Being Squads and Leaders

Some of my classes are organized in 'squads' of 4-5 students who appoint a leader, like a team captain. (Jesus seems to have organized his twelve apostles in three squads of four.) Here are suggestions for both squad members and their leaders:

Determine the goals of all squad members, and work together to honor those goals. I have goals too of course, and I'd appreciate it if you would honor those as well. Each member's preparation, participation, and performance will affect the others in discussions, test prep, and group work in and out of class.

Appoint a leader, and come up with a name or mascot. If possible, appoint a leader who has personal experience in team environments like this—for instance, an athletic team, a chamber quartet, a platoon, a Scout patrol, a fishing boat (know what I mean?), and so on. The person doesn't need to have led, but should at least have been led in ways that benefitted the whole team. The leader is a facilitator—a peer-servant rather than an expert, superior, therapist, pastor, or TA.

Strive to improve. Mistakes are part of the process of learning and growing, and college is a great place for that. Leaders will make mistakes. The rest of the squad will too. When (not if) you fall short, don't hide. Own it, apologize if appropriate, seek insight from me or other mentors if you need it, and step back up. And members, forgive as you've been forgiven.

Just because a squad has a leader doesn't mean all the work falls on the leader! Far from it! It's each member's job to use time efficiently, resist passivity and domination, keep discussions on topic, stay in the passage in discovery groups, and come prepared to class. Members, make your leader's job easy.

Like so many new groups, your squad may go through some or all of this classic pattern:

• Forming: initial structuring, honeymoon period
• Storming: friction, competition, crises, disappointments
• Norming: discipline, reconciliation, refocusing on goals
• Performing: improving performance and team spirit, confidence, wisdom

These kinds of problems are tough, but they're golden opportunities for both squad members and leaders to see beyond problems to possibilities on the other side.

This should make it obvious that a leader's role is neither to tattle on members nor cover for them! It's to help every member build one another up in the ways you have all been gifted. Paul describes well what he has seen God doing in his groups, in Ephesians 4:10–17:

He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.

The leader isn't the equipper. The whole squad builds one another up in their various ways, and the leader facilitates and encourages and communicates briefly with me.

Speaking of which, I'll have a five-minute meeting every week or so with each squad leader. Expect questions like these:

• How are things going? For instance:
  • Are your squad members caught up and prepared for class discussion?
  • Any concerns or complaints I can respond to, or think about?
  • Any challenges you're facing?
• Can I help in any way?

If you have an issue that needs more time, schedule an office-hour visit or other time to meet.

Squads will equip one another, and leaders will learn a valuable skill for life outside class and after college. And the others in your group will learn how the structure works, because you will be showing them how to lead, so they can implement it too and show others in their own circles. Leaders make leaders, and Christ's gifts multiply.

Paul paid attention to the Christ he represents, and it shows. He's an outstanding leader and equipper. Members and leaders will all find great advice in his letters for how groups and their members ought to conduct themselves on Christ's mission. Some standout passages include Romans 12:3 and 15:1–3 and 1 Corinthians 12:7 and 12:26–31.