Why Great Ministry Teams Still Struggle—and How to Change That

by Del Fehsenfeld

Every ministry team I’ve served on has been full of people who genuinely wanted to reflect Christ’s love. But different personalities and perspectives often got in the way. Sometimes that led to open conflict; but more often, it just meant well-meaning people working hard without working well together. Deep down, I think many of us have felt the quiet disappointment of falling short of our team’s true potential.

What about your team? Ministry teams are usually made up of gifted, passionate people. But unless we learn how to relate well, much of that potential will go to waste.

Mapping Motives for Collaboration

One tool that has transformed our team is the Strength Deployment Inventory 2.0 (SDI), which maps each person’s Motivational Value System (MVS). An MVS is the unique blend of people-, performance-, and process-driven motives that shape how we see and use our strengths. When we understand what drives each other, our collaboration improves dramatically because we can interpret each other’s perspectives with greater clarity and grace.

Take, for example, one of my teammates. He’s always pointing out what our team might be overlooking in a discussion or decision. He frequently slows things down to question assumptions or consider what might be missing. For someone like me—driven by results and naturally quick to act—this can feel frustrating or even negative.

But by cluing in to his MVS (using the SDI’s Motives Map), I’ve come to see that his intent is entirely different. He’s motivated by including diverse perspectives and ideas, and his strengths mix leans much more analytical than mine. What once felt like resistance is actually a valuable contribution. His ability to surface blind spots has the potential to make our team’s decisions significantly stronger—but only if I understand and appreciate his motives and strengths. Otherwise … well, you can probably guess how that goes.

Soul GPS

Mapping motivations with the SDI doesn’t just improve teamwork; it also deepens spiritual growth. The core motivations it identifies align with our soul’s core longings for acceptance, significance, and security. Becoming more aware of these core motivations helps us see how our desires are being directed. God designed these longings to be fulfilled in His love. But sin distorts them when we seek identity through approval, achievement, or control. In this way, the SDI becomes a kind of “Soul GPS,” revealing whether we’re finding our fulfillment in Christ. Through this biblical lens, the SDI becomes more than a team tool–it becomes a path to soul-level transformation, aligning our motives with God’s purposes and fostering team unity.

Ready to Go Deeper?

If you’re passionate about building healthier teams, stronger relationships, and deeper relational intelligence, we invite you to take the next step.

Join our SDI Facilitator Certification Course September 16–18. You’ll gain practical tools to use the SDI in your faith-based context, while also engaging deeply with the spiritual framework that makes this tool uniquely transformative. Click below to learn more and register.

SDI Facilitator Certification