Effective Team Ministry

by Jim Wies

Foundational Concepts & Values Regarding Team Ministry

This series explores the scriptural aspects and dynamics of team ministry. It also gives pointers and guidelines for effective team ministry. This series will help you to cooperate with God's plan, which is for believers to work together as a corporate whole rather than as individual parts. It does not matter what level of personal involvement you have in prophetic ministry, you will gain by understanding that God's plan for the body of Christ to work effectively together. These principles of corporateness and teamwork apply to much more than just the prophetic. They apply to numerous levels of ministry and relationship: from serving on a prophetic presbytery team in a local church to cooperating with other leaders in the formation of international trans-local associations, alliances and networks, or even to making your marriage work better.

God has been speaking to the body of Christ about the principle of "team", of working together effectively. We see it over and over in scripture. And we see it in corporate prophetic words which target the body of Christ at large. Here is an example, a recent prophetic word given by Ras Robinson, Ft. Worth, Texas, in November of 2001:

"I am connecting hearts." Says the Lord. "These are the days when I am stirring My people to come into relationship with one another in a deeper way. Just as I put David and Jonathan, Paul and Timothy, Paul and Silas, Paul and Barnabas together, I am joining hearts today as well. I want you to learn to work as a team (My whole body functioning as I designed it). I can do more through you when you are teaming with others. It takes all of My body working together to accomplish My ultimate purposes. 'Davids' need 'Jonathans' and 'Pauls' need their team members. 'Jonathans' and team members need their 'Davids' and 'Pauls'."

"So humble yourself and submit to My voice of leadership within. Listen, for I am speaking to you right now about all this. There are friends who stick closer than brothers. These friends love at all times, good and bad. Come into relationship. I am connecting hearts". Says the Lord."

-- Given by Ras Robinson, November 2001, Ft. Worth TX.

"Relationship" is foundational to our lives as Christians and as ministers. As the body of Christ, we are instructed to learn to appreciate the diversity and giftings that God has placed in every believer. The eye can no longer say "I have no need of you." And the head cannot say to the feet "I have no need of you" (I Cor 12:12-24). We will bring great blessing to the local church and the larger Body of Christ as we learn the value of team ministry and understand the dynamics that will make us effective as team members.

Team Ministry 'Modeled' By Jesus

Even within the Godhead, we see that God Himself exemplifies the working of a team. We see His teamwork from the very beginning of creation.

John 1:1-4 states: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." We see this further clarified in the original account in Genesis 1:1-2, 26-28: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.' So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

The preceding scriptures show us that God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit all participated together in creation. We also see teamwork in how the Godhead designed mankind -- by making man and woman, the first "team." God designed and intended for us to be in relationship from the very start. In fact, the only thing that God claimed was "not good" in His creation (as told in Genesis 1&2) was that it was not good for man to be alone. That is why He created a partner for him.

There are other demonstrations of the principle of teamwork built within the Creator's creation. For example, multiplication and reproduction takes a cooperative effort. The study of horticulture shows us that even plants and flowers reproduce through cross-pollination, and are therefore dependent on others.

God designed us to be relational beings. He made us in His image and He Himself is a relational being. We see this same kind of cooperative teamwork again within the Godhead. For instance, Matthew 3:16-17 shows the Father and the Spirit teaming up together in Jesus' life for His initial anointing and public endorsement/presentation during His water baptism. It says, "When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'"

God is a relational God and He demonstrates teamwork within Himself. He also wants us to be rightly related to one another to enjoy maximum quality of the life. And we will enjoy much greater effectiveness when we labor together for the furtherance of His will and purposes on the earth. The fellowship and the joy of being rightly related to God and one another gives us a degree of effectiveness in life and ministry that we would not otherwise have.

The value of "Team"

Eccl 4:9-12 says:

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken

Jesus recognized the dynamic described in this Scripture, and therefore He consistently sent out His disciples two by two (Mark 6:7, etc). Eccl 4:9-12 lists several important and valuable benefits of "team."

