Stage 2
Leading as Team
Stage 2 focuses on leading as a team — understanding why team is not a luxury but essential, forming the team, developing a shared discipling culture and establishing healthy rhythms of prayer, planning and mission.
By the end of Stage 2, each team should be meeting regularly together to pray, to plan and to build community. They should have identified the shared values that will shape the discipling culture of their new church community, and be actively functioning as a team rather than a solo leader with helpers. The rhythms established in this stage — of prayer, mission, shared life and mutual accountability — are the ones that will carry them through everything that follows.
Stage journey
Note this arc shows the intended journey through this stage. On occasion there may be reason to move them.
1: Gathering 2
Leading as Team
2: Thrive in Five
Ep5: Creating a Rhythm of Prayer
3: Mentoring
Mentor Session 2
4: Thrive in Five
Ep6: A Shared Life
5: Mid Stage 2
Conflict in Teams
6: Thrive in Five
Ep7: Building a Team Rhythm
7: Mentoring
Mentor Session 3
8: Mentoring
Mentor Review
9: Thrive in Five
Ep8: Fasting
10: Oversight
Check In with Oversight Ministers
key leadership questions to ask in this stage
Have teams got adequate safeguarding arrangements in place?
Teams must have basic arrangements in place by the conclusion of this stage. See the Oversight tab for more details.
Are teams forming and are they establishing healthy rhythms?
This is the stage in which most teams will form. Team leaders will need to go and recruit people. If no team has been formed by G3, the Hub Leader may decide that this team cannot continue with the current cohort.
Who do you need to communicate with outside the hub?
What stories need to be shared and where is best to share them? If this is your first Hub, then it's likely that many people in your area either don't know about it or have a limited understanding of what it is trying to achieve. Sharing stories to church/network/denominational leadership is a significant step to grow interest and evidence possibilities.
Role Legend
Owns delivery
Promotes prayer for and within teams.
Logistics and Comms
Session delivery
Coaches the hub team
Supports the team leader
Provides missional, pastoral and safeguarding oversight
About
Gathering 2 (G2) kicks off the second stage of the Myriad Pathway.
Preparation
Organize the rest of your event team
Who will be responsible for welcome, hospitality, worship and audio/visual?
Have you received your A1 Action Plan paper copies? Do you have your check-in notices ready? What visual elements have you prepared that will draw attention to the building blocks?
Message Templates
Subject: You're invited: Myriad Gathering 2 — Leading as Team
Dear [FIRST NAME],
We are delighted to invite you to Gathering 2 of the Myriad Pathway. It will be wonderful to see you all again as a learning community!
What to expect:
Stage 2 is all about Leading as Team. Over the weekend you will:
- Share how the past six months have been — progress, challenges and answered prayers
- Explore why leading as a team is essential (not optional) for a new church community
- Practise how to invite and form your team
- Identify the culture and values that will shape your community
- Develop rhythms of prayer, planning and mission to sustain the team's work
We'll also be using a beautiful contemplative prayer practice — Lectio Divina — to open Saturday morning.
Date: [GATHERING 2 DATE — FRIDAY TO SATURDAY]
Venue: [VENUE NAME AND ADDRESS]
Arrival: Friday evening from [ARRIVAL TIME] for a 7:30pm start
Finish: Saturday approximately 3:30pm
Please bring your action plans from Gathering 1 — your team will have time to review these and report back on Friday evening.
Please confirm your attendance by [RSVP DATE] by contacting [HUB ADMIN NAME] at [ADMIN EMAIL / PHONE].
We are praying for you all as you continue this journey.
[HUB LEADER NAME]
[HUB NAME]
Subject: Reminder: Myriad Gathering 2 — [DATE]
Dear [FIRST NAME],
Looking forward to seeing you at Gathering 2 coming up soon!
Date: [GATHERING 2 DATE]
Venue: [VENUE NAME AND ADDRESS]
Friday start: 7:30pm (please arrive by [ARRIVAL TIME])
Saturday finish: Approx. 3:30pm
As you prepare, please dig out your action plans from Gathering 1. On Friday evening, your team will have time to discuss what has happened over the past six months and share key moments with the wider learning community.
