Jenny Thompson is a decorated American woman when it comes to Olympic competition. She has won ten Olympic medals in swimming. Eight of those ten medals were gold. However, she didn't win any of the golds in individual events; rather, she won them in a team event with three other swimmers.

As a result, some people have questioned whether Jenny's swimming accomplishments ought to rank her with the "great" Olympic champions. She asks the question herself. The 27-year-old swimmer from Dove, New Hampshire, said: ''It's got to be very different to experience an individual gold versus a team gold.'' And ice-skating champion Bonnie Blair said recently of Jenny, ''I wish she could feel what it's like for an individual gold, to witness it by herself and not just as part of a team.''

I find Jenny's accomplishments in the ego-driven U.S. culture refreshing. With ballplayers moving from team to team and demonstrating little team loyalty, Jenny is a marvelous example of a person whose genuine success came in the context of team play.

This is how the church should work, as well. Our true "stardom" occurs when we participate as part of a winning team. On God's team, there's no room for superstars or mega-celebrities who do it all on their own.