How can we apply the teamwork in Nehemiah 3:4 to our church projects today? Verse Under Consideration “Next to them Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, made repairs; next to him Meshullam son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs; and next to them Zadok son of Baana also made repairs.” (Nehemiah 3:4) A Quick Look at the Scene • The wall is divided into manageable sections. • Three different men, from three different families, stand shoulder-to-shoulder. • Each accepts responsibility for the section “next to” the other. • The record preserves their names—every contribution matters to God. Timeless Principles We See • Shared mission, individual assignments • Side-by-side labor with no gaps between sections • Personal ownership without comparison or competition • Public recognition that affirms every worker’s value Translating These Principles to Church Projects Today • Define the goal clearly—everyone should know the “wall” we’re rebuilding, whether it’s a VBS week, a food-pantry expansion, or a missions conference. • Break the project into bite-sized segments: publicity, setup, teaching, hospitality, cleanup, follow-up. • Match people to tasks that fit their skills and passions; encourage them to “own” their section. • Arrange teams so responsibilities touch—communication lines stay open, and no ministry area is left uncovered. • Celebrate progress in real time. Public acknowledgment, even a simple “thank you” from the pulpit, echoes the way God recorded names in Nehemiah 3. • Guard against comparison: “Each will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:8). • Keep the overall mission in view. Remind workers that every section serves the single purpose of advancing the gospel and building up the body (Ephesians 4:12). Practical Steps for This Week 1. List every component of the upcoming project. 2. Pray over the list, asking the Lord to highlight people suited for each piece. 3. Contact potential volunteers personally; spell out the specific section you’d like them to handle. 4. Pair new volunteers with experienced ones—discipleship happens best “next to” someone. 5. Set up a shared progress board (physical or digital) so teams can see how their section fits the larger picture. 6. Schedule brief, regular huddle times for updates and mutual encouragement (Hebrews 10:24-25). 7. When the project wraps up, host a testimonies night, giving God glory and honoring every worker by name. New-Testament Echoes That Reinforce the Lesson • Romans 12:4-6—“Just as each of us has one body with many members…so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.” • 1 Corinthians 12:18—“God has arranged the members of the body, every one of them, according to His design.” • Ephesians 4:16—“From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” • 1 Peter 4:10—“Each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another, as faithful stewards of God’s grace.” Side by side, section by section, the wall went up in Jerusalem. Side by side, ministry by ministry, the Lord will build His church through us today. |
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