Prob 11:14 says, "In the multitude of counselors there is safety." Team Ministry provides needed balance and safety.

We will add various additional aspects of team ministry as we proceed through this series in the following weeks. These include things like

One final note -- it is important to realize that there is a distinct difference between gifting and character. This is important to understand When we address the topic of team ministry and being rightly related to other members of the Body of Christ. The reality is that gifting does not insure character. It takes gifting to prophesy, but it takes character to be a "team player." Giftings are received by faith. Character is grown as fruit. The one does not insure the other. However, the gifted minister, who also has the character it takes to be a "team player," will find their ministry much is more useful in the hand of the Lord for the furtherance of His purposes.

God needs prophets who are courageous enough to stand alone when need be, but also wise and humble enough to recognize their need of corporateness. He needs prophets who can embrace submission to the team process. In the 70's, the church was breaking free of the "fear of man" and "people pleasing," so independence was a virtue. Today God is looking for those who exhibit the ability to embrace corporateness as a valuable virtue. God designed us for relationship and for inter-dependence. He did not design us for an unhealthy co-dependence. He did not design us for independence that is born out of pride and rebellion. He designed us for inter-dependence - the humility to recognize our need for one another.


Team Ministry Defined

It is important to understand the difference between a "group" and a "team." There is a big difference between these two concepts. We need to clarify what is meant by "team" and team ministry.

We can see the difference between a group and a team by using the illustration of people on an elevator. In a normal situation, when there are a number of people on an elevator, they would be a group, not a team. They may be together in the elevator, but their destination is not necessarily the same. They are probably not even going to the same floor. And even if happen to be going to the same floor, they are probably going there for different purposes. They are not there for the same purpose and they are not unified around that purpose. They are missing the two essential ingredients (or components) of an effective team: unity and purpose.

On the other hand, if something happened and the elevator got stuck, then suddenly there would be a need for unity and cooperation. What was previously just a group may unite around their common purpose to solve their dilemma. However, once their dilemma is resolved, the "team" will go back to being a "group."

This lesson will briefly examine several key components that are necessary to make a team. (We will look at them more fully in lesson 3.) These components for effective teamwork are:

Definition of "Team"

The following is a carefully constructed definition that ties together five key concepts pertaining to "team."

"A team is a group of people who are laboring together in an organized or coordinated way to accomplish a common purpose that is greater than what the individuals could accomplish by themselves."

The following are five key concepts we can derive from this definition:

ACTION
People "laboring" or "working" -- A team is a group of people who are doing something, implies action.
UNITY
People "together" -- a team laboring together implies unity.
ORDER
Effective teams work in an "organized & coordinated" manner, and with clear leadership.
PURPOSE
Effective teams labor together to accomplish a "common purpose," and that common purpose motivates their unity.
SYNERGY
the principle of synergy makes their accomplishments greater than what the individuals could accomplish by them selves.

Obviously, teams are not exclusive to the Christian community. But those who have as their purpose the advancement of the Kingdom of God are much better equipped, in my opinion, to make effective teams. Those who are are motivated and unified foremost by the Love of God, and consequently, love for His people; are much more equipped.

I also believe God wants to bring the Body of Christ into a level of unity and team ministry that is unprecedented in the history of the Church. Jesus prayed for that very thing in His great intercessory prayer of John 17. We all understand that the Father and the Son are one. But it is amazing how much He also wants that same unity with His creation: us. God will not stop until we are in as deep of fellowship and harmony together with Him and with one another as is the Father has with the Son. Jesus prayed in John 17:21, "That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us."

John, the apostle, carried this theme into his epistle in 1 John 1:3. He said, "that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." Jesus Himself said it again in Rev. 3:20: "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine (commune, fellowship) with him, and he with Me."

Now let's look at some other parts of Jesus' prayer in John 17. "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3). "And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one" (John 17:22).

