Christian Challenge

Definition of tag-team: Tag-team is an activity where people take turns participating as team members. The best known use of the term tag-team is in reference to wrestling where it refers to wrestlers who fight as a team, acting alternately in the ring. One tag-team member doesn’t enter the ring until the other tags him/her and steps out of the ring.


Definition of tag-team church: A gathering of believers where individuals listen to God and take turns saying and/or doing what He tells them to.


Operating principle: Jesus is alive and actively present whenever believers gather in His name. He is a much more capable leader than anybody else at the meeting. Tag-team church allows Jesus to direct the meeting instead of following a pastor, a priest, or a program. “Whatever He says to you, do it.”


Scriptural basis: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14 KJV) and “What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.” (I Corinthians 14:26)


Results of a tag-team church meeting: As individuals are tagged by the Spirit and do what He says, it becomes obvious to everyone present that what is happening in the meeting is not random rambling, but that God is actively directing the participants. “But if everyone is prophesying, when an unbeliever or an uneducated person comes in he will be convicted and examined by everything that’s happening, his secret, inner heart will become known, and so he will bow down to the ground and worship God, declaring, ‘God is truly among you!’” (I Corinthians 14:24-25 ISV) I’ve actually seen this happen many times in tag-team church!


A tag-team church prototype: A prototype is a working model of a product or idea that serves as an example to illustrate its viability and usefulness. If you would like to see an actual example of tag-team church, there is a prototype in Nashville called The Salvation Army Berry Street Worship Center. It gathers every week on Sundays at 10:45 am and Thursdays at 6:30 pm. and functions as described above. The address is 225 Berry St., Nashville, TN, 37207.


Footnote #1: About three years ago a sister in the Lord and I were praying together when she suddenly said: “God is telling me that Berry Street is a prototype.”
I responded: “Wow! That’s exciting. “


Then she asked: “What’s a prototype?” (It is amazing how God spoke to her using a word that she didn’t know.)


Hopefully this brief description of tag-team church answers that question. Come and experience this working model and you will be amazed at how God demonstrates His power and presence right before your eyes.


Footnote #2: There are other prototypes of tag-team church around America and around the world. They are sometimes known by other names, the most common being — organic church and simple church.