Forming a Team

There are several ways a CityLife team can form. Sometimes, a few people will decide to move together to a city. Sometimes a mentor or Nav staff will contact a few people they know. Other times, a group that already knows each other and meets regularly will decide to become a CityLife team. Whatever way a team forms, there are a few "rules" that we have noticed that usually help.

  1. Team with people you like. Not everybody is on "the same page" at the same time. It is important to do CityLife with people you like and who are all excited about the same idea.
  2. If at all possible, live near each other. It will be difficult to meet and function as a team if you have to travel very far to see each other.
  3. Don't be weird. If any decision you are considering makes you feel funny, it is probably a bad idea or needs to be adjusted
  4. Don't be stupid. If something feels like a bad idea, it probably is.
The process of forming a team can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. It is important to sort out what each potential team member is really looking for: CityLife teams are not support groups or Bible study groups (though support and Bible study will certainly be a part of the mix). They are teams focused on the 4 areas of the CityLife covenant. It is not unusual to have several "pre-meetings" before the team launches. These can be initiated by anyone interested in forming a team or by the team's potential mentor. Sometimes, a group will decide to jump into the "orientation" phase (see Getting Started) as a way to sort out if they really want to become a team.

And sometimes, a group will move towards becoming a team and then a few individuals or the whole group decides to back out. When this happens, there are usually good reasons for it: the timing isn't right, a common vision hasn't been reached, etc. Rule #5 then applies:

        5. In CityLife, there are no failures.