What is the most important thing that has happened in your community since you last met? Come ready to share it.
Any questions? Contact [HUB ADMIN NAME] at [ADMIN EMAIL / PHONE].
[HUB LEADER NAME]
[HUB NAME]
content and At the Gathering
Here is the content that you will use at the gathering.
G2.0 Welcome and Worship
Use these slides to introduce the weekend, remind participants about building blocks and set expectations. Plan 20 minutes of worship.
G2.1 Co-Workers
This devotion is designed to highlight:
- God is a God of relationship
- We are designed to co-work with God and with each other
- Working without God or each other is sinful
- We are given gifts which are to be used together
G2.2 Where are we up to?
This session allows each team to present where they are up to in the formation of their new church community. Teams should refer back to the actions they determined at the previous gathering
G2.3 Leading as Team
Leadership of a new church community demands a new model of leadership as a team. Leading as a team is fundamental to the health and sustainability of a new church community. Recognising the different gifts and skills of your team will be essential.
G2.4 Worship & Prayer
This is a led reading of John 15, where we invite God to speak through the reading of Scripture.
G2.5 Forming a Team
A short activity where individuals practice inviting others to join their team using the elevator pitch.
G2.6 Developing a Discipling Culture
Culture will form either actively or passively within any community of people. This session explores how teams can discern and practice values that are consistent with creating a culture where disciples of Jesus are made.
G2.7 Team Rhythms
This session highlights the priority for teams to establish regular team rhythms of prayer, planning and review, proximity and mission.
G2.8 Prayer Practice: Examen
This is a contemplative Ignatian prayer exercise called Examen. We allow God to speak to us through a Spirit-led sensitivity to our feelings, to discern where He wants to meet us.
G2.9 Action Planning & Report Back
Teams are given time to make a series of 3-5 key actions that they will engage with in the coming 6 months.
G2.10 Roundup
This closing session wraps up the gathering with important notices:
- Date of Mid Stage 2
- Date of Gathering 3
Please also do the review - this enables us to keep learning and make improvements.
Specific Actions at the gathering
Individuals should check in using the QR code. This will send a follow up email towards the end of the gathering asking for participant feedback. You can see the data in your dashboard. If a participant can't do the check in themselves, get one of the Welcome Team to do it on their behalf so everyone checks in.
Take good photos of each team's action plans. These will be your only record as teams will take the paper away with them.
Hub Leader / Administrator - please complete the feedback form.
Hub Partner - please complete the feedback form and post a story in the partner group chat.
After the Gathering
Send a copy of the action plans in your group WhatsApp group.
Send the Stage Handbook follow up messages to oversight ministers and mentors.
Complete the debrief.
Message templates
Subject: Thank you — Gathering 2 next steps
Dear [FIRST NAME],
What a wonderful weekend together. Thank you for all you brought to Gathering 2 — your honesty, your stories and your prayers for one another.
Key things to carry away:
1. Your action plans — You set a fresh set of 3–5 key actions for Stage 2. Please review these regularly with your team and refer back to them at the Mid Stage meeting and Gathering 3.
2. Forming your team — If you are still a solo leader or have a small team, please make this your first priority. The weekend reinforced that starting a new church community is not sustainable without a genuine team. Begin with prayer, then consider who God may be putting on your heart.
3. Discipling culture — You explored your team's values together. What are the 3–5 values that will shape the culture of your new church community? Make time to agree on these as a team and reflect on whether your current activities and habits reflect them.
4. Team rhythms — You mapped out rhythms of prayer, planning and mission. Review the rhythm you proposed and begin to embed it into your team life. Remember: what you do regularly shapes what you become.
5. Mentoring and oversight — Please ensure your mentor relationship is active and that you have a regular meeting with your oversight minister. Both will receive a copy of your action plan.
Mid Stage 2: [MID STAGE 2 DATE AND ZOOM LINK]
Gathering 3: [GATHERING 3 DATE AND LOCATION]
Keep going — you are doing something remarkable. We are with you in prayer.