So apparently, God desires unity within His people more than we would ever know. It is also important to understand that the ultimate source of our unity and fellowship is in Him. Jesus prayed to the Father, "I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one" (John 17:23). This implies we can participate in the life of Jesus as He participates in the life of His Father; we can experience union with the life and eternal glory of Jesus, as He is united with the life and glory of His Father. That is, Jesus abiding in us as the Father abides in Him; experiencing fellowship with Jesus to the same degree that He has fellowshiped with the Father through out eternity.

But then, that is also the nature of our unity and fellowship with one another. We think of joyful, loving, life producing, abundant fellowship with God -- that, in turn, is what He wants us to experience with one another as well as with Him. Jesus gave this commandment, "That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (John.13:34). He also said, ".. in as much as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me" (Matt.25:40). Most of us would probably admit we aren't fully there yet, but this is Jesus' prayer and I think it will come to pass.

Consequently, we can also see that team ministry and teamwork will put to the test our level of maturity as followers of Jesus. A leading authority on prophetic ministry in the church today put it this way:

"The highest mark of maturity for a minister or saint is the ability to relate, integrate and cooperate with the rest of the Body of Christ." ~ Dr. Bill Hamon; Founder & Bishop of the Christian International Ministries Network - Prophetic Ministries and Churches.

In the long run, those who learn how to relate, integrate and cooperate will also find themselves much more effective in their ministry endeavors than the one who serves God from a "lone ranger" mentality. God wants us built together, and now is the time more than ever.

Dr David Cannistraci wrote an excellent book called "Apostles and the Emerging Apostolic Movement." One chapter is titled, "The kingdom net." It builds on the concept found in Ephesians 4:16, "from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." Dr Cannistraci states that the trend away from denominationalism is giving way to things such as alliances and networks. Networks and alliances work from the basis of relationship rather than organizational structure. The Body of Christ is "joined together and united" through relationship. The key and operative word here is "relationship." Then Dr Cannistraci refers to the emerging apostolic movement. He states: "True apostles are people who are willing to merge their gifts with the gifts of others in the Body of Christ to properly establish the Kingdom. Apostles and prophets have a unique blending of gifts and often work together in this regard." This, of course, is team ministry at the leadership and trans-local level.

God needs leaders, as well as saints, who are courageous enough to stand alone when need be. But they also need to be wise and humble enough to recognize their need of corporateness. God needs individuals who, themselves, can embrace submission to the team process.


Factors Found in Effective Teams

As we saw from lesson two, the following is a carefully constructed definition of Team:

"A team is a group of people who are laboring together in an organized or coordinated way to accomplish a common purpose that is greater than what the individuals could accomplish by them selves."

We looked briefly at five of the key concepts of effective teams derived from the above definition - ACTION, UNITY, PURPOSE, ORDER and SYNERGISM. Now we will take a deeper look at these and other factors found in effective teams.

The Cohesion Factor

An absolute essential for productive teams is the ability for the team to maintain cohesion. Cohesion in the dictionary is described as "the act or state of cohering, uniting, or sticking together." Also, "the molecular force between particles within a body or substance that acts to unite them." Cohesiveness speaks of the ability of a thing to unify, harmonize and be consistent.

There are several components that contribute to the cohesiveness of any team. These are vision, purpose, order and unity.

1. VISION

Vision is necessary for purposeful labor. It is vision that has the unique ability rally to the cause of the Kingdom. The Lord spoke to the prophet Habakkuk and said: "Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that reads it. For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hastens toward the end, and shall not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not delay" (Hab. 2:2,3).

It is vision that motivates us to run. Prov. 29:18 states: "Where there is no vision, the people perish by casting off restraint". In other words, vision motivates and controls our action. Without it we wander aimlessly with no purpose or sit in apathy with no motivation. Vision gives us reason to redirect our actions into something productive. Vision is what moves us forward into the purposes of God. For the sake of the vision we are willing to work out our relational issues that sometimes arise in a team, and overcome what ever hurdles to unity we encounter.

