Our Tactics – C.O.R.E. Teams

C.O.R.E. Teams and Roles

The mission of Pillar Church of Woodlawn (PCW) is to know Jesus and make him known.  We believe that the Bible shows us that the communal process of knowing Jesus and making him known will result in community, outreach, reproduction, and education.  This makes up the strategic focus of the life of our church.  In order to facilitate this strategic focus we use the structure of C.O.R.E. teams.  The purpose of the C.O.R.E. team system is to equip the saints and to do the work of ministry (service) (Eph. 4:11) for the proclamation of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the words and deeds of the church (Eph. 3:10) . This equipping and service is a primary result of continued sanctification into the image of Christ, which is discipleship.  Therefore, C.O.R.E. teams create the central training ground for us to gather together, grow in our love for God, each other, and go unto all the world.   

The Equipping of the Saints

C.O.R.E. teams offer individuals the opportunity to learn to love and serve others by serving in various roles and ministries of Pillar Woodlawn.  Some of these ministry areas may be new to some and offer the opportunity for growth via new experiences.  This format also provides our community with a way to identify leaders that are called to serve as deacons, serving the church administratively, or elders, serving the church theologically.  In addition, leaders gain experience in areas they are gifted in by guiding others in serving.   Lastly, C.O.R.E teams are a training ground for church planting.  By being on a team, members learn what it’s like to serve each other in all the ways we are called to in the New Testament (summarized in our strategic focus of C.O.R.E.) thus fulfilling the call of Jesus to be known by our love for each other.  This is the very seed bed of church planting.

The Working of the Ministry

The church, the body of Christ, is called to specific activity in the New Testament (community, outreach, reproduction, and education).  C.O.R.E teams enable us to both care for the needs of our members and our community, preach the gospel, make disciples, and grow in our personal sanctification (discipleship) by growing in our love for one another.  No one is simply to be an attender of a service.  Following Christ is not a spectator sport.  As Christians we are all called to repent and believe the gospel, love God and our neighbor, and to go and make disciples.  This is accomplished by the working of the ministry, not by a hand selected group of specialists, but by all the members of the church working and growing together and being accountable to each other in love.    

Therefore, C.O.R.E. teams set forth to accomplish our mission by functioning in four primary areas of ministry (Children, Worship, Connection, Building) over each of the four weeks in a month.  Each team cycles through each area during one week of the month.  By doing this we can: 1.) encourage personal participation in caring for the needs of the church, 2.) we can expose everyone to the primary ministry needs of the church, and 3.) we can care more personally for the needs of the church.   

C.O.R.E. Team Structure

C.O.R.E teams are comprised of a deacon qualified leader, a co-leader, and families or singles. Teams are asked to participate in the ministry areas of the church on a rotating bases.  They are to work the ministry together by administering, coordinating, and implementing a coordinated plan that seeks to involve as many team members as possible in the process while accomplishing a predetermined ministry goal.  

C.O.R.E team leaders are deacon qualified leaders that are to serve by participating in plan development, coordination, and execution.  They are to serve by administering the ministry plan at the team level.  They are to serve by coordinating with team members and other teams to ensure that all plan objectives are met. They accomplish this by challenging team members to serve by participation in plan execution in a gracious and loving relational context.  They are to ensure the overall implementation of the plan at the team level.  High levels of participation are expected from leaders but they should not expect to meet all needs.     

C.O.R.E team co-leaders are to act in both a supporting and corresponding role.  This means that as the team leader seeks to implement the team ministry plan, the co-leader should serve by supporting administration, coordination, and participation.  In addition, they should be seen as corresponding in the sense that they can serve by accomplishing the same tasks as the leader.  They may, in fact, be times where the co-leaders need to take a primary leadership role with the team.

C.O.R.E. team members are to serve one another and the church by participating in the execution of the ministry plan via the administration of the leader and co-leader to the degree they are able.  Team members are to recognize that the church is a training and sanctifying environment.  Therefore, they are to recognize that God has placed leaders and other members in their life to challenge them to actively engage their personal profession of faith by serving others.  Also, they are to serve their leaders and co-leaders by holding them accountable to the gospel and communicating openly regarding team matters.

All participants in C.O.R.E. teams are to recognize that the gospel is the standard that we hold each other too and its work in the transformation of the hearts of church members and outsiders is the ultimate priority.  Therefore, we are all called to “speak the truth in love” to one another in the hopes that we will all continue to be equipped for the work of the ministry by our sanctification.

To find out more information about C.O.R.E. teams please email [email protected].