[HUB LEADER NAME]
[HUB NAME]
Subject: Stage 2 has begun — update and guidance for mentors
Dear [MENTOR NAME],
I hope you are well. I am writing to let you know that [TEAM LEADER NAME] has now moved into Stage 2 of the Myriad Pathway, and to give you a sense of what they are working through and what to focus on as you meet with them over the coming months.
What Stage 2 is about
The theme of Stage 2 is Leading as Team. This stage asks the team leader to make a fundamental shift — from solo leader with a vision to a team of people with a shared calling. The work of this stage is building that team, identifying the shared values that will shape the discipling culture of their community, and establishing rhythms of prayer, planning, shared life and mission that will sustain the work.
At Gathering 2, [TEAM LEADER NAME] will have:
- Reflected on their Stage 1 vision work and shared progress with the wider cohort
- Explored why leading as a team is essential — not optional — for a new church community to be healthy and sustainable
- Worked on identifying and inviting people to join the core team
- Identified the values that will shape the discipling culture of their community
- Developed rhythms of prayer, planning, shared life and mission
- Set 3–5 actions for Stage 2
What to focus on when you meet
The Stage 2 Handbook gives you more detail on the stage theme and the key things to look out for. As a summary, the questions most worth sitting with are:
- Is [TEAM LEADER NAME] actively forming a team — are they asking people to join them, or are they still working alone?
- Are they referring back to their actions and living by the commitments they made at Gathering 2?
- Are the team's rhythms of prayer, planning and mission actually happening — not just planned?
- Are they identifying shared values, or just describing what they do?
The first of these is the most important. A team leader who is still working solo at the end of Stage 2 is at significant risk. If you have any concerns about this, please let us know as soon as possible — we would rather address it early.
Meetings this stage
The expectation is two meetings between Gathering 2 and Gathering 3 — one in the first half of the stage and one after Mid Stage 2. [TEAM LEADER NAME] will be in touch to arrange these. If you haven't heard from them within a reasonable time, do let us know.
Mid Stage 2 — a note
The Mid Stage 2 meeting takes place online in approximately [MONTH] and focuses on conflict in teams — how healthy teams navigate disagreement and grow stronger through it. It is worth asking [TEAM LEADER NAME] after the mid stage what they took from it and whether it prompted any conversations within their team.
As always, please don't hesitate to get in touch if there is anything you would like to discuss. We are very grateful for the investment you are making.
With every blessing,
[HUB LEADER NAME]
[HUB NAME]
[EMAIL / PHONE]
Subject: Stage 2 has begun — update and guidance for oversight ministers
Dear [OVERSIGHT MINISTER NAME],
I hope you are well. I am writing to let you know that [TEAM LEADER NAME] has now entered Stage 2 of the Myriad Pathway, and to share what they are working through and how you can best support them over the coming months.
What Stage 2 is about
The theme of Stage 2 is Leading as Team. This stage asks the team leader to shift from leading alone to leading as a genuine team — building the people around them, identifying shared values and culture, and establishing the rhythms that will sustain the community long term. It is one of the most stretching and most important stages of the pathway, and the work done here will shape everything that follows.
At Gathering 2, [TEAM LEADER NAME] will have explored why team is essential, worked on forming and inviting their team, identified shared values, and developed rhythms of prayer, planning and mission together. They have set 3–5 actions for this stage, a copy of which is attached.
How you can support them
The Stage 2 Handbook gives more detail on the stage theme and the key things to look out for. As you meet with [TEAM LEADER NAME], the questions most worth exploring are:
- Is the team genuinely forming — are others being invited in and stepping up alongside the leader?
- Are the team's rhythms of prayer, planning and mission actually happening?
- Are they identifying the values that will shape their discipling culture — not just their activities?
- After Mid Stage 2 (on conflict in teams), have they considered practically how they will handle disagreement within the team?
The most important thing to watch
Forming a team is often the hardest part of this stage. A leader who arrives at Stage 3 still working essentially alone is in a fragile position. If you have any sense that [TEAM LEADER NAME] is struggling to build a team around them — whether through circumstances, confidence or reluctance — please do let us know. We would always rather know early.