An example of the power of vision and the envisioning work of the prophet is told in the story of Ezra, where the work had come to a halt. In the time of Ezra, the temple that had been torn down and was in need of repair. The people though, had become apathetic toward the things of God and were content to live in a self-absorbed condition with no thought toward God's house. The people were not cooperating with one another nor participating with the leadership in the rebuilding of the temple. Then arose the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. They were successful in stirring the people to arise and fulfill the vision. In the midst of this dilemma the prophets arose declaring what God intended for His glorious temple; and the people, re-envisioned for the work, arose and built.

Ezra 5:2
So Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them, helping them.

Ezra 6:14
And the elders of the Jews built and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel.

We see here not only the power of vision, but the teaming up of the prophets with the government to accomplish God's will. In this day, it is essential for the prophetic portion of the Church and the governmental portion of the Church to recognize their need of one another and to come forth as a foundational team for the building of the church. Eph 2:19-21 puts it this way, "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord."

Also, set their eyes on the future when they have vision. We all have three blocks of time in our lives... yesterday, today, and tomorrow. What sets some apart from the others is where we set our focus; how we choose to deal with three blocks of time... the past, the present and the future. Most people begin with the present and then spend their time comparing it to the past.

People with vision are focused on the future and then look to the present, and view it in light of the future. They are more likely proactive; they readily see opportunities and have a willingness to move forward in faith. The essential thing for us as individuals as well as teams, is to see with the eyes of a visionary. And out of our vision comes our purpose.

2. PURPOSE

Purpose speaks of the reason for which something exists. A purpose is an intended or desired result, aim or goal. Clarity of purpose breeds determination and resoluteness. It is the subject in hand; the point at issue. Once the vision is clear, a team must know what their purpose is in the overall vision of God. The vision is the overall picture. The purpose pertains to our particular contribution to the accomplishment of that vision.

With these key components in place, we then move into some relatively practical areas that facilitate cohesiveness. One of these components is order.

3. ORDER

Proper order facilitates the work of a team, and without it there are various unnecessary problems that must be overcome for the team to work smoothly. However, since there are numerous kinds of teams that are being addressed, I will refrain from proposing organizational order and stick to components that need to be in place in most team settings.

It is important to understand that God Himself established government in the church. Sometimes there is an inclination for us as prophetic ministers to consider our "ministry" of "proclamation" most important, but God also set in the church, apostles, pastors, administrators and other forms of elders who's "ministry" is "government." It is important for believers to properly relate to that government. The following scriptures speak to the issue very clearly.

Rom 13:1
Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.

Heb 13:17
Obey your leaders, and submit to them for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Of course this issue of structure, order and accountability in team ministry is difficult because there are a broad variety of kinds of teams, situations, levels of maturity and forms of church government within the Body of Christ. Readers here may also range from budding prophesiers to internationally recognized prophets or prophetess. We may be addressing numerous versions and structures of team ministry and government within the Body of Christ. However, the Christian who is humble and submitted to God will recognize the value of submission to spiritual authority and look for legitimate spiritual authority to relate to in a proper way.

If we desire to minister to the church but we find ourselves despising or resisting a structure of authentic spiritual authority, we need to stop and take a look at our motives for ministry. The first question we need to ask ourselves is "What are the motives and attitudes of our hearts?" Are we operating out of an attitude of rebellion, independence and pride? Or are we humble, teachable and willing to be correctable? After we settle that in our hearts, we must consciously and deliberately decide to yield to the structure of authority that find ourselves in.

Finally, we know that cohesiveness in only possible where there is unity.

4. UNITY

If we want to preserve unity, we must work at it from both within and without. It is facilitated by structure without, but also from our attitude within.

I call it the "Three Essential COs". Structural unity requires COORDINATION, while relational unity requires COOPERATION. And both require COMMUNICATION. Coordination is accomplished through a well "oiled" structure, cooperation requires a well "oiled" heart. And communication has been called the oil that keeps the engine running.

It is necessary to have the right heart attitude to facilitate a unity that pleases God and serves His purposes.

The Attitude Factor

This is very important and I am going to discuss it in detail in a future lessons (lessons 5 to 7). I want to give an overview here, for completeness of discussion. We will explore it in greater depth later on.

