• What is Teams

If you are Married and Christian, then "Teams" could be for you! Chances to Discover, Times to Share, Moments to Listen; in "Teams"

Team members provide support and encouragement for each other on their spiritual journeys and in their daily lives. The team is an extended family; and it is this combination of friendship & support with the spiritual that is at the heart of Teams ethos.

Teams is an International Catholic movement for Christian married couples. The basic unit – the Team – consists of 4 or 5 couples together with a priest or other religious as Spiritual Counsellor. Teams is about the spirituality of the couple. It is this shared journey that is the essence of Teams.

Meeting monthly in each other’s houses, Teams provide support and encouragement for each other in their spiritual journey and daily lives. The team becomes a sort of extended family and it is this combination of friendship/support with the spiritual that is at the heart of Teams’ rapid expansion.

There is a set structure to each meeting that starts with a simple meal. The meeting also provides an opportunity to review progress with the ‘endeavours’, akin to a gentle monastic rule to which team couples aspire.

Throughout this site reference is made to ‘couples’. However, on the death of a spouse, the widow or widower remains part of the team. Teams is a Catholic Movement, but membership is open to other Christian denominations. Couples where just one member is a Catholic find it a rare opportunity to share their spirituality.

• Teams of Our Lady

The "Teams of Our Lady" is not a group of footballers sponsored by a wealthy woman!

The word “Team” has been chosen in preference to any other because it signifies that those who belong to the Movement have a specific aim, which is jointly and vigorously pursued. They also have Our Lady as their patron, thereby emphasising their desire to serve her and affirm that there is no better guide to God than his Mother.

It is not as such a Marian Movement, but rather a movement to help married couples to grow in holiness, fellowship and mutual support. Moreover there are two phrases uttered by Our Lady which make her a wonderful model for married couples:

“Be it done to me according to your word”, at her Annunciation, which shows the importance of a loving acceptance of God’s will as seen though one’s partner in marriage; and “Do whatever he tells you” at the marriage feast of Cana, which highlights the equal importance of centring one’s life in Christ and his teaching.

These guidelines are spelt out in the Magnificat, which Team members pray each day. This common prayer also helps to unite them with all other members of this world-wide movement.

• History

The Teams movement was started in Paris in the run up to the Second World War and the French title – Equipes Notre Dame - reflects its Parisian origins as well as the important place of Our Lady in the movement. The founder, Fr Henri Caffarel was asked by several young couples in his parish to help them to develop their spirituality.

These couples started meeting in each other’s houses and the format has remained much the same ever since. In 1947 the movement was formalised with the publication of the Charter. The Teams movement has expanded ever since and is now active in more than 75 countries. There are now more than 50,000 couples worldwide.

In 1997 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Charter, Teams couples from around the world returned to Paris. Three of the original team were there to join in the celebrations.

In 1992 the Teams Movement received its Decree of Recognition from the Vatican.

• Team Endeavours

Having got this far, you are no doubt wondering what horrendous things the endeavours are! Sorry to disappoint you, but they are really just the things a normal Christian couple would do:

Each day Teams couples endeavour to:

• Spend 10 minutes in personal prayer

• Study the Bible

• Pray together as a couple

• Pray as a family (if there are children)

In addition, there are three longer-term endeavours:

• To go on Retreat once a year

• To have a ‘sit down’ once a month

• To adopt a personal ‘rule of life’

The ‘sit down’ is a period of joint reflection on the couple’s life and an opportunity to raise issues and concerns in a way that can lead to mutual resolution. Central to this process is presence of the Lord. Couples symbolise this triangular relationship in different ways, possibly having a candle or a third chair at the table.

The ‘rule of life’ is something individuals select and usually keep private. (This may well be chosen as a result of ‘helpful’ feedback from one’s spouse, family or work colleagues!) It is a long-term attempt at personal change, possibly in behaviour or attitude, which would be a step towards the Kingdom of God

• Teams in Great Britain

Harry and Clotilde Meigh introduced Teams to Great Britain in 1949. Clotilde is French and on a visit to France she and Harry discovered Teams and decided to set up the first Great Britain team. The original Cheltenham 1 team is still going strong with Harry and Clotilde at its heart.

In 1999 to celebrate 40 years in the UK, Teams organised a Mass in Westminster Cathedral in support of Marriage. Teams couples were joined by many other Christian organisations all with a common concern for Marriage.

There are now more than 100 teams in the Great Britain. This represents about 1% of the Movement worldwide.

• Teams Meetings

Teams meet once a month in each other’s houses to share a simple meal.

After the meal there is a period of meditation, bible study and prayer. Couples also work together during the month preparing ideas for the study topic, a pertinent issue that the team would like to understand more. The Spiritual Counsellor has a particular role during this part of the meeting, helping couples to develop their faith.