A review conversation later in the stage
As Stage 2 progresses, I would like to find a time for the three of us — you, [TEAM LEADER NAME] and me — to sit down together for a brief review. This is an opportunity to take stock of how the stage is going, to share what we are each noticing, and to make sure [TEAM LEADER NAME] has the support they need going into Stage 3. Rather than add another meeting into your diary, might it be possible for me to sit in on one of your regular supervision meetings? Please let me know when they are so I can get it in my diary.
Mid Stage 2
The Mid Stage 2 meeting takes place online in approximately [MONTH] and focuses on conflict in teams. All team members are asked to attend from one shared location. It would be worth encouraging [TEAM LEADER NAME] to make the arrangements for this in good time.
Oversight Pathway
Finally a reminder for those who haven't yet done this. Myriad offers a termly short online training course for those of us overseeing a church planter. It's a worthwhile use of your time and I recommend doing it: https://myriad.church/what-we-offer/oversight-pathway/.
Thank you, as always, for the support you give to [TEAM LEADER NAME]. It matters more than you may realise.
With every blessing,
[HUB LEADER NAME]
[HUB NAME]
[EMAIL / PHONE]
Stage Journey
Thrive in Five is a series of short video inputs with knowledge gleaned from a wide audience of experienced missional and church planting practitioners. Each video is carefully designed to build knowledge on a particular theme, introducing five key points that the viewer can immediately apply to their context. Each video comes with some text that you can simply copy and paste into your Hub's WhatsApp group to generate some conversation and shared learning amongst your community.
Four videos are provided to use in each stage, two before the Mid Stage meeting and two after. They should not be used in the same month as the Gathering, but the exact timing is up to the Hub Leader and Administrator.
08
Prayer
Fasting
WhatsApp Message:
[LINK]
Hungry for More: The Power of Fasting
05
Prayer
Creating a rhythm of prayer
WhatsApp Message:
[LINK]
Prayer That Sticks: Build Your Rhythm
Team & Life
Building a team rhythm
WhatsApp Message:
[LINK]
When Your Team Finds Its Beat
Mission
Hospitality / extended family / shared life
WhatsApp Message:
[LINK]
Your Table Is Your Ministry
About
In this stage, Mentoring continues with one session before the Mid Stage meeting and one after (and before G3).
Review
After the Mid Stage meeting, a review should be circulated to all mentors to check the status and quality of mentoring. The results are found in your Dashboard. Please pay attention to these responses and follow up as needed.
Message Templates
This is the same email as that on the Mid Stage tab.
Subject: Mid-stage review — please complete the mentor review form
Dear [MENTOR NAME],
I hope you are well and that your conversations with [TEAM LEADER NAME] are going well. By now you should have had at least two sessions.
We are now at the mid-point of Stage 2 and it is a good moment to pause and reflect on how things are going. As part of our commitment to supporting both mentors and planters well, we ask all mentors to complete a short review form at this point in each stage. It takes no more than ten minutes and gives us a valuable picture of how each team leader is developing, where support is needed and whether there is anything we should be aware of.
The form covers:
- How the mentoring relationship is going and whether you have been able to meet as expected
- Your overall sense of how [TEAM LEADER NAME] is progressing in Stage 2
- Whether you have any concerns — about team formation, wellbeing, momentum or anything else
- Any support you need as a mentor
Please complete the online form by [DATE].
Everything you share is treated with care and discretion. The purpose of this form is not to report on your mentee but to ensure that we as a hub team are well-informed and can offer the right support at the right time. If there is anything significant on your mind, please don't wait for the form — you can always call me directly.
Thank you for everything you are investing in [TEAM LEADER NAME]. It genuinely makes a difference.
With every blessing,
[HUB LEADER NAME]
[HUB NAME]
[EMAIL / PHONE]
ABOUT
The Mid Stage 3 meeting is an online gathering lasting approximately 2 hours. In addition to reviewing action plans and team updates, the focus is on how to deal with conflict in teams.
Message Templates
Subject: Mid Stage 1: Safeguarding in New Church Communities — [DATE]
Dear hub teams,
We are looking forward to seeing you at our Mid Stage 1 online gathering — a chance to reconnect as a learning community, share how things are going and look at an important topic for your new church communities.
