In Matthew 26:18, Jesus invited His disciples to sit at the table with Him. “And he said, Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, the Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover with My disciples.” Jesus was intentional with choosing the 12 disciples, and these same men surrounded him at the table in his last hours on earth. He spent many hours training them, sharing and teaching them how to communicate the gospel. He knew they would be a significant part of the story and when he descended to heaven, he trusted them with the Great Commission.

Regardless if it is a prayer group that you meet with regularly, a ministry team, or a church council, these are important times that will increase relationship building among your team and efficiency to lead together as you minister the gospel. Having the right people around the table will help to build community, give accountability of goals, and provide opportunities to communicate the vision of your particular ministry well. Lack of intentional time spent together can often times cause confusion and little participation.

Depending on the size of your church or ministry, this information will indicate the number of meetings that may be required for the leaders you have on your team. But if you are trying to function as a church or ministry without intentional
meeting times with leaders, you are sure to fail. Below are a few things I have learned in conducting meetings that I have found to be beneficial, regardless of the meeting and the people involved.

• Make prayer a priority and consider a brief devotion or leadership principle emphasis.
• Always be prepared. Written agendas are more times necessary than not.
• Prepare the room for the meeting with appropriate sitting arrangements and room temperature before the group arrives.
• Sometimes snacks and drinks are appropriate as well.
• Know the agenda and the supporting documents. Think about the questions that may be asked by leaders, and how you plan to respond.
• Value the time of others by starting and finishing on time.
• Acknowledge the achievements of personal and ministry goals of team members.
• Value and encourage the input of everyone on the team.
• Be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes He will interrupt our agenda, and that is perfectly okay.

Meetings do not have to be dull and boring but can be dynamic in nature as you intentionally lead your team of ministry leaders. The Lord has placed ministry leaders around the table to share the responsibility of ministering.

-Bishop Tim Lamb