Teams
An effective missionary team is an identifiable group of disciples who meet together regularly, care for each other selflessly, and partner with one another intentionally
Christians who are attracted to mobilization are often individuals with strong personalities. They have a dogged determination to go wherever they need to go and do whatever they need to do to glorify God and to spread the gospel. Generally, that is a good thing. Frontier mobilization requires determination, conviction, and stamina.
When you put a group of strong personalities together on a team, and then add the stress of cross-cultural living and working, the combination can be combustible. Is teaming really worth it? Is it okay for someone to go by themselves and work by themselves to spread the gospel, or are teams important enough to warrant waiting for others and then working with others?
Reasons for Teaming
The Pattern of the New Testament
At the CMM we are convinced that it is never good for an individual, a couple, or a family to live and labor alone. There are a number of reasons for this. First of all, in the New Testament we see consistent examples of gospel workers operating in teams, or at least in pairs. There is no specific command that missionaries can only go as part of teams, but the precedent is clearly there.
The Wisdom of Experience
Decades of research and experience have shown that living and working alone is hard on missionaries, and that people working alone have a harder time staying on the field, much less thriving in their work. From a biblical point of view, perhaps the most persuasive reason for going as part of a team is that the Bible has no category for a Christian who is not actively engaged in fellowship and co-labor of other believers.
In the New Testament, disciples on mission most often serve on teams in which different people have different roles and responsibilities. Beyond this biblical precedent, Scripture points to strong personal, practical, and pastoral reasons for disciples on mission not to serve in isolation from others. Even evangelistic reasons exist for disciples to exalt Christ in the context of Christian community.
Because we believe teaming is worth it, we are committed to equipping our workers in several crucial areas:
