure your team will be vital to your team's success. You need to plan out your teams before you try to recruit team members to join up for the work. You will need specialized teams for specialized tasks. Some basics for ministries and churches planning events will include: Prayer Team, Set-Up Team, Break-Down Team, Service Team, and Leadership Team.

I always recommend Prayer Team because I believe that prayer is essential and fundamental to what we need to do before, during and even after the event. When we fail to pray, we sure to see our plans fail. We never checked in with God throughout the process. Be sure to include a Prayer Team, even before you assemble your Leadership Team. Solicit praying souls who can start combating the spiritual warfare that will surely arise as you seek to bring glory to God.

Your team structure should be based upon what you need. Identifying what you need goes back to some basics. You need to see what you seek to accomplish (your main objective), and then identify what you need in place in order to reach your objective. What you want to accomplish and what you need to get done will help you create a list of necessary items. This will help you develop your budget and construct your teams.

With your list of necessary items, you will have to identify some basic tasks that need to get done. Teams accomplish tasks. Break down big jobs into smaller tasks, especially if you plan on using volunteers. Manageable pieces are easily managed for a reason. You do not lose anything when you ask the overworked Christian servant to only do one thing rather than take on a whole additional load of responsibility. You also gain some willing workers when you only ask the new Christian convert to support and work along with veteran volunteers who have served in such a capacity at previous events. Identify the tasks and identify the people who can get the things needed done.

As you go further in developing teams, be sure to:

• Provide volunteer position descriptions with bullet points of what to do and how to do it
• Share the main objective with everyone. If it is about evangelism, say so. If it is about letting people see what your church has to offer, make it real for the people who have to help make it happen.
• Say who you are trying to reach. Your teams also promote your event by what they say to people they know and encounter. Know who you want to reach and share it with your team.
• Talk resources. Your list will tell you what you need. Share it as a "wish list" with your team. Someone may work for a company who can supply some things or sponsor the items. Others may have experience getting donations from local organizations and have connections. Share you needs with your team.
• Thank your team from beginning to end, and then thank them again. You can never say it enough. Without them (and the Lord, of course), you are not able to get it all done.