Church Is a Team Sport

Christian Articles Archive

Church Is a Team Sport

by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
The Assayer, March 1, 2012

Football team huddle Most sports teams have a star player. Get the ball to him and he’ll score. Get him up at bat with two men on base and he’ll hit them home. The sports commentators keep extensive statistics on each player that they’ll pull out during a lull in the play. It’s all about the numbers — each person playing to advance his own career, to increase his averages – at least that’s the way it seems sometimes.

But once in a while you see a team that plays together with a kind of magic. It’s not about one person scoring big, but it’s every team member doing his utmost to move the team forward to win the game – to get the ball across the line, to score.

Each player on the field or in the court has a role to play. And when each plays that role well and aggressively — keeping his eye on the ball – the whole team benefits. When one player just goes through the motions, the team is crippled. And if a key member of the team is injured – or just doesn’t show up for the game – the whole team suffers. The team fails to score.

A healthy church has a lot in common with a finely oiled sports team. Church shouldn’t be just a spectator sport with a few players entertaining the crowd. Church – especially a small church – relies on each person actively doing what he or she does best. Church is a team sport.

Football play diagram Let me ask you: what’s your role in your congregation? What are you doing to move the ball forward? What have you been asked to do that might further your effectiveness as a willing servant of the Head of the Church.

Some of you are wonderful, indispensable team members that help your church do Christ’s work! Thank you! But your pastor longs for the day that others will submit to the discipline of being faithful members of a team, a team that has the goal of glorifying God and bringing people to Christ.

Dear friends, it’s time to suit up together! Game on!

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