Teamification

Definition:  the process of becoming teamified.

Hibben team building porch on volunteer trailer

Tuesday morning’s plan was to depart Hamilton by 7:15 so that we could be at the volunteer trailer work site in Toscombia by 8 AM.  Under the guidance and direction of Rev. Eric Bell, director of Alabama Northwest District Methodist Relief, we finished work on the trailer’s exterior plumbing and began the task of placing felt and shingles on the roof.

We have made some new friends here at the trailer park.  Judy and her husband James live a short distance from our work site.  She came over to say hello on Monday, and asked us where we were from and why we had come to northwest Alabama.  Another neighbor stopped by, thanked us for coming to help, and shared a watermelon with the team.  In the afternoon, we met Toscombia’s own Energizer Bunny when Judy brought her 4-year old son Benny Ray home from day care.  Benny Ray, who also is called Boo, had so many questions for all of us.  Mostly he asked what we were doing, whether or not he could come with us, and if he could help us.  He was thrilled to receive a toy or two and some coloring books that we had picked up for him on Monday at Hackleburg Methodist’s Relief Center.  We were pleasantly surprised to learn that James happens to be a very experienced and skilled roofer.  We’ll get back to that in the next blog post.

By the end of our third day of the trip, the group had really come together in the work that we are doing and in the way that we relate to each other.  Everyone pitches in to help, whether the task is cleaning up the work site at the end of the day, straightening up the parsonage’s kitchen area, placing shingles on the roof, or reading a story to our new friend Boo.

Which brings us to the title of today’s blog entry.  Building a community where people join together to serve God isn’t something that happens automatically.  God equips and calls us to serve others, but we must accept that invitation and take action that will enable us to be useful in service to God and others.

And we (and our team, especially) have to be able to laugh when some folks make up words like ‘teamification.’  Personally, I’m going with the story that I wasn’t fully awake when I blurted it out in the bus at 7:30.

It is a privilege to be here with such talented and compassionate people.  Thank you, Lord, for bringing us together and allowing us to be part of your service to the people affected by the tornadoes.

Yours in Christ’s service,

Michael and

Your mission team in Alabama