When: [DATE AND TIME]
Zoom Link: [ZOOM LINK]
Duration: Approximately 2 hours
During this gathering we will:
- Hear updates from each team on how your actions are progressing
- Explore the theme of Safeguarding in New Church Communities
Safeguarding in a new church community is different from established church contexts. Because your community is developing and changing — new people joining, different meeting spaces, evolving activities — your safeguarding practice needs regular and careful attention. We'll look together at what this means in practice.
Before the meeting, please review your action plans: Where have you got to? What has worked well? What is still a work in progress?
We also recommend reading the attached guidance note: Safeguarding Guidance for New Worshipping Communities, which will also be circulated after the meeting.
Our next in-person gathering is on [GATHERING 2 DATE]. We continue to pray for you all, so do let us know if there is anything we can help you with.
Looking forward to seeing you all,
[HUB LEADER NAME]
[HUB NAME]
Subject: Tonight: Mid Stage 1 — join us online at [TIME]
Hi everyone,
Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible this evening for our Mid Stage 1 gathering online.
We'll have time for team updates, report back, input on Safeguarding in New Church Communities, team discussion and prayer.
Before you join, do review your action plans: Where have you got to? What has happened? What worked well? What haven't you managed? What has been difficult? What is still a work in progress?
Zoom link: [ZOOM LINK]
Time: [START TIME]
See you this evening!
[HUB LEADER NAME]
Content
Conflict in Teams
Conflict is a thorny issue, but not all disagreement is conflict. In this session we help teams explore how healthy teams grow together and work through conflict.
Guide
Mid Stage 2 Programme
Content
Knowledge Nugget: The Compass Check
Show this short video at the Mid Stage meeting as a gentle way to upskill teams and remind them about the need to track their progress towards their God-given vision.
After the Mid Stage Meeting
Send the follow up message to team leaders
Send the follow up message to Oversight Ministers to book your check in meeting with them.
Send the follow up message to mentors to action the review form
Message templates
Subject: Mid Stage 2 follow-up — Moving through conflict together
Dear [FIRST NAME],
Thank you for being part of Mid Stage 2. It takes real courage to have honest conversations about conflict and team dynamics, and we appreciated the openness everyone brought.
A few things to carry away:
- Review your team's approach to conflict — What structures or agreements do you need to put in place to enable a healthy approach to disagreement in your team? Don't wait until the storm arrives to prepare for it.
- Walk in the light — The session reminded us that honest, loving openness with one another (1 John 1:5–7) is the antidote to the walls that can build up between people. Is there any unresolved tension in your team that needs to be named and addressed?
- Keep building team — The health of your new church community depends on a healthy team at its heart. Keep investing in your relationships with one another.
Gathering 3: [DATE, VENUE AND TIME]
If you have any concerns about team dynamics that you'd like support with, please reach out. We are here.
[HUB LEADER NAME]
[HUB NAME]
Subject: Stage 2 review — let's find a time to meet
Dear [OVERSIGHT MINISTER NAME] and [TEAM LEADER NAME],
I am writing to both of you together to arrange the Stage 2 review conversation I mentioned in an earlier update.
As we reach the mid-point of Stage 2, I would like the three of us to meet — in person if possible, or online if that is more practical — for a focused conversation about how the team and vision is progressing. This is not a formal assessment and there is nothing to prepare in advance. It is simply a chance for us to share what we are each noticing, to celebrate what is going well, to name anything that needs attention, and to make sure [TEAM LEADER NAME] has the right support going into the second half of the stage and beyond.
The conversation should take no more than an hour. I will come with a small number of questions to guide us, but the tone will be relaxed and open.
[TEAM LEADER NAME] — it would be helpful if you could bring your action plan from Gathering 2 and a brief sense of where you are with each action. You might also want to reflect beforehand on: what is going well, what is proving harder than expected, and what you most need from your oversight minister and from us as a hub team right now.
[OVERSIGHT MINISTER NAME] — I would welcome your honest perspective on how you are seeing [TEAM LEADER NAME] and their community at this point. Your knowledge of their context and character is invaluable, and this is a good moment to share it.
As part of this meeting, we also need to look at safeguarding to verify that adequate arrangements are in place.
