WHAT ARE LIFETEAMS
MISSION
The purpose and function of JGLM LifeTeams is to assist Christians in growing up into Christ in all things by fulfilling the great commission and producing spiritually mature Christians in the shortest time possible.
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To assist Christians in growing up into Christ in all things
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By fulfilling the great commission
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Producing spiritually mature Christians
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In the shortest time possible
JGLM LifeTeams are small, rapidly multiplying units of believers that are systematically trained and working as a team according to a specific training program with the purpose of reaching their city for Christ. The teams follow a systematic course of study and application that coincides with the JGLM Dominion Bible Institute (DBI). The leader of the team has the responsibility of training, equipping, and preparing the members of the team to do the works of Christ. The training of members takes place through teaching, study, role-playing, and developing within each member a lifestyle of doing the great commission.
Reproduction
Each member of the team is being trained and equipped, by being on the team, to become a team leader and start his or her own team. The members work together, each having a function and responsibility—making it a team, not merely a group.
Matthew 28:19-20
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
2 Timothy 2:2
And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
TEAMWORK
There is a difference between a group and a team. A group is a number of people or things that are together or in the same place, whereas a team is a group of people that work together to achieve an objective.
Everyone on the team plays a part in fulfilling the purpose and goals of the team. Each member edifies, builds up, and adds to the team.
Instead of having an inward focus on the members of the group, the focus of JGLM Life Teams is outward—bringing the life of God to their community.
The team's overall responsibility is to—
• Ensure that every person in their area has had the gospel presented to them
• Regularly pray for all people within their area
• Be a team that helps and brings healing for anyone, anywhere, anytime
The teams in a particular location become the "pastors" of the people residing in their area. Each team is responsible for being the governing spiritual body of their area. The purpose of a JGLM LifeTeams and their activities is the same purpose that Christ has: to establish the Kingdom of Heaven and destroy the works of the devil.
Everything that is done in the LifeTeam is to train and equip the members of the team to establish the Kingdom of Heaven and destroy the works of the devil.
JGLM LifeTeams contain practical training to prepare any believer for any possible circumstance when doing the works of Christ.
A Living Organism
A LifeTeam is a living organism. Like a tree, it is living and growing—always making new branches in order to produce more fruit. Each LifeTeam follows after the example set by Christ. Equipped with the Holy Ghost, Christ discipled a handful of men, training them to do exactly what he had been doing: establishing the Kingdom of Heaven and destroying the works of the devil. He did this by preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, teaching about the Kingdom, and making disciples.
John 14:12
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Producing Leaders
The leader disciples the team with the vision that he or she is wanting to train future leaders with. When we do what the Lord Jesus did we produce leaders that continue to advance the Kingdom, strengthening it and allowing it to grow.
“My brother Wesley acted wisely – the souls that were awakened under his ministry he joined in class and thus preserved the fruits of his labor. This I neglected and my people are a rope of sand.”
–George Whitefield
Wesley produced leaders, while Whitefield only produced conversions.
The objective is that all team members will eventually have their own LifeTeam. This organism called LifeTeams continually disciples and reproduces leaders. The leader that establishes the work shall then take the responsibility of caring for the needs of the new teams that are birthed from the existing. The establishing leader meets with the leaders that he or she has trained and continues to disciple them on a regular basis as they continue to mature spiritually—this maintains solid relationships and reveals the needs of his original disciples and their teams. Every Life Team that is established becomes its own hub for growth and maturity. Team members mature and continue to grow as greater responsibility is placed upon them.
Why LifeTeams?
Life Teams are a new wineskin for a principle and practice that has existed since the birth of the Church. Life Teams provide for the training of leaders both present and future, while ensuring that no one “slips through the cracks.” God gave Moses a plan of divine order with which to lead millions of people. It is a fact that no one person can effectively lead or pastor a large group of people.
The purpose of ministry personnel is to train up the body of Christ so each believer can exercise his or her gifts and talents when given the opportunity and to provide each believer with that opportunity.
