When I was learning how to type on a typewriter—yes, I am that old!—we would practice typing a particular sentence over and over again to increase speed and accuracy. Unlike our computers today, when you made a mistake on a typewriter, correcting it so that no one could see your error was almost impossible. One of the sentences I remember typing was an old 17th-century proverb: All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. I remember thinking that all this work of typing the same sentence 100 times was definitely going to make me dull and boring! But the saying does hold some truth. If all we do is work but never pause to play, to create, and to rest, what we do becomes dull and uninspired.
The same is true for ministry teams.
If teams only come together when there is a task to complete or a responsibility to fulfill, they begin to lose their spark. Creativity fades, energy dips, and relationships become transactional rather than transformational.
That is where play comes in. Play is not the opposite of work, it is what makes work more enjoyable, sustainable, and effective. Teams that take time to play together communicate better, trust more deeply, and discover the joy of serving together in ministry.
The Value of Play
Play is not a childish distraction from ministry; it is a God-given rhythm of renewal. Throughout Scripture we are reminded of the strength, healing, and hope that flows from joy, laughter, celebration . . . and play. When teams engage in play, they are doing more than having fun, they are nurturing joy, building trust, and creating the relational bonds that make ministry more effective and life-giving.
Play Improves Communication
In the context of ministry, communication can often become purely functional, focused only on logistics, deadlines, and Sunday morning details. Play breaks down those formal barriers. When team members laugh together, work on a challenge, or share a moment of lighthearted competition, they begin to listen to one another differently. The tone softens, hierarchies relax, and voices that might stay quiet in a meeting begin to find confidence. Play creates space for honest human interaction which is something every ministry team needs.
Play Builds Trust and Deepens Relationships
Trust does not form only in staff meetings, it also forms in moments of shared humanity. When leaders join in a game, laugh at themselves, or engage in lighthearted activities with their team members, they communicate vulnerability and authenticity. These experiences remind us that our colleagues are not just co-laborers in the gospel but brothers and sisters in Christ. Shared laughter can do more for team unity than another round of strategy meetings ever could.
Play Inspires Creativity
Ministry requires imagination. Every week, leaders are called to find fresh ways to communicate timeless truths, to solve new problems, and to reach different people. Play opens the mind to creative thinking. When people are relaxed and enjoying one another, new ideas flow more freely. A team that plays together often becomes a team that dreams together well.
Types of Play
Play for team building can take many forms and effective leaders know that not every type of play fits every team. The goal is not simply to schedule “fun” but to cultivate connection. Here are three broad categories of play that can help you think intentionally about what might work best for your team.
Social Activities
Social play is the kind of casual connection that happens outside the normal ministry context. It might be a trip to an escape room, a night of miniature golf, or something more adventurous like axe throwing or a ropes course. These experiences give teams permission to relax, laugh, and enjoy being together without an agenda. The goal is not competition but connection.
Simple activities like sharing a meal, attending a local event, creating a fantasy football league, gaming, or doing something completely unrelated to ministry can also be deeply refreshing. When people see each other as whole individuals rather than just “the worship leader,” “the administrator,” or “the youth pastor,” they begin to appreciate one another’s gifts more fully.
Creative Activities
For some teams, play looks more like creation than recreation. Painting, pottery, or music can all be forms of creative play that engage different parts of the brain. Every spring I try to take my team to the local tulip farm where they can pick their own tulips then arrange their selections in a vase. These experiences allow team members to express themselves, make something tangible, and discover new aspects of one another’s personalities.
In both the social and creative activities, when I intentionally take myself out of the leader role and become more of an acute observer, I learn a lot about my team. Who is the problem solver? Who is the creative one? Who is the natural leader in the group? Gaining these insights about my team members helps me know how to lead them better.
Facilitated Activities
Sometimes, intentional, facilitated play serves a strategic purpose. The key words here are intentional and facilitated. Different from the social and creative activities that may provide insight about your individual team members you did not expect, facilitated activities have a more focused outcome. Facilitated team-building exercises create opportunities for team growth, whether through leadership retreats, personality workshops, or problem-solving challenges. These guided activities help teams practice communication, conflict resolution, and collaboration in real time.
The key is to frame these experiences not as another box to check but as a way to invest in the health and longevity of the team as a whole. A well-designed team-building activity can surface hidden strengths, clarify team dynamics, unlock creativity, and deepen mutual respect.
Developing a Culture of Play
Play should not be a one-time event tacked onto the annual staff retreat. It should be part of a team’s ongoing culture that reinforces joy, trust, and togetherness. Developing a culture of play means giving permission for laughter and lightness to exist alongside the seriousness and weightiness of ministry.
Make Play a Rhythm, Not an Event
Plan occasional team outings but also look for ways to weave small moments of play into the everyday. Celebrate birthdays or ministry milestones together. Start meetings with a fun question or lighthearted story. Take five minutes to laugh before diving into the agenda. These moments add up over time and strengthen the emotional glue that holds a team together.
Offer Variety and Inclusion
Not everyone enjoys the same type of activity. While some love games and competition, others may prefer conversation or creativity. Rotate experiences so that everyone finds a space where they can engage comfortably. Variety in play reflects the diversity of the body of Christ.
Embrace Spontaneous Moments
Some of the most meaningful team building happens unplanned, such as a funny exchange in the hallway, a shared joke after a long day, or a spontaneous lunch outing. Leaders who model appropriate playfulness creates an environment of trust. They show that joy is not unspiritual, rather it is part of what makes ministry sustainable. When talking to my newly engaged students and they learn I have been married for over 30 years, they often ask what advice I have for them. My advice is always to find one thing to laugh about every day. Even on our hardest, darkest days, my husband and I seem to always find one thing to laugh about together. Likewise, for ministry teams, laughter is good medicine for the heart.
That old typewriter lesson still holds true: all work and no play really does make us dull. Ministry is demanding work that requires deep wells of creativity, resilience, and grace. Play is one of the ways God replenishes those wells.
When teams take time to laugh, connect, and create together, they rediscover the joy of serving Christ and one another. Play reminds us that before we are leaders, staff members, or volunteers, we are people created in the image of a joyful God. And when our teams reflect that joy, the ministry we do together becomes not just productive, but life-giving.
So, the next time your team gathers, resist the urge to rush straight to the agenda. Share a laugh. Play a game. Tell a story. You might just find that in doing so, your team grows stronger, your ministry grows healthier, and your work becomes a little less dull—and a lot more joyful.