Here are a few of the key characteristics that comprise our attitude, which effects how we relate to others on our team. Our character (heart after God, maturity, etc) determines some of our attitudes. Lessons 6 and 7 will discuss the character traits of effective team members. Here is a subset of them that I consider key attitude factors - people who have these traits and attitudes tend to work effectively with others on the team.

  1. Faithfulness - Luke 16:10-12
  2. Loyalty - Prov 20:6; Prov 20:28; Hos 6:4-6
  3. Humility - Rom 12:3; 1 Peter 5:5-7; Phil 2:3-9

The Accomplishment Factor

A team is only as good as its ability to fulfill its purpose. In other words, its ability to accomplish its tasks.

"Ability" speaks of the power to perform the task. In most cases, teams can be viewed as "task orientated" versus "relationship orientated." (I am not trying to imply that it is not necessary to maintain relationship within the team, but relationship is the the primary purpose of a task orientated team.

Team members and team leaders need to take an honest and objective look at the issue of ability within the members of the team. We must realize that all the members of a team are not gifted the same, nor do they operate on the same level of faith and grace. (Rom 12:6)

Yet it is still important that each person recognizes the importance of teamwork. A team's ability to accomplish its task is greatly enhanced over what a single gifted individual can do because of the synergy factor. Therefore it is important to recognize and appreciate each individual's contribution. "Synergism", as was mentioned before, is a term that means that the team can accomplish more together than the sum of what each individual could accomplish on their own. It is defined as "the interaction of elements that, when combined, produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc."


Benefits of Team Ministry

Mentoring and Impartation

Team ministry is God's plan and team is the ideal model for most the effective ministry. It also has great benefit to both the participants and the church or ministry where the team operates. God desires that His church be a place of equipping and multiplication of ministry. If a church wants to be all that it is supposed to be, it will be a place of equipping, training, impartation, activation and deployment. And team ministry is one very effective context to accomplish this.

Benefits Of Team Ministry To Team Trainees

No one is fully equipped to survive by themselves, much less thrive. Our own weaknesses, blind spots, limited capabilities and lack of experience underscore just how much we need one another. The team environment is a wonderful way to train and equip people. Trainees can come to understand their current capabilities and recognize their limitations in a team environment. They can be stretched in new areas of responsibility and function, and at the same time they have a safe place to learn from their mistakes. Mistakes will be made, but their effects will be minimized when the trainee stays under proper oversight. This type of environment causes team members to develop faster in their ministry skills. Team ministry provides a safe and objective place for people to grow in ministry experience. It is also a vehicle for equipping, mentoring, and impartation. It is a place for someone to discover their potential.

As a part of a team, members can glean wisdom by learning from the anointing, counsel and style of the senior team leader. The team environment gives members a chance to work with more mature, seasoned spiritual leaders. A team member can learn from the abilities and experience of the senior members of the team.

Mentoring

The common term for this dynamic today is "mentor." Jesus participated in mentoring. Jesus made disciples, and told His disciples to make disciples, etc., etc. Paul told Timothy: "And the things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." (2 Tim. 2;2) Mentoring is defined as training and tutelage of another. There are various specific aspects of mentoring that depend on the kind of mentoring that is being done.

The following is an overview of various kinds of mentor relationships, grouped into four categories. They don't all pertain directly to the type of mentoring found in team ministry, but I have placed them here for clarification. Each of these categories varies in effectiveness depending on the depth of: openness, trust, commitment, accountability and responsibility, and commitment to personal growth.

INTENSIVE MENTORING:

Intensive mentoring is direct and specific to an area of growth. It includes Disciplers, Spiritual Guides and Coaches.

Discipler
A discipler teaches and enables a mentoree in the basics of following Christ.

Spiritual guide
A mature follower of Jesus who can help a younger believer into further maturity in the things of God.

Coach
One who provides motivation and imparts skills and application to meet a specific task or challenge. A coach offers specialized training in a particular area. This is a relational process in which a mentor, who knows how to do something well, imparts those skills to a mentoree who wants to learn them.

