Unity needs to be defined at the outset so that it is not confused with conformity. Unity focuses a collective strength toward a common goal; conformity focuses on reducing problems with one another.
I have found that unity—true unity—does not always lend itself to calm seas. When we are compelled toward a certain calling, we will encourage, sharpen, and even prod each other. Yet even when we become uncomfortable, unity is still in motion.
One of the main obstacles to unity is failing to identify what we are all about. Without a clear, concise vision that is understood by everyone, unity is compromised. And let me hasten to add: there is one thing worse than a ministry without vision. It is a ministry with too many visions! Those various visions will be seeds of dissent in your ministry.
Keep the vision of what God has asked you to accomplish before you at all times. Identify it, write it, tell stories about it, and celebrate when you accomplish it. Post it on the walls and in your messages: “This is who we are and this is what we have been assigned by God to accomplish as a team.” This is the greatest corrective mechanism to keep your team unified on the same God-given assignment. This brings alignment rather than comparison. It brings us back to what’s right instead of who’s right.
