When I was an undergraduate religion major in college, I enrolled in Harmony I and II. I thought I had a fairly strong background in music theory. As a youth, I studied privately under qualified teachers and played in excellent orchestras from grade school through high school.

As a sophomore in college I auditioned and was chosen for the college concert choir, and I declared as a music minor. I took courses in music history, sight singing, conducting, private voice, and music appreciation. I also played in the college orchestra and sang in off-campus groups. But none of these prepared me for Harmony I and II. The problem was I had a "solo" mentality, not an "ensemble" mentality. I could read and play singular notes, but I could not master the concept of chords. I couldn't even play the compositions I prepared for class.

I have known a few leaders who were excellent when it came to "solo" performance, but who came up short in shared leadership roles. I have known some pastors who had great skills in sermon construction but failed in administration. They never mastered Harmony I and II.

What can be learned from Harmony I and II that will help a person succeed in ministry? Consider these:

All notes in a chord structure are equally important. No one note in a chord should stand out above the others. Music should be pleasant to the ear. Disharmony never is! Volume, tempo, and timing are all part of a music score. For music to sound right, the rules of composition must be followed. Or people will leave the concert hall..

Leaders succeed when they develop a team concept that elevates the "whole" above the sum of the parts. Most leaders perform more effectively when blending their skills with others. The old saying, "Two can accomplish more than twice as much as one," is even more significant when multiples are involved: "Three is even better, for a triple-braided chord is not easily broken." (Eccl. 4)

Your Assignment:

List the names of everyone who reports to you - paid or volunteer. Add to the list the names of their family members. Pray daily for each person on your team. Periodically send a note of thanks to each one. Ask each team member to pray for you. Thank them personally for their role on the team. Meet regularly with everyone on the team-at least once a week. Look for ways to magnify their ministry roles. Now, let's hear it from the top: one-and-two-and-three-and….

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Tom Barnard is a retired college professor whose "main thing" is spreading encouragement to pastors and others in ministry. He taught at Southern Nazarene University for 16 years before moving on to Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, MA, where he served for 19 years, primarily in senior-level administrative positions, retiring in 2001. He and his wife now live in Oklahoma City. If you would like to receive a free subscription to Tom’s weekly newsletter, “Tuesday Mornings,” write him at barnard22@cox.net and ask. He also writes weekly Bible Study Lessons and sends them free to anyone who requests them.