Teamwork is the most valuable asset in life. Working with other people towards a common goal is a vital part of what we do in everyday living. We use teamwork with our friends, at work, at church, and with our families. I believe teamwork brings us closer to God and to others.

Teamwork brings friends closer together.

I was able to go to the Dominican Republic on a Maranatha trip this past February. Not only was I extremely blessed by the people we helped, I was drawn closer to my church family. On the job site, people split up into different teams, each with their own specific duties. Among the people on the team I was working with were Katie Ferguson and Renee Book, two of my friends from Indiana Academy. It was a lot of fun to work together because we get along so well, but we also got a lot accomplished. In the time I spent with them in the Dominican, our friendship grew more than it could ever have grown with our schedules at school and during the summer. We now have a friendship that nothing can break.

Teamwork gets the job accomplished.

This year, I am the pianist for the choir and Keynotes at Indiana Academy. It doesn’t sound like that would require much teamwork, but it does. Andrew Lay, IA music director, gives me the music I need to practice, and instructs me on difficult pieces. I practice and tell him if I am having difficulties. That’s just one part of the team, though. My co-workers, Elkyn and Rashid, who are in both choirs, sometimes come and sing the music I’m practicing. That helps me find any errors I might have overlooked, and it gets them ready for class. The choirs are also part of the team I work with. If we both practice, the choir will sing well. Everyone works separately so that we can work together.

Teamwork brings us closer to God.

In the Dominican, Katie Ferguson and I stayed in the same tent. Every night one of us read a passage or verse from the Bible, and we would pray together afterward. That changed my outlook on life. I am not very good at sitting down and reading my Bible, but having Katie there helped me to see that God appreciates every effort we make to come closer to Him. At a prayer conference last year Peter Neri, a guest presenter, showed us a new way for group Bible study. It was fascinating how much I learned in just one session. The Bible is written in such a way that everyone who reads it can get something different out of it. It is amazing how God works through teamwork. After all, God works in mysterious ways. I view my relationship with God as a team. We work together to accomplish any task ahead.

Teamwork is such a large part of our lives that sometimes we don’t even notice it, but God wants us to be part of His team. And that is the best team of all.

Katie Paul is a 17-year-old junior at Indiana Academy and a member of the Cicero (Indiana) Church. She will receive a $100 scholarship for having her article selected for this column.