On Saturday 27th April we are holding our first Team Building Day between 12 and 3 p.m. Some may wonder what the point is of such a day and whether it’s worth turning up to such an event.
The church is described in many ways in the New Testament: as a bride, as a body, as a house, as God’s temple, as God’s family (see Eph 5:21-22, Rev 21:9, Rom 12:4-5, 1 Cor 12:12-27, Heb 3:6, Eph 2:19-22, Matt 12:49-50, 1 Tim 5:1). It’s clear that we’re not meant to be working in isolation but in community and it’s important that we know each other and understand and love each other. So often, misunderstandings and tensions arise because we don’t really know each other, so this is an opportunity to get to know each other in an informal way (bring your own lunch and let’s eat together to start with… so many conversations over the table are where relationships are strengthened as people chat about anything and everything!)
We’ll be exploring our differences and finding what we have in common as well as looking at our role in the body of Christ. Each of us is called to good works in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:10), but so often we feel either overworked or overlooked! We need to learn to recognise our strengths and weaknesses, our talents and gifts (and sometimes we’re not only blind to or ignorant of other people’s giftings, we’re not even that sure of what we can do! We hope to be able to identify these areas better so that we can work together to build each other up and to fulfil the Great Commission Jesus gave us of making disciples of all nations.
Paul says, ‘Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.‘ (Eph 4:14-16) We want each person at GPCC to feel loved, valued, appreciated and needed – because you are! We want each person to do the works God has prepared for them – for only then will we see the growth we believe God has for this church.
Come along to find out more, but most of all, be prepared to give up just a few hours this Saturday to explore what God has for each one of us working together as a team. The metaphor of team is just as apt for the church, for a team works together towards a common goal. Let’s work together as the body of Christ and see what God can do through the GPCC team!