OCCASIONAL MENTORING:

Occasional mentoring is a resource for the believer to glean from when needed. The two primary forms of this are Counselor and Teacher.

Counselor
One who provides timely advice on an occasional basis regarding self, circumstances, relationships or ministry. This could include encouragement, acting as a sounding board, major evaluation, providing an impartial perspective, giving specific advice, resource linking, providing major guidance, etc.

Teacher
One who imparts knowledge and understanding on a particular subject.

PASSIVE MENTORING:

Passive mentoring is where one provides training to others without having a direction relationship with them. The most common example is role models. A roll model can be a historical figure from the past or someone from the present. The person's life and ministry is used as an example to indirectly impart skills, principles and values that empower another person. For example that which can be derived from the body of writings of a well known minister or leader.

CO-MENTORS:

Co-Mentors are peer relationships, based on the truth that we can learn from those around us. Co-Mentors include acquaintances, friends and co-laborers. These peer mentor relationships provide mutual benefit from openness, trust, commitment, accountability and responsibility.

Mentoring In A Team Environment

focus in this lesson is on the category that could be considered that of a "spiritual guide" or "coach." That is more descriptive of the kind of mentoring that occurs in the context of team ministry.

The progressive process of direct mentoring can also be described in this manner:

  1. I do it, you watch,
  2. We do it together,
  3. You do it, I watch,
  4. You do it alone, with appropriate accountability

Impartation

An important dynamic in the process of mentoring is the concept of impartation. Impartation is the bestowing unto another that which you, yourself, possess. This implies that you cannot give away that you do not have. Impartation happens on several levels and in several ways. I will cover three of this in this lesson: teaching, association and authorization.

TEACHING:

Teaching is often considered simply the impartation of knowledge and information. Information is important, of course. Jesus was a great teacher and He used His teaching ability to impart much into His disciples. We must not neglect the value of teaching. Anointed teaching, however, can go quite beyond the realm of simply impartation of information. One man put it this way: "more information will not help when an 'unveiling' is what is needed." Anointed teaching is that which has with it an element of revelation.

Teaching, however, is not the only method of impartation.

ASSOCIATION:

Association is an important part of impartation that often is not even considered. The impartation that occurs through association has more to do with "catching" the same spirit, attitudes and anointings that reside on another. Scripture contains examples of impartation through association. For instance, Jesus called the disciples so that they could be "with Him" (Mark 3:14). The book of Acts describes how Peter and the apostles were instrumental in the birth of the church. Acts 4:13 comments on how it was apparent that they have been with Jesus. It says, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13).

An example of the impartation of the Spirit by association is also seen in the story of Saul, the first King of Israel. Samuel told him there would be a change when he came among the company of prophets and that he would himself prophesy.

The story is told in 1 Samuel 10, where Samuel told Saul: "And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying. Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man" (1 Sam 10:5-6). "When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them" (1 Sam 10:10).

We also see this dynamic from the story of Elijah and Elisha. Elisha was with Elijah and served Elijah's ministry for 17 years. And from there, he inherited a double portion of Elijah's anointing. In his case he literally "caught" Elijah's mantel.

AUTHORIZATION:

A third, and important dynamic regarding impartation is in the power of "authorization." Authorization is the empowerment that happens from one who has legitimate authority and grants that authority to another. The one who has the power, or operates in a realm of revelation or authority, grants another to operate in the same realm. This same kind of impartation occurs during ordination.

One example of this is in the story of the apostle Paul and his trainee Timothy. Timothy had apparently had this sort of impartation from Paul, as discovered later in Paul's letters to Timothy. Paul wrote: "Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership" (1 Tim 4:14). Later he wrote: "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Tim 1:6-7). Timothy had received an impartation from Paul, but then Paul also told him not to impart it to others indiscriminately. It is in this context that the scripture applies which says "Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people's sins" (1 Tim 5:22).

These areas of impartation, though somewhat intangible, never-the-less are very real, and are benefits that can be obtained from a willingness to be a participant in team ministry.

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