I had the privilege of leading a workshop on Teams for the Whitley County Leadership Academy on December 17.  The focus of the workshop was to examine the workings of teams from two different perspectives.  The first perspective was that of a team member.  We began the session with an exercise which involved the whole group in attempting to achieve a goal that required significant teamwork but provided little guidance on how to accomplish the goal and placed serious restrictions on the groups ability to work together.  Sounds a lot like real life, doesn't it.  Anyway through the group experience the the principles of how to work as a team the discussion provided some insight on what the group members were facing in their "real" world and we were able to work through some solutions.  The second perspective was that of the leader of a team.  In this part of the discussion the principles were similar but the focus on the responsibilities of the leader were emphasized.  I really do believe everything rises and falls on leadership and if I am the leader of the group, I carry significant responsibility to enable the group to be come a high performance team.  In the same vein, if I am a team member, I must still take leadership of myself and my part in the team goal to facilitate the possibility of a high functioning team.  When you are on a team, it is not about you - it is about working with the others to accomplish the goal.

I am reading a new book with the title "It." It is about that "something" you can sense in churches that exude life and how to find "IT." Still too early in the book to be able to say if it lives up to its goals. I am intrigued, however, because I have definitely been in a church with "IT" (Antioch Church in Wheaton, Il.) and some where "IT" was a distant memory. What makes the difference? Music, leadership, preaching, fellowship, facilities, doctrine, agenda, etc?
Rick Upchurch
Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.