The Art of Building A Team

Have you ever seen or been a member of a great team? Have you ever wanted to join a certain team? It’s safe to say that’s the case for most, if not all, of us. But when I think about team building or teamwork, I think of one of the greatest examples sports have ever seen. Let’s rewind to the year 1992.

THE GREATEST TEAM I’VE EVER SEEN

As a kid, I grew up in North Carolina for a few years. Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time (no debate needed), who also grew up in N.C., is a hero of mine. 

However, as an N.C. resident, there were also only two obvious choices of teams to cheer for in Carolina. Duke and UNC. Duke is famously known for Coach K's coaching legacy. He recently passed the baton on to Jon Scheyer, who has the incredible opportunity to coach the best college team of all time. The other team is UNC, or I could say the worst team that you could ever imagine. Just kidding (maybe)!

So, it was a dream come true to learn much later in life that Coach K was an assistant on what is commonly known as the “Dream Team.” This was the Olympic basketball team for the U.S.A. Eleven of the world’s best players, led by the world’s best coach, all gathered together to win Olympic gold. You may wonder, what does this have to do with youth ministry? Well, I’m glad that you asked...

HOW TO BUILD A GREAT TEAM

When it comes to teamwork, we have to realize that great teams are formed, not found. In other words, it takes intentional effort and time to build the right type of team. 

The Dream Team was created in September of 1991 and didn’t get on the basketball court of the Olympics until the Summer of 1992. 

Now, combine that with all of the practice and film sessions. The workouts. Conversations. All of the team meetings, dinners, plane rides, and social events. All of that time was spent in an intentional effort to help these eleven players function as one unit. 

By the time the team arrived at the Olympics, Coach K had led the team in spending hundreds, if not thousands, of focused hours together.

Whether you have 5 adult leaders or 50 of them, as their leader, you have to invest time into building relationships with your teammates. They should hear your voice as you encourage, uplift, inspire, and shepherd them. 

Hear their stories. Get to know their families. Having prayer meetings, team rallies, and social events only for the leaders should become commonplace for you and will be the place where deep relationships and teamwork happen.

The Bible says in 1st Thessalonians 5:12 to “respect those who labor among you.” With that in mind, here are four practical steps you can take to form a “Dream Team” at your church:

Let Your Example Do The Talking

Model for the team what you want the culture of the youth ministry to be. For example, if you want to see more kindness in the group, then the team should see that coming from you.

Want to see a deeper desire to worship God? Then it needs to be seen from you. Just like Jordan and Coach K with the Olympic team, you are the thermostat that sets the tone for the team. 

The example you set matters. It helps carry the team in the direction you want to take them. Set the example. Lead by example. Let it do the work for you.

Evaluate The Team’s Needs

Coach K was not only an assistant coach for the Dream Team but also the chairman of the group that selected the final roster for the Dream Team. He hand-picked every single player that eventually made the team. He could see the strengths and weaknesses of the team and found the right players to fill in the correct spots.

Your team is an important part of your ministry. However, you don’t just need warm bodies to serve pizza at your church. You don’t need people to come and just take up space and not contribute in a way that supports your overall mission. 

What does your team really need? Do you need more friendly faces at the door to greet students as they come into the service? Do you need more men to serve as small-group leaders? Do you need more moms in the church to love and care for the students? Identify those needs and then take them to God in prayer.


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I’ve found that the best way to build the best leadership team is to pray for the right type of leader to become available. Be specific in your request to God. Have you identified the needs, strengths, and weaknesses of your team?

Add To The Team Wisely

The Dream Team was made up of 11 players. But the process of adding them wasn’t done carelessly. There was a process of evaluating and eventually adding each player. And while you hopefully have more leaders on your team than that, there’s a lesson to be learned. Each player that made the roster was intentionally selected and not just randomly chosen.

At times in youth ministry, the pressure to get more adults in the room can be overwhelming. And it’s possible to settle for anyone who shows an interest in serving with you. The danger in that, though, is you may unintentionally allow someone who doesn’t have the right heart or attitude onto the team, which could cause more problems down the road.

Instead, start by praying for God’s discernment. Prioritize the health of the team at all costs. Next, actively begin to recruit leaders to your team. Identify their gifting and ask them if they’ve ever thought about serving with the students. If they’re not interested, that’s okay. Keep looking for the right people. Remember, great teams are formed and not found. Are you actively looking for and recruiting potential candidates for your team?

Develop The Right Spots For The Right Players

In other words, helps everyone on the team to identify and execute their role. For the Dream Team, all eleven players were used to being on the starting five for their respective teams. And yet, six of them, five of whom would become Hall of Famers, had to come off of the bench!

Why? Because that’s what their role was and, ultimately, what the team needed. So, if you see that someone on the leadership team is very social, they may need to be in charge of planning your fun nights at church. Have someone pretty good with computers? Maybe they could help to run the lyrics and media slides. Each team member has a specific part to play. As the youth pastor, what are some ways to ensure that each of your leaders is in their correct position on the team?

In 1992, the Dream Team won the gold medal. They left a legacy for generations after them to follow and learn from. And that’s my hope and prayer for you also.  As you follow God’s plan and build a team of passionate volunteers, His grace will help you to create disciples for His glory. And for that legacy to be passed on to each student at your church. 

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