The Four Stages of Growing a Team

Every church or ministry leader will benefit from understanding the key stages of team development (both paid and volunteer). The four Stages of team development were originally identified by educational psychologist Bruce W. Tuckman in the mid-1960's. Still valid today, they are:

• Forming


• Storming


• Norming


• Performing

Forming is what happens at your leadership retreat or first meeting. Everyone comes with company manners and is nice to each other. You might do some bonding games or talk about all you will achieve together. Hopefully you leave pumped and feel almost like you've found a fresh love.

Back home and back in the trenches, reality hits. The turf wars begin. Team members begin to jockey for acknowledged expertise in an area. Things get tense. You may wonder what you were thinking when you agreed to be a part of the team!

The storming phase has begun. Teammates are diligently working to identify who does and knows what. Pressure increases on how the team works together and challenges how the team deals with differing opinions around the table. Successfully working through this uncomfortable season will establish group norms. Just like after any storm, calm follows, relatively speaking that is.

Norming is building on the outcomes from the storm. This leads to growing trust within the team, and real forward progress begins.

With clear norms, performing becomes doable because the team is attuned to the same wavelength. It's almost as if you can read everyone's mind. The team delivers high-performance, and life is good.

Unfortunately, the process doesn't always work quite this smoothly. Many teams never get beyond storming. Not quite understanding what is going on, leaders risk allowing things to get personal. This can become a de-motivator, and team members may start jumping ship, stalling progress. Teaching your new team the four phases can help them knowingly and successfully move through the storming phase.

Since most teams experience some turnover in their life span, it is vital to be aware that whenever a new member joins the team or someone drops from the team, the process will usually revert back to the storming phase. Be sure your team members are equipped to survive the storming process and work through to norming.

Awareness of what's going on in your team and what phase you are in can smooth the growth of your team.

Sounding the Macedonian Call - Impacting a Community for Christ!

Dear Friends,

It is with great excitement that I send this email. Would you please take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to carefully read what could be the most important email that you have received today? This is URGENT!

I have the awesome opportunity of serving as the pastor for Bridges of Hope Fellowship in McMinnville, Tennessee. We are a church plant that turned 3 years old at the beginning of October 2009. In three short years, we have witnessed God change many lives for the kingdom. We have seen marriages restored, alcoholics and drug addicts set free, homosexuals loosed from their lifestyles and gloriously born-again. Praise God!! We are being used mightily to impact the McMinnville and Warren County area with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Now it is time to take the next step. We have purchased 5 acres of land that sits on one of the most highly traveled highways in the county. Everyday, there are approximately 8,000 cars that pass by our land. In our rural culture, you are never considered legitimate until you have your own church building. So, we believe God has led us to build the first phase of our new facility and the time is NOW. We have moved every step in faith and realize that the mere task of getting groups to come and help us build this building is a huge step of faith, especially starting in January. However, we trust and know that God will provide the laborers to help us bring glory to God through what others would call the impossible. We’ve been told that we can’t build anything in a recession, but God told us they were wrong. We’ve been told that we are crazy, and we might be. But the one thing we do KNOW, is that God is faithful and sits on the throne. He promised us that He will provide if we ask. Work will begin as early as this week!!!!

YOUR PART…. We are simply asking for you and your church to pray about and consider bringing a team from your church or ministry to help us accomplish the task that has been laid before us. We need both skilled laborers and assistants to come and help us show the people of Warren County what the Body of Christ really looks like. Great, now that your in…
1.) Open the attachment, which is a complete time line and list of needs to be filled. All materials will be provided, but you will need to bring your tools with you. Also, attached is a photo and layout of the building.
2.) Contact Keith Carey (kcarey@trinitydesigngroup.com) who is overseeing the coordination of volunteer teams for our building project. If you do not get a response, please call 615-848-9292. He prefers to connect via email for the first contact.
3.) Gather your supplies and hit the road!

WHAT IF YOU CAN’T BRING A TEAM…. We would love for you to come help us, however, if you can’t, there are a few other ways you can help us reach this community for Christ.
1.) Pray for God to provide the teams needed to accomplish this task, the safety of every team involved, the needed finances to finish it, and for God to be lifted up and glorified in the entire world because of our faithfulness and obedience to carry out His command.
2.) Give a financial gift to help us succeed in this project. Maybe you or your church could take up a love offering or give out of your missions giving to help us.
3.) Pass along this request to other churches or individuals you know of who have teams that could help us.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this request for help in impacting a community for Christ! If you should have any questions, I am always available to answer them at 931-815-8870 or by email at pastor@gethope.info. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Fourteen Things Jesus Did NOT Say by Perry Noble

#1 – “They will know you are my disciples by your theology, and the arrogance that accompanies it.” (John 13:35)

#2 – “Dream really small dreams and make sure you never ask for anything big!”
(John 14:12-14, Psalm 2:8)

#3 – “If someone doesn’t believe just like you believe…make sure to do all you can to attack, criticize and beat them down as much as possible.” (Mark 9:38-41)

#4 – “Be tolerant of everyone…I am one of the many ways to God.” (John 14:6)

#5 – “Make sure you make the church about you…that you are served well…please, don’t do anything that might cause you any type of inconvenience. My goal is for you to be happy!” (Matthew 20:28, Luke 9:23-24)

#6 – “Please, whatever you do, DO NOT tell people the good news…keep it to yourself! The reason I died on the cross is so that you could get into really small groups of people and talk about ‘deep things’ that aren’t going to help anyone when it comes to eternity.” (Matthew 28:20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:48, John 20:21, Acts 1:8, Romans 10:14, Romans 10:17)

#7 – “Don’t EVER try anything new…don’t ever take a risk…don’t ever take a step of faith. Be AVERAGE!” (Isaiah 43:18-19, Hebrews 11:1, Hebrews 11:6)

#8 – “You can follow me and it will not impact your money at all!” (Matthew 6:19-24)

#9 – “Pray a prayer to get out of hell…and then live however you want.”
(John 14:15, John 14:21)

#10 – “You can do it without me!” (John 15:5)

#11 – “I don’t expect you OR your church to be fruitful in any way.” (John 15:4)

#12 – “Isolate yourself from the world!” (John 17:15)

#13 – “Make sure there is a time when you question my word because it will one day be no longer relevant.” (Luke 21:33)

#14 – “Stop crying out to me in desperation…can’t you see I’m busy.” (Mark 10:46-52)

New Sermon Series

Pursuing happiness takes work. It’s tough to find and even harder to hold. Ever want more than that for your life? God does. He wants us to be blessed. Discover what the Bible says about living The Blessed Life.

Don't miss this poweful new series by Pastor DeWayne to get you started right for the new year. It starts this Sunday, January 10th at 10:30 a.m. at Bridges of Hope Fellowship in McMinnville, Tennessee. If you can't make it, be sure to check it out at www.sermon.net/pastord

This is one series that is sure to change your life for the better, both now and for eternity.