During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide and Student Page, can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
Are you the kind of person who likes to do everything on your own? Do you choose not to ask for help because you worry it will make you appear inadequate or unable? Do you want to impress others so much that you try to succeed on your own? God does not intend for us to walk through life alone. He gives us friends, family, and fellow Christians to support us as part of a community.
Think of an area in your life where you have chosen not to ask for help. Then think about the value of having someone to help you. How might someone else’s efforts help to bring good reward for your work together? How might working together lift you up when you fall? Think of 1 person you can ask to work with you. Then ask God to lead as you work together for His glory.
Encourage the students to ask their family members, “What is the best team you have ever been a part of? Why?” They can then share the characteristics of good teams.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet the teens when they arrive. Ask them to think about what makes a good team. You can even ask for a team of volunteers to help you set up for the first activity!
Place the full bucket at 1 end of your teaching space and the empty bucket at the other end. Ask for 5 volunteers to do a team activity. Explain that they must work together to move all the pebbles, beans, or water from the full bucket to the empty one. However, the team members cannot talk to each other. Each team member will get an instruction he must follow, even thought it may not seem to make sense.
Give each team member 1 of the following instructions. Each teen should get a different instruction.
Pick up the spoon, carry it to the bucket of pebbles, and get a spoonful. Close your eyes and try to walk to the empty bucket and pour the pebbles into it.
Once each student has an instruction, begin the activity. Have the other teens watch as the team members work against each other to try to complete the task. Because the team members’ instructions conflict with each other, they will not be successful together. If the team does succeed, it will be because 1 team member completed the task by himself. After a few minutes, congratulate the team. Then ask the class to sit down to talk about the game.
Allow 2–3 students to share their answers to the following questions.
Did the team members make this task easier or harder? Why?
What could the team have done differently to complete the task more easily or successfully?
What was missing from the team’s process that could have helped them to complete the task more easily or successfully? Hint: There are 2 things that could have helped them.
We are all members of different teams. Some are organized teams, such as football teams or medical teams, where each member has a specific assigned task to complete. Some are less organized, such as a team of church members who help to set up chairs before the service, where all of the team members contribute what they can to reach the goal together. But all successful teams need certain characteristics to work well together. We will learn about those today.
What do you think are the similarities and differences between communities and teams?
Allow 2–3 students to share their ideas.
Communities are often joined by shared interests, shared responsibilities, or a shared location. They may have a common purpose, and each person contributes something important as well as something different than others in the community do. In order for the community to be a healthy one, all members must contribute and live in ways that build up the community.
A team is a similar to a community in some ways. Team members often share common interests and responsibilities, and they help each other in many of the same ways community members do. But teams are different than communities in some ways, too. Teams are often established to work toward a common goal, so their work contributes to reaching that goal. They are usually organized to complete a task or reach a goal. Members of effective teams have individual responsibilities, but they also work together. And effective team members share the work and the honour when the task is accomplished. Teams are often temporary—they only exist until the task is completed or the goal is met.
We can do valuable things on our own. But we can often make our efforts more effective and more successful when we work together with others. This is why teams are so important. Listen to what the Bible tells us about working with others.
Have a student read Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 aloud from the Bible. If that is not possible, the verses are printed here for you.
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
According to these verses, what is a benefit of working together?
When you need help, others can help you. When people work together, they have “a good return for their labour.” Being together in community helps you meet basic needs and provides protection.
Jesus had a team to help Him in His ministry. These men were called disciples. They were followers of Jesus’ teaching. But they also helped Him with His ministry and in His travels. Because Jesus is God, He did not need the disciples to help Him. But Jesus invited them to contribute to His work, and He taught them how to work well together. Listen to these verses about how Jesus sent His disciples out to preach and heal:
Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two.
Mark 6:7
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.
Luke 10:1
Why do you think Jesus invited the disciples to be part of His ministry?
Possible answers include: Jesus was teaching His disciples to work together, and He was leading by example.
Why do you think He did not send the disciples to do ministry alone?
Possible answers include: Jesus understood that the disciples would be more effective working together.
Jesus was a great leader, and He helped His team to work well together. Let’s look at some of the characteristics that made His team a great one.