Couples then review progress with the ‘endeavours’.

A special period is set aside for ‘pooling’, an opportunity to bring to the team problems or concerns that team may be able to help with. This could simply be to listen; to help the couple think through the problem, or could extend to practical support that the couple may need in the weeks to come. In some situations, the normal meeting structure is set aside to focus on supporting a couple. (Examples might include difficulties with elderly parents, teenagers, redundancy or anything weighing heavily on the couple, including relationship difficulties.)

• Spiritual Counsellors

Each team should have in some way the help of a priest (or other religious). The priest is a full member of the team, but has a different role to play by virtue of his ministerial priesthood. He is there to minister the Word of God and to help the team as a whole and individuals within it to grow spiritually.

He helps the team in its growth to unity within itself and in the context of the parish and the whole Church. However, there is a two-way action, for a team can help a priest keep a balance in his life and prevent him from becoming too ‘clerical’ and isolated.

• Teams Structure

The Teams Movement grows typically by word of mouth. Once enough couples are found to start a new team, they are ‘piloted’ by an experienced couple. It is important to note that the Spiritual Counsellor is a team member, not the group leader. Each year the team selects one couple to act as ‘responsible couple’ to deal with the administrative and organisational aspects of running the team and ensuring the smooth running of each meeting.

Teams are organised into Sectors of which there are 15 in Great Britain. These are convenient geographical clusters that rarely match diocesan boundaries. They reflect the pattern of expansion over the last 40 years in Great Britain.

Great Britain is split into 3 administrative Regions:

• Northern Britain:  Scotland and the Province of Liverpool

• Central Britain:  the Provinces of Birmingham, Cardiff and Westminster

• Southern Britain:  the Province of Southwark

Each of the 3 Regional Couples takes a lead role in liaising with Bishops and other Christian organisations within their Region.

Over the years Teams in Great Britain has supported the expansion of Teams internationally into South Africa, Goa and Ireland, New Zealand, the Philippines, Malawi and Trinidad & Tobago.

Within each Sector, some couples form a Sector Team to support the Sector Couple who provide direction to the Sector for a period of three years. Similarly all the Sector Couples meet together to support each Regional Couple in guiding the Movement.

The International Movement has its headquarters in Paris and there is an International Leading Team with couples from across the world, picked to reflect the language and cultural diversity of the Teams Movement. The Movement is led by the International Leading Couple who hold office for six years.

Every six years there is an International Gathering; the last was in Santiago de Compostela in September 2000.

Couples from all over the world come in pilgrimage and to understand the priorities for the Movement for the next six years. The International Leading Couple, hands on to their successor at each Gathering.

Previous International Gatherings have taken place at Rome, Fatima, Lourdes and Paris. The last three Popes have all attended International Gatherings.

The next International Gathering will be held in Lourdes in September 2006.

• Testimonies

Cyndy, a widow

“Just ordinary people who laugh and enjoy a night out, have everyday family troubles and rows now and again…but who also have an extra dimension to their lives.”

“I am in my mid forties, I have no children, I am not a Catholic, I am a widow of three years – and I am in Teams of Our Lady”.

Fr Gerald, a team chaplain:

“I was at first reluctant to accept the role as chaplain to a team. It seemed to me that busy priests, if they had the time to spare, might accept chaplaincies to larger groups needing pastoral care. How wrong I was!

“Over the years I have come to appreciate Teams and their importance more and more. Looking back now I can see how deeply I am indebted to the Movement. I decided to walk hand in hand with my couples and now I can see how profoundly this has enriched my own life, both as a person and as a priest. My presence amongst them has brought me warm and enriching friendships so essential to the life and ministry of every celibate priest and religious. In Teams one comes to appreciate more fully the strengths and stresses, the joys and sorrows, of marital love and the need for the couple to enter into wider relationships to overcome the tensions of one to one living. For my part I found myself, in a sense, a member of each family and yet none exclusively.”

Pauline and Frank:

“Like most of our friends, our lives are so hectic with work, family and parish activities that we often feel we have very little time for each other and for God. The team meeting is an oasis of peace in this frantic world. It’s an opportunity to stop, be ourselves with people who accept us as we are; to look at our lives, not to make great changes but to find God in ourselves and each other”.

Others:

“In my team I share in the mutual help. All my preoccupations, especially apostolic ones, are taken on by the couples, in the same way that I experience their different anxieties.”

“I have learned to pray more deeply and openly”.

“The Movement has brought me considerable advantages more in the development of my spiritual life, and words fail me to express my thanks to God for it. Realising that many lay people have a real desire for perfection has encouraged me to be more constant in my efforts in the spiritual life and more optimistic in my apostolate”.