Anyone who’s played sports knows the importance of teamwork. Even in individualized sports, like tennis or golf, it’s important to develop teams of players working together for a common goal. And you should do the same in your church.

There are many ways to employ teamwork on a church staff. Of course, each department should be working as a team, but it’s also good to have teams of people from different ministry areas working together. This eliminates the silo mentality that often creeps into organizations.

One team approach I want to tackle over the next few weeks is the teaching team. Not only is this a great way to present the best content for your sermons week in and week out, it’s also the perfect opportunity to bring together staff and volunteers from different areas to focus on a task.

So, what is a teaching team? It’s not simply three or four people who share the responsibility of speaking on stage each week. Instead, it involves the behind-the-scenes work of planning, research and creativity. It’s a group of people with different skills bringing their talents to the table to make sure the gospel is presented in a compelling way each week.

In Part 2, we’ll talk about who needs to be on the team, and Part 3 will cover how each teaching team meeting should flow. This week, let’s answer the question of why you should have a teaching team.

1. You Can’t Do Everything

Many pastors, especially when they are just starting out, feel the pressure to perform well at every single task. Not only is this a strain on your time, but it also saps your energy and emotions. The sooner you can delegate large tasks and areas of ministry, the better. It will allow you to focus on what you do best.

The main teaching each weekend is usually the last area a pastor wants to delegate. Why is that? I think one reason is that pastors often feel they need to be the one presenting the Word each week. That may be true, but without taking a week off now and then, you will surely burn out. And even when you’re the primary speaker, that doesn’t mean you need to tackle all the behind-the-scenes preparation on your own.

You aren’t great at everything, but God has given you a team that can be.

This may come down to an issue of pride, honestly. Many pastors have the notion that if they aren’t the sole researcher, writer, creative director and speaker, then their message can’t be genuine. But we don’t think the same way about children’s ministry or worship in our churches.

Once you find out how a teaching team can help you be better, you can drop the façade of pride and lead from a place of humility and grace.

2. You Aren’t Great at Everything

Ministry schools and continuing education are focusing more and more on specialization today. They set in place systems and programs to hone the skills you already have. That means there are things you can never become an expert in. Face it, you can’t be great at everything.

You have some great skills; there’s no denying that. You may be a fantastic leader, but there are some areas in which you’re still growing. You may be a great speaker, but you may not be the best researcher. You may be a great writer, but you lack some of the same creative punch that others have. For everything you’re great at, there are other things you’re not so great at.

Take a look at the leaders and ministers God has placed around you. What talents do you see on your staff or in your church? Who is honing some skill that you don’t have? Who is the best at creative ideas? Who is that one person seemingly reading every scholarly book out there? God has placed them there for a reason. You aren’t great at everything, but God has given you a team that can be. You just need to find them.

3. You Don’t Know Everything

It may feel like you’re expected to know the answer to every question, but the reality is you don’t. And you never will. But working as a team, you can find the answers to the most important questions your congregation is asking. That means you need to rely on others’ education, knowledge and experience.

Whenever you face a problem or question you can’t get a handle on, go hunting for someone who can. You may be surprised to learn that someone on your team has already been thinking about it, is read up on it, or has experienced it. Having a team expands your knowledge base, but believing that you already know everything will shrink it.

One other thing about using the collective knowledge of a team: You have a limited field of vision. You will never be able to experience the viewpoint of every single person in your church. But the more people you bring into your team, the wider your view becomes. By enlisting the aid of other people, you can see issues from multiple angles, which, in the end, means you are able to reach more people with the gospel.

I know that a teaching team approach may not be for everyone, but I think it’s something everyone needs to try. There are so many benefits you’ll discover once you start. You will begin developing the leaders around you, possibly for their next steps in ministry. Good leaders are always developing other leaders. You’ll also find you can do more together than individually, a lesson that translates across ministry areas.

And perhaps most importantly of all, a team approach will give you more time and energy to focus on the vital things God has called you to do. So why not start trying a teaching team approach today?