Lately, small groups, home Bible study fellowships, and especially cell groups, including the G-12 system, have been a major topic of discussion and have led the recent wave of church growth. Life Teams are similar to the G-12 cell group system in structure yet fundamentally different in purpose and function. Since cell groups are usually instituted by churches they are treated as church-growth projects. Rather than being a project, Life Teams are the church.
Make no mistake; each Life Team is a church in and of itself according to the New Testament definition of “church”. Yet Life Teams individually and collectively are a part of “The Church”.
Life Teams are meeting a vital need of many believers that no longer attend another church body. Many people that attend Life Teams will not attend “church”.
Small house meetings are referred to in the Bible at least 12 times. The benefits of Life Teams are numerous and will be enumerated in the LTL manual.
Biblical Foundations
You can see from the following scripture that God never intended one man to “do it all"–demonstrating the necessity of Life Teams.
Exodus 18:13-26
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God: When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace. So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said. And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
Small groups are the only way to distribute the workload evenly. LifeTeams are able to accomplish the Great Commission Jesus gave each of us. The following scriptures show how God grows leaders and increases their authority and ability to lead by increasing their responsibility. This increase of responsibility is precisely what is provided in the Life Team system and it is exactly what God intends every believer to participate in.
Numbers 11:16, 17, 25
16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. 17 And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself atone.
25 And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.
NEW TESTAMENT HOUSE MEETINGS:
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Acts 1:12-14 They went into an upper room of a house
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Acts 2:46 They broke bread from house to house
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Acts 5:41-42 Peter and apostles teaching in homes
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Acts 8:3 Saul had to enter a house to attempt to destroy the church
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Acts 10:22-24 Peter was sent to Cornelius’ home to preach the gospel
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Acts 12:12 Believers were gathered in a house praying for Peter
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Acts 18:5-8 Paul ministered in Justus' home
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Acts 20:20 Paul taught from house to house
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Acts 28:30-31 For two years, Paul taught all who came to his home
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Romans 16:5 The church which is in their house
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Colossians 4:15 Nymphas, and the church which is in his house
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Philemon 1:2 Archippus, and the church in his house
GOALS &OBJECTIVES
GROWTH
Each Life Team consists of 3 to 12 people. The LifeTeam Leader must train a new leader(s) to take over a new Life Team—birthed from the present team—when the total number of people reaches a maximum of 15. Usually a natural break can take place. Be sensitive in recognizing leadership qualities. Every LifeTeam Leader must have a vision for multiplication and commitment to growth.
Acts 6:7
And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
EVANGELISM
Friends, family, neighbors or business associates are leading approximately 80% of people into salvation, showed polls and surveys recently taken. An encounter with the power of God accounts for approximately 85% of all salvations.
Very few people are relatively saved during a church service. It is much easier for a person to enter into your home than it is for them to enter into a traditional church building.
TRUE PASTORING
The Shepherd's responsibility of protecting, feeding, and guiding must be outworked in a smaller group setting. A shepherd calls his sheep by name.
John 10:1-5
1Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
It is impossible for any one man, or even a handful of men, to effectively pastor a congregation of any significant size. The pastoring of God's people can only be outworked as the Lord raises up many shepherds of tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands. Though responsibilities and spiritual authority vary, each is only in active relationship with a smaller group of three to twelve saints. Once Life Team Leaders begin interacting with God's people, needs are met, “gifts” stirred, potential developed, and the process of helping saints’ find their place in the body will be well underway.
DISCIPLESHIP
True biblical discipleship flows out of healthy relationships. Every believer needs to have seasoned saints around to encourage, correct and support. Likewise, each of us need to be able to give, share, and encourage those younger than us in the Lord. Paul's command to Timothy was to seek out faithful men and to teach them what he, himself, was taught.
2 Timothy 2:1-3
1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
EQUIPPING THE SAINTS FOR THE MINISTRY
Ephesians 4 tells us that apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers were given to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry.
Ephesians 4:11-12
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
What better place to begin to work out callings and giftings in the Lord than in a small group setting. LifeTeams provide a forgiving environment to begin to step out in spiritual gifting, to learn inter-relational skills and to minister to others. Faithfulness in the smaller things warrants God's blessings and increase into greater responsibility and usefulness in God's kingdom.