The Timothy Team has looked different all 30 years we have done it. Of course it does, because there are no two Teams the same. We have new people every year and a new dynamic that shapes the entire team. But it seems like there are common rhythms for every Team, and October seems to be a part of that.

As we sit here in October, the honeymoon phase of the Timothy Team has set sail, and reality begins to set in. The Team has spent 2+ months together, and May is still so far away in camp time. It probably is exacerbated by the fact that it is still 90 degrees outside in South Texas. But this is and has always been one of the most challenging and rewarding parts of this program.

I remember coming to Team and wanting to have deep relationships with my teammates. But I don’t know that I came in wanting to know and to be known by my Teammates. And to know someone just takes time. By October, the Team begins to know each other, and it will only grow for better or for worse. It is so fun to watch as they get to know the things that are wonderful about each other. But humility comes as Teammates learn the “negatives” about each other.

Now is all the more reason to remind our Team and each other what the goal is. It comes back to the words on the gates of T Bar M. The goal is to Love God and Love Each Other. Our Teamers get the opportunity to love each other in spite of flaws and shortcomings. Not just that, they get the opportunity to be loved in spite of their own flaws and shortcomings. And as my Team experience is 15 years removed, I get the same opportunity with my family, community, church, and co-workers. Am I going to love those around me and also be willing to be loved?

Seth McCord, Senior Director of Discipleship Programs