Could you both let me know your availability over the next [2–3 weeks / period]? I am flexible and happy to work around you. Please reply to this email or contact [HUB ADMIN NAME] at [ADMIN EMAIL / PHONE] to arrange a time.
I am looking forward to the conversation.
With every blessing,
[HUB LEADER NAME]
[HUB NAME]
[EMAIL / PHONE]
Subject: Mid-stage review — please complete the mentor review form
Dear [MENTOR NAME],
I hope you are well and that your conversations with [TEAM LEADER NAME] are going well. By now you should have had at least two sessions.
We are now at the mid-point of Stage 2 and it is a good moment to pause and reflect on how things are going. As part of our commitment to supporting both mentors and planters well, we ask all mentors to complete a short review form at this point in each stage. It takes no more than ten minutes and gives us a valuable picture of how each team leader is developing, where support is needed and whether there is anything we should be aware of.
The form covers:
- How the mentoring relationship is going and whether you have been able to meet as expected
- Your overall sense of how [TEAM LEADER NAME] is progressing in Stage 2
- Whether you have any concerns — about team formation, wellbeing, momentum or anything else
- Any support you need as a mentor
Please complete the online form by [DATE].
Everything you share is treated with care and discretion. The purpose of this form is not to report on your mentee but to ensure that we as a hub team are well-informed and can offer the right support at the right time. If there is anything significant on your mind, please don't wait for the form — you can always call me directly.
Thank you for everything you are investing in [TEAM LEADER NAME]. It genuinely makes a difference.
With every blessing,
[HUB LEADER NAME]
[HUB NAME]
[EMAIL / PHONE]
In this Stage
Ensure you have a catch up with each team leader and their oversight minister before G3:
- Do they have a clear vision? Do they know what they are aiming for?
- Do they have a team? Are they able to share the load between them?
- Are their safeguarding arrangements adequate?
If you can answer "yes" to all of these questions then everything is good for the team to proceed.
However if the answer is "no" to some or all of these, then more careful discernment is needed as to whether the team should continue. In the case of Safeguarding, we regard this as a non-negotiable: a team should not continue into Stage 3 if they cannot evidence that they have appropriate arrangements in place that are acceptable to their Oversight Minister and the Hub Leader.
Message Templates
This is the same email as that on the Mid Stage tab.
Subject: Stage 2 review — let's find a time to meet
Dear [OVERSIGHT MINISTER NAME] and [TEAM LEADER NAME],
I am writing to both of you together to arrange the Stage 2 review conversation I mentioned in an earlier update.
As we reach the mid-point of Stage 2, I would like the three of us to meet — in person if possible, or online if that is more practical — for a focused conversation about how the team and vision is progressing. This is not a formal assessment and there is nothing to prepare in advance. It is simply a chance for us to share what we are each noticing, to celebrate what is going well, to name anything that needs attention, and to make sure [TEAM LEADER NAME] has the right support going into the second half of the stage and beyond.
The conversation should take no more than an hour. I will come with a small number of questions to guide us, but the tone will be relaxed and open.
[TEAM LEADER NAME] — it would be helpful if you could bring your action plan from Gathering 2 and a brief sense of where you are with each action. You might also want to reflect beforehand on: what is going well, what is proving harder than expected, and what you most need from your oversight minister and from us as a hub team right now.
[OVERSIGHT MINISTER NAME] — I would welcome your honest perspective on how you are seeing [TEAM LEADER NAME] and their community at this point. Your knowledge of their context and character is invaluable, and this is a good moment to share it.
As part of this meeting, we also need to look at safeguarding to verify that adequate arrangements are in place.
Could you both let me know your availability over the next [2–3 weeks / period]? I am flexible and happy to work around you. Please reply to this email or contact [HUB ADMIN NAME] at [ADMIN EMAIL / PHONE] to arrange a time.
I am looking forward to the conversation.
With every blessing,
[HUB LEADER NAME]
[HUB NAME]
[EMAIL / PHONE]
© 2025 The Myriad Collective, registered charity number 1214151 in England. View our Privacy Notice here. Myriad is committed to safeguarding as an integral part of its ministry and mission, promoting a safer culture and the welfare of every child, young person and adult. View our safeguarding policy here.
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