First, Jesus empowered His team members to do their work well. Listen to what He did before He sent them out minister to others.
When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Luke 9:1–2
These verses tell us that Jesus gave the disciples the authority they needed to do their work well. Teams work best when the responsibility is shared between members and when team members recognize the abilities of others and allow others to use their abilities and talents to help the team.
Second, the disciples understood their goal. These verses tell us that Jesus “sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Teams work best when everyone on the team clearly understands the goal and how to reach it.
Think again of the teams you shared about earlier. Did everyone on the team understand the goal and how to reach it? Share your thoughts with your group.
Give the students a few minutes to discuss, and then ask the groups the following question.
How could the teams you shared about have benefited from clearly understanding the goal and how to reach it?
Allow 3–4 teens to share their thoughts with the whole class.
The disciples also supported and encouraged one another. Life was difficult for the followers of Jesus. They faced persecution and hardship as they travelled to share Jesus’ message with others. In order to persevere through the difficult times, they encouraged and supported each other. Encouragement helps most of us to do our jobs better. Listen to what the Bible tells us about encouraging others.
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Think again of the teams you shared about earlier. Did your team members support and encourage each other? Share your thoughts with your group.
Give the students a few minutes to discuss, and then ask the groups the following question.
How could the teams you shared about have benefited from supporting and encouraging one another?
Allow 3–4 teens to share their thoughts with the whole class.
Jesus and His disciples had another quality of an effective team. Listen to this verse that was written by Paul, one of Jesus’ followers who ministered to the early church.
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
1 Corinthians 3:6–7
What was the final quality of a good team that this apostle had learned from Jesus’ teachings?
Allow 2–3 students to share their thoughts.
This verse shows us that team members must understand their roles. Every team member has something valuable to contribute, but these contributions may be different things. In this example, Paul planted and Apollos watered. Both are important to the growth of the plant.
Who else was an important member of the team described in these verses? Why?
God. He gave the growth, and it is a contribution that only He can make.
When we work together as a team, we can be successful in reaching our goals. But when we work together to accomplish God’s goals and recognize that it is His work we are doing, we bring glory and honour to Him as we seek to accomplish His purposes. This is a very worthy goal indeed!
Have you ever been part of a team that was working toward God’s goals? What roles did everyone play? Did you give the glory to God, as Paul did?
Give the students a few minutes to discuss and then ask the groups the following question.
How could working toward God’s goals and seeking to bring glory to Him help you to work better as a team?
Allow 3–4 teens to share their thoughts with the whole class.
Now think about the teams you worked with today. As you discussed the questions and the Bible passages, what did you do well as a team? What could be improved?
We often work in teams, and teamwork can be an efficient and helpful way to accomplish a task. Sometimes we participate in teams without being aware of it, as we did with our groups today. However, understanding the value of teamwork and developing the skills of a good team member can help you to work well with everyone—from friends and neighbours to church leaders and supervisors. Good teamwork skills can bring value to every relationship you have.
I will give you a task to do as a team. As you do it, think about the characteristics of a good team that Jesus taught His disciples. Then try to practice these characteristics as your team works together. Be sure your team shows the characteristics of a good team: share the authority and responsibility, have a clear understanding of your goal, and support and encourage one another. You can also think of ways your teamwork can bring glory to God.
Situation: There is a village near you that does not have enough food to feed all of the people who live there. Many children are hungry. What are some ways you can work together as a team to solve this problem? These do not have to be things you can do right now. Your team’s goal is to make a plan that could be carried out with the help of others in the future.
Give the teens 10 minutes to work together as a team to solve the problem. If time allows, give 2–3 groups an opportunity to present their plans for solving this problem. Then share the following:
How did your group work together as a team?
Allow 3–4 groups to share their thoughts with the whole class.
Good teams can do great things! When you understand the value of teamwork and learn how to work well with others, you can solve even big problems and accomplish important things that you could not do on your own.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, give the teens time to complete the activity on their pages.
Close with a blessing based on 1 Corinthians 3:6–7.
Blessing: Whether your task on the team is to plant or water, may you recognize that it is God who makes it grow. And may you see His nurturing love in your life as you grow into a better team member.
Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
