Ministry teams is not a new invention. Moses learned it from his father-in-law, Jethro. Jesus practiced it throughout his ministry and it was exemplified by the early church. In our ministry teams each elder will be assigned to a ministry partner (a deacon or another elder) with whom he will form a ministry team. This ministry team will serve together in the following ways...

1. Team Leader - One elder of each team will be the team leader and shall have the responsibility to see to it that these meetings and visits are made. He shall report on their faithfulness and accomplishments at each elder meeting. Jesus sent his disciples out by twos as a principle of ministry. All disciples are mentors. Teach someone what you have learned.

2. Prayer Partners - they will meet together weekly at a prearranged time and place for not less than 1/2 hour of intercessory prayer for each other and the church and its people. The pastor will suggest a powerful book on prayer or spiritual disciplines which should be discussed briefly with each other. Be accountable to one another. Ask each other penetrating questions. "What are you learning? What is God convicting you of? What are you struggling with? How can I pray for you? Is there anything that burdens or troubles you that I can help carry as a prayer burden?"

3. Shut-ins Visits - each team will be assigned the care of specific elderly and/or shut-in who shall be visited monthly on a designated visitation day. Usually they would have one or two shut-ins. Communion shall be served to the truly shut-in and those requesting it. Be sure to do this as a team, never alone. You are welcome to take your wives along, especially when the shut-in is a woman.

4. Care Groups - our church is responsible for the care of over 400 people. It is necessary that we have a systematic way of caring for the oversight of the church family. Therefore each of the elder/deacon teams will be assigned a segment of the congregation to specifically, watch over in prayer, fellowship and personal contact. This care may include contact by phone, conversations at church, greeting cards, or visits to their homes, a periodic Home Fellowship/Bible Study, a monthly hospitality events such as having two families for Sunday dinner, an after church desert time, or any other social gathering you are comfortable with. In many cases you will want to develop a friendship relationship first. We have found that the easiest way to do that is by taking men out to breakfast or lunch occasionally. Schedule hospitality or it will not happen! (See Shepherding Lesson)

5. Hospital visits - all elders shall be expected to willingly do hospital visits. You will be notified by the pastor or church office as soon as it is known that someone in your care group is in the hospital. If you cannot make the visit within a day of notification you should request the pastor or another elder team to take your place. A report on this visitation ministry shall be made each month. These hospital visits shall also include at least one follow-up call to those with extended illnesses recovering at home. (See Hospital Visitation Lesson)