How Zuckerberg’s Superteam Can Teach the Church About Building Stronger Teams
Talent is Everything. Mark Zuckerberg recently made headlines by recruiting a group of senior researchers from OpenAI, creating what’s being called a "Superteam" for Meta’s new AI division. With signing bonuses that reach up to $100 million, Zuckerberg is taking what some might call an aggressive approach to securing talent for Meta’s future. But what does this move have to do with the Church?
Today, I want to explore how Zuckerberg’s strategy for Meta can teach us valuable lessons about building better teams, retaining top talent, and creating a culture where people thrive in the Church.
The Power of Talent
Mark Zuckerberg’s move is strategic, and it’s reshaping the tech world. These aren’t just any hires. These are the minds behind GPT-4 and other work at OpenAI. By poaching top talent from his competitors, Zuckerberg isn’t just acquiring employees; he’s acquiring intellectual capital,something that shifts the entire landscape of AI innovation.
The truth is, talent in tech (and in ministry) is scarce. There are only a select few who can bring the kind of transformative ideas and skills that change the game. When Meta goes out and recruits talent like this, it’s about more than expanding their team. It’s about securing the future of their vision.
But what does this mean for the Church?
The Church and Talent: The Overlooked Power Move
We may not be paying $100 million to our worship leaders, youth directors, or volunteer tech teams, but the principle remains: when we don’t value and invest in the people building our ministries, they will eventually leave. It’s not always about money. Often, it’s about feeling valued, recognized, and part of something bigger than just a task list.
Your worship leader, the deacon printing bulletins, the volunteer running your livestream off a cracked iPad, these are your Kingdom coders. They’re the ones building the heart of your ministry, and they deserve to be treated like it.
If we, as church leaders, are not investing in them and creating an environment where they feel valued, they will look elsewhere. In some cases, they may leave for another opportunity, but often they’ll leave for clarity, culture, and care, things we can and should provide.
10 Lessons for Church Leadership, Hiring, and Retention
Here are 10 lessons we can learn from Meta’s superteam strategy that will help our churches thrive:
1. Value People Beyond Their Function Don’t just love your volunteers for what they do, love them for who they are. Affirm their calling and passion, not just their performance.
2. Pay Attention to Retention If your best folks are getting discouraged, ghosting meetings, or showing signs of burnout, it’s already time to act. Be proactive about their well-being.
3. Offer Training, Not Just Tasks Meta builds careers. Churches often just build calendars. Start offering development tracks for your volunteers, classes, books, skill-building opportunities.
4. Make It Personal Zuckerberg recruited many of these people himself. Don’t be afraid to personally invite someone into deeper service in your church community.
5. Know Your Mission So Clearly You Attract the Right People When people know why they matter, they’ll stay. Be loud and clear about your mission. If your team can’t say it in one sentence, that’s where to start.
6. Build Teams, Not Silos Encourage collaboration across functions. Don’t isolate creatives from preachers, deacons from developers. Think about how your team can work together cross-functionally.
7. Celebrate Contributions Often Zuckerberg used bonuses; you can use high-touch appreciation, thank them publicly, write handwritten notes, take them out to lunch after service.
8. Create “Labs” Inside Your Ministry Give your team space to experiment and innovate. Whether it’s a podcast, a new sermon series idea, or a technology upgrade, let them dream.
9. Build Pathways, Not Parking Spots Don’t leave people stuck in the same roles for years. Encourage growth and revisit roles annually to help them move forward in their journey.
10. Don’t Guilt People Into Staying If someone feels they need to step back or move on, bless them. People leave better when they’re loved well, and generosity builds the Kingdom.
The Future of Church Teams
Imagine if our churches had their own version of Meta’s Superintelligence Labs, not just to automate tasks, but to bring together the most talented, Spirit-filled people to tackle the biggest questions.
How can we serve better?
How can we build deeper relationships?
How can we use our gifts for good?
Our churches need strategic teams that combine digital wisdom, spiritual discernment, and relational leadership. Think of it like a preacher, content creator, coder, deacon, and disciple all working together as one.
Theological Insights: Jesus Built a Team Too
Jesus didn’t hire staff. He built a team, a diverse group of people from all walks of life. He called them friends, not servants. The Church doesn’t need just a staff; it needs covenant partners. People who are deeply invested in the mission and purpose of the Kingdom.
The Church’s future isn’t just about roles and titles. It’s about people who are committed to the cause and are willing to walk alongside each other in mission and vision.
The #TeamCheck Challenge
This week, take time to identify one person in your ministry who’s doing the work of five people. Affirm them, check in on how they’re doing, and invite them to dream. Share your reflection on how your church could rethink its hiring, culture, or teams. Tag @thattechpastor and use #TeamCheck to join the conversation.
Building teams that work together in harmony, with a shared sense of mission and purpose, is the key to any church's future success. As we think about building the Kingdom, let’s focus on investing in the people who will help us lead with wisdom and innovation.