During this time of the year, we have lots of parties and celebrations for work and ministry. It is a good time to step back and reflect on what God has done over this past year. It is a time to appreciate the fact that we get to work with others in getting things accomplished.

I am so blessed to be on several of God’s “teams.” I love working with the men and women on our worship and tech teams. They truly love the Lord and they love to serve; and it shows. They are a tremendous blessing to the congregation. I am so privileged to be on an awesome staff team at my church. They are some of the most dedicated and pure hearted people I have ever known. And even though I am just a lowly “adjunct professor,” I am proud to be on the team of amazing professors and instructors at Azusa Pacific University Graduate School of Theology. I see how students are wonderfully equipped for ministry through their coursework; I am one of those former students.

Teamwork is how God designed to accomplish His purposes. It took a “Trinity” team to create the universe. It took Twelve Tribes to form a nation. It took a band of disciples to preach the Gospel to the known world. It takes churches working together to further the Kingdom of God.

Teams are not easy, though. It requires trust, cooperation, unity, fearless risk taking, humility (or should I say, “a lot of pride swallowing”), sacrifice, and selflessness to be a good team. There are times when it seems like “doing it myself” or “on my own” would be the more practical and effective road to take. But going solo always ends up being the worse way to go.

As we think about Christmas, it took a team: Angels, a teenage girl, a supportive aunt, a reluctant fiancé, an imaginative Inn keeper, aware Shepherds, astute Magi, and the Holy Spirit of God to make it all work. And this does not even begin to include the multitudes of godly generations that passed on a living faith to Joseph and Mary.

So let’s hear it for our teams! Give thanks for the people you serve with, the people you walk with arm in arm and side by side. When we serve the Lord as a team, we truly bring glory to the God who put us together.

He knows we are so much better together.