What are action teams and why are they replacing ministry teams?
Not unlike our Ministry teams, Action Teams, are work groups which come together with common interests and essential attributes to accomplish specific tasks, projects and goals that further the ministry of LCC. But as our church demographic has changed, some of our goals and how we deliver ministry also has changed. Our current ministry structure is defined within our constitution and bylaws; therefore, any new teams or changes may take up to two years to implement. By eliminating the formal definition of Ministry Teams within the framework of our governing documents, we become more flexible and nimbler to meet the needs of our church family and the community we serve. Another way to look at it is this: Action teams are impact teams, making a difference in a specific time and place in our church and in our community. Action teams can have the advantage of also allowing for time-limited commitments and flexible structures.
Not all ministry teams are being dissolved.
Those Ministry Teams which are currently functioning with a committed membership will not change. Their mission and operations will not be impacted and the work they do will not change. But not all Ministry Teams are currently functioning. Some teams have not met in over a year. Some teams have no membership or leadership. There are varying reasons for this, including the inability to attract new members to long-term commitments, often without immediate action items.
Examples of Project Oriented Action Teams
De facto, action teams are often how we are already working. Journey to Bethlehem is a great example of a project-oriented action team that is outside our ministry team structure. Church members came together under the leadership of Lynn Cropper to put on a successful event.
The Stewardship Team is another good example. Their primary mission is to educate the congregation on stewardship topics and opportunities during the year, but the stewardship campaign in the fall is the primary project for the year.
The Children’s Education team, which is under the umbrella of Spiritual Formation, is a team which meets regularly to ensure a quality education program for our children. They recruit and expand the team for special events such as the Palm Sunday Fair.
We have many, small unofficial teams that work together. Examples like our ushers and greeters or our communications and social media team may never sit in a meeting room but organizing people and communicating their roles and making sure our holiday events are covered is a key role.
What does an Action Team Leader do?
The team leader’s job includes clearly communicating the team’s goals to its membership; delegating tasks to team members and ensuring they complete them on time; allocating and managing resources; and resolving unexpected issues. The team leader will be responsible for updating the Church Council during the life of the project and request funding as needed.
