The Barbie Dream Team
If you've seen the Barbie movie recently, it might have you feeling nostalgic. Remember the Barbie Dreamhouse? The ultimate edition to a barbie collection. Instead of a Dreamhouse, our team stopped and thought, what would a Barbie Dream Team look like?
We're all about team leadership here at NewBreed, emphasizing the roles of each APEST function from Ephesians 4. Just like the Barbie line introduces new dolls, from Spa Barbie to Marine Biologist Barbie, we thought, what would each APEST role look like as a Barbie doll...and now we're here to answer that question, even if you weren't asking it.
Apostolic Barbie
Apostolic Barbie is ready for action! Apostles are constantly moving the mission forward, innovating & deploying people on mission. Here, Barbie has her briefcase and her cell phone like she's ready to give people marching orders and put them to work where they're needed most. She's an entrepreneurial self-starter. Apostles serve a team by keeping us from getting too comfortable with the status quo. If you're going to have a Barbie Dream Team, you can leave out this mobilizing force!
Prophetic Barbie
Prophets did weird things in the Bible. John the Baptist ate locusts and dressed in camel hair. Isaiah walked around naked. Ezekiel laid on his left side for 390 days. Sometimes prophets are strange, and so is this Barbie. Being primarily concerned about hearing the voice of God and following his heart makes you stand out on a team. This Barbie looks a little mystic, like she knows something we don't. She may be an odd ball, but she's a critical component of a Dream Team. Without being constantly grounded by the voice of God, how would any church planting team hope to reach the lost?
Evangelist Barbie
Evangelists are loud! Hey, we don't make the rules, we're just illustrating them. Evangelists are loud because they want everybody to hear the gospel. And make no mistake, everyone does need to hear the gospel. That's why evangelists are such an important part of a Dream Team. This Barbie has a microphone and is ready to blast out her message to anybody that will listen. And she has pink hair because the prophets aren't the only ones that have a little quirkiness to them.
Shepherd Barbie
This Barbie sort of looks like The Church Lady from Saturday Night Live, and that seems appropriate. A lot of the "churchy" things we do are shepherding activities. Shepherds are concerned about community and the people of God. They help take care of people, and that's often (but certainly not always) stereotypical church ministries. So Barbie has her cross, her frock, and probably has a big 'ole Bible in that bag of hers. We need some shepherds on our team to make sure we take care of people.
Teacher Barbie
We didn't have to expend a lot of creative juices to come up with a teacher Barbie, everyone knows what a teacher is supposed to look like! This one has glasses and a whole host of classroom essentials, after all, most teachers are so dedicated to their work that they go out and buy their own materials. Whether it's for a church sermon, or a class full of Kindergarteners, you'll see teachers doing whatever it takes to get their point across. On a Dream Team, you need a teacher to help you keep in line with the Word of God. They'll correct you and help you stay on the right path.
Now, as silly as all this talk about Barbie Dream Teams might be, every church really does need a team so that you don't miss one of the important components of Christ's ministry. Team Leadership is embedded into everything we do at NewBreed, so if this strikes a cord, check out our upcoming coaching cohorts and learn how to activate a team on mission.