There's no I in TEAM …but maybe there should be a U
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So here I find myself, sitting in a back room of Eden Baptist Church, faced with an activity called "Final Reflections". It is the last day of the TEAM (Training for East Anglia Ministry) training course and I look around at the 30-odd strangers who so quickly became my brothers and sisters.
What am I to take away as I reflect on this course? I have to cast my mind back far, to Autumn 2019, when I started TEAM the first time around. It's hard to think back to before covid. I was so blissfully unaware how my year of TEAM studies would be interrupted, along with every part of my life, of all our lives. Back then, my daughter had just had her first birthday, and it was clear to us as a family that I would not return to full time work for the foreseeable future. My opportunity to join TEAM had come!
I had been fascinated by the idea of TEAM for many years at this point. The idea that you could study for only 1 day a week a whole package of bible handling, theology, practical ministry, and church history was exciting, and all that without needing any prior knowledge or experience!
I felt that God was giving me the opportunity to take part as my career took a natural break for parenting, and when I arrived, I was certainly not the only person in that position! But many other attendees had come straight from university or were working as a ministry trainee; others still were studying in their retirement; others were balancing the course with a part time job in the middle of life. Truly, every age of adulthood was represented in that room.
I enjoyed TEAM when I started back in 2019. I enjoyed the learning, and I enjoyed the focus on real day-to-day life. I found the quality of the teaching extremely high, and the handling of pastoral questions extremely sensitive. I was struck by how carefully difficult topics were tackled, and how the diversity in the room was a strength - many people came at big questions from slightly different perspectives, and there was always space for divisive topics to be discussed from all sides. But what I enjoyed about TEAM the most was not the learning from the front, the "head knowledge", but the learning from either side. I met, for the first time, Christians from a Muslim background; I met Christians from an independent Church; I met Christians from tiny village churches in the depths of Essex, and I learnt from all of them. Each person I met at TEAM could share something they had learned from their years following Christ, something about the nature of God and his goodness, and something about the nature of service in a fallen world. Truly, in them I saw Christ, and they became like brothers and sisters to me, for a time. So I found that TEAM did not have a "I" in it, just as the goofy saying goes. TEAM has Christ in it, it has community in it, it has learning and serving in it, and all of that is fully, gloriously focused on something other than myself.
But then covid came along, and like other parents I was immediately tangled in home-schooling (and home-preschooling). TEAM would have to wait, along with other good things we lost for a time, like sleep, hugs and our false sense of security. Two years of struggle and uncertainty followed for all of us. Imagine my joy, then, as life returned somewhat to its former rhythm, and the team behind TEAM agreed that I could join for a second time! So here I am, two years late, with an entirely different cohort, but I have finally completed the full TEAM course, and I face the Final Reflections activity with bemusement.
Who is it for?
Everyone! Literally anyone from any background who is attending a church in the network can attend. As a result, the group of people studying will be a beautifully diverse range of ages, nationalities, and stages in their walk with God. It was, for me, a small picture of the global church, as people who are different from one another are united, and together serve and enrich one another's lives as they learn about Christ.
It will be most helpful for someone who has walked with Christ confidently for at least a year or so, rather than someone who is still exploring what they believe; but conversely you can have been a Christian for a lifetime and still find this course opens your eyes and your bible in a new and fresh way.
Some of the lessons learnt are most useful if you are currently involved (or considering getting involved) in practical service in the church, such as leading a bible study, serving in children's work, preaching, or giving a seminar. But if that's not you at the moment then do not be put off. By the end of the year, you will be equipped for all sorts of acts of service to those around you.
The bottom line is, if you trust Christ then I would really encourage you to attend, even if you feel like you don't have it all figured out - and even if you feel like you do! This course will help you personally and will help you to help others in community.
How does it work?
Every Wednesday in term time, this wonderful group of Christians meet at Eden Baptist Church at 10am, and over the course of the day there are three taught sessions and one practical session. It may sound like a lot, but with a generous lunch break and a 4pm end time this is a steady and accessible pace. It is normal to see members of the TEAM class eating their lunch together and chatting in the park outside Eden or nipping off to run a few errands in the Grafton Centre during their breaks.
The taught sessions include a comprehensive Bible overview, practical skills for handling each type of literature in the bible, teaching on key pillars of the Christian faith (doctrines), and teaching on how (and why) we help in practical ministry situations. It is taught in a classroom style, with personal reflections, small group discussions and question/answer sessions in each lecture.
The hands-on practical sessions are invaluable, as you work in small groups to try out planning and delivering a bible study, giving a short bible talk, or trying out biblical counselling. It is a safe space to learn a new skill, or to receive feedback on a skill you have been using for a while. There is a small amount of homework for this session, and you will need to set aside a time to prepare two or three times per term. If I recall, half a day or a few evenings of prep time was typical, depending on which practical sessions you choose to take.
If you feel like this could be the right choice for you, then I'd encourage you to spend some time in prayer exploring with God how He might use TEAM to bless you, and to bless others through you. You might also like to reach out to me or to the church office if you have questions about the course. But after all, if you feel like it is time to put the U in TEAM, you can apply for TEAM 2022-2023 via their website.