As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
- Mark 1:16
 
This week we’re going to look at the story where Jesus calls his first disciples. He comes across Simon and Andrew and their associates James and John while they’re working as fishermen on the Sea of Galilee.
 
Think about this … one-third of Jesus’ disciples received their call on this one day from this one place. Jesus didn’t assemble a diverse team of men and women from all over the world. Although he had a global and inclusive goal, he started with a small and homogenous group.
 
Peter Thiel, in his collection of entrepreneurship notes Zero to One, writes about how important it is for the first wave of team members in start-ups to have pre-existing relationships and common ground. That chemistry allows these team to learn quickly, be flexible, dream big, and tackle obstacles.
 
Despite starting with a small, homogenous group, Jesus soon diversified his team. He added a tax collector and a Zealot and an Eeyore and a sarcastic urbanite. He had women who travelled with him, learned from him, and went on to receive his Spirit to share his gospel with men and women of every nation.
 
Every movement has a starting place.
 
Christianity got its start with Jesus’ initiative and invitation. His initiative and invitation continue to beat in the heart of our movement, our community, our church. We’ve come a long way from this small band of fishermen in Galilee, but Jesus remains at the center of our community.
 
Who are the people who are currently walking with you on your faith journey? What do you all have in common? In what ways are you different? How does Jesus amplify the impact of your commonalities and transform your differences into synergies? Or, in non-business language, how does Jesus help your tribe work together for good?