By Cherie Werner
It doesn’t matter if your staff is large or small, every group that works together needs to be able to get along and trust one another. You want your co-workers to function as a team, not as opponents. The summer months are the perfect time to focus on team building—in most ministries, it’s a less busy, more relaxed environment.
Here are some ideas to get you going. God’s blessings as you create an environment of care, concern, and camaraderie among your employees!
Host group devotions: If it is possible for your group to come together at some point each day, do devotions together. For variety and less pressure on any one person, take turns bringing devotional material week by week.
Pray together: Share highs and lows with one another and take time to pray for and with each other.
Trade places: Give members of your group the chance to see what happens in different parts of your organization. You don’t really know what someone else has to deal with until you see what happens during a typical day.
Share ideas: Sometimes having a fresh perspective can help solve a problem. Allow your employees to share frustrations and challenges with one another. Someone else in your group may have a great idea and a possible solution.
Sign up for a service project: Working together to help someone else is a great way to bring co-workers together.
Learn something new: Attend or create professional-development opportunities for your group. Gather afterward to share new learning, insights, and ideas for moving forward.
Have fun together: Plan a game night, go on a field trip, do a scavenger hunt, create an escape-room game. Find ways to spend time together outside of work. Include competition, or not, but try to make it fun and lighthearted for everyone.
Appreciate each other: Make sure your employees know you appreciate them! Give them opportunities to show appreciation for one another. You can make this a formal event, write a nice note, or just be intentional about thanking them for a job well done.
Debrief after a team-building event: What went well? What didn’t? What can be done better? What did you like? What would you like to see in the future?
How do you build positive relationships among members of your ministry staff?
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