Even the strongest pastor can’t do it alone. Moses had Aaron and Hur, Jesus sent disciples in pairs, and Paul never went solo. Yet too many churches still rely on a single leader. Kim Jenne gives us five practical ways to build a culture of shared, team-based ministry—and empower your congregation to step into their God-given calling.
During the battle in Exodus 17, Moses stands on a hill with the staff of God raised high. It works beautifully until it doesn’t. His arms grow tired, the battle falters, and Aaron and Hur step in to hold him up. Even Moses, the great leader of Israel, could not lead alone. The victory belonged to the whole team.
Scripture gives us moment after moment of shared leadership. Jesus sends the disciples out in pairs. He commissions 70 others to go ahead of him. Paul rarely travels alone. Priscilla and Aquila build leadership capacity from their home. When God calls leaders, God creates teams.
Yet many congregations still hold the assumption that, “It is the pastor’s job to do ministry.” This overloads clergy and deprives laity of the opportunity to claim their calling as agents of transformation in their homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
Team-based leadership is biblically grounded and one of the most effective ways to expand a church’s reach. These five ministry “game-changers” offer a practical blueprint for empowering laity and reshaping congregational culture
1. Cultivate a culture of call.
Jesus develops leaders by inviting them into a different future: “Follow me,” “You will fish for people,” “I am sending you.” Paul does the same in Romans 16. These moments expand the circle of ministry.
Practical moves:
- Preach regularly on calling and vocation. Expand the imagination beyond church committees to include daily work, caregiving, community leadership and public witness as holy callings.
- Make an ask every Sunday. Name one area of ministry with a need and invite people to explore it.
- Use weekly “ICNU” language. Tell at least one person each week “I see in you the gifts for …”
- Commission often. A simple blessing for a new role signals that leadership emerges from the whole body.
A culture of call grows when people hear in others’ voices what God may already be speaking to their hearts.
2. Mentor and apprentice new leaders.
Jesus apprentices the disciples through a pattern of demonstrating, inviting participation, sending and debriefing. Paul follows the same rhythm with Timothy, Titus, Phoebe and others. Leadership development in Scripture is relational and immersive.
Practical moves:
- Everyone mentors somebody. Make apprenticeship a basic expectation.
- Use the apprentice pattern intentionally:
- I do, you watch, we talk.
- I do, you help, we talk.
- You do, I help, we talk.
- You do, I watch, we talk.
- Tell coaching stories in sermons. Name how mentors have shaped your own leadership.
Apprenticeship is one of the most joyful parts of ministry and the surest path to multiplying confident leaders.
3. Recognize, celebrate, and commission.
In Acts 6, the community commissions the Seven. Jesus blesses the 70. Paul’s greetings were read aloud in worship to name lay leaders who strengthened the Church. Public recognition formed leaders and communities.
Practical moves:
- Celebrate values, not just tasks. Move beyond “Thank you for helping” toward “Your creativity helped children see God’s love.”
- Rotate leaders and honor transitions. Celebrate those who step aside after a season of service.
- Share brief testimonies. Invite leaders to speak for two minutes on what they learned while serving and connect it to generosity by saying, “Your financial generosity helps us create opportunities for people to live out their calling.”
- Use celebration as a pathway. Make leadership feel accessible by naming where gifts shine.
Public recognition expands imagination for who can lead and strengthens trust in shared ministry.
4. Invest in lay development, not just clergy development.
The early Church was sustained by lay leaders who taught, hosted, administered and discerned. Churches weaken when only clergy receive training while laity are left to self-navigate leadership roles.
Practical moves:
- Align job descriptions around lay empowerment. Staff exist to equip others.
- Build a local “farm league.” Create a lay learning cohort that explores gifts, theology, leadership skills and mission.
- Give real responsibility. Invite laity to lead initiatives and design outreach.
- Budget for lay training. Fund laity to attend learning experiences in community organizing, small group facilitation, or intercultural competence.
- Teach leaders to build teams. Multiplying leaders who develop others accelerates culture change.
When laity grow in confidence and capacity, the entire congregation becomes more resilient and missional.
5. Share input and responsibility.
Jesus hands authority to others throughout his ministry. Moses learns from Jethro how to expand leadership. Paul entrusts churches to elders and deacons. Shared leadership is the biblical norm.
Practical moves:
- Ask three questions in every meeting: Whose voice is missing? Who is closest to the work? What gifts have we not yet invited?
- Let laity define the outcome. Before launching an initiative, ask “What would a missional outcome look like for this?”
- Share leadership early. Like Jesus sending disciples before they felt ready, involve laity early so ownership grows.
- Clarify roles of authority, responsibility and accountability. Define who decides, who advises and who executes. Chairs, not staff, set agendas, lead meetings, and communicate next steps.
Shared responsibility produces wider perspective, deeper buy-in and stronger outcomes. A team-based Church transforms the community. When laity are empowered, they begin seeing their relationships and work as part of God’s mission. Team-based leadership opens new opportunities for purpose, discipleship and community impact. A church built around a single leader cannot flourish long term. A church built on teams looks more like the early Church in Acts, where many hands carried the mission, and the Spirit equipped the whole people of God.
The good news is that no pastor has to do this alone. The better news is that they never should have. Ministry is shared work, and the Church is at its best when everyone discovers their part to play.
Related Resources
- Moses, Pyramids, and Leadership After Empire featuring Kathleen McShane and Elan Babchuck — Watch the Leading Ideas Talks podcast video | Listen to the podcast audio version | Read the in-depth interview
- More Church Leaders | Stronger Church Leaders, a Lewis Center video tool kit resource
- 10 Essential Ways Leaders Build Relationships with their Team Members by Dan Reiland
- 5 Characteristics of Effective Ministry Teams by Ann A. Michel
If you would like to share this article in your newsletter or other publication, please review our reprint guidelines.
