I was recently at a jointly hosted FIEC-Medhurst Ministries partnership day. I was really grateful to the FIEC hosting us. I was also pleased – despite the snow cancelling a few trains for people who might otherwise have come – a number of people had battled to be there. The day provided some opportunities to share about the needs in communities like ours and I appreciate John Stevens’ devotional thoughts on what partnership is and is not from Philippians (it is not patronage, charity nor redistribution but mutual participation in the cause of Christ).
Of course, days like that provide an opportunity to reflect again on why we all need good partnerships. Our church is in the strange position of being a supporting church to a number of churches – including other Medhurst Ministries churches – whilst simultaneously being in need of outside support ourselves. But in all cases, we are keen to ensure that we have true partnerships. We aren’t only interested in what we can get from better resourced churches, but want to be creative in what we are able to give to them and how we can support them in their corner of the world in our shared mission to build the kingdom. At the same time, we aren’t only interested in firing off a bank transfer to those we support, we want to benefit from their involvement with us and have a more meaningful relationship with them than a yearly cheque being sent. All of which begs the question, what is meaningful partnership and how does it benefit all of us?
Sharing resources
Let’s start with the obvious: we all have resources to share. There is the really obvious stuff: bigger churches tend to have more money and more people that they can send to smaller and poorer churches. It is pretty obvious how a church with those sort of resources might benefit a smaller church without them.
However, we frequently forget that smaller, poorer churches have all sorts of resources they can share with larger, wealthier ones too. This might include having a different perspective on how to apply the scriptures, being a trusted example helping an different type of church think about what is biblically mandated and what is cultural, offering insights into how to reach particular people-groups that an established church might wish to reach but currently isn’t, etc, etc. In some cases, the smaller, poorer church might simply have done more thinking on particular issues that the larger, richer church might benefit from simply in terms of what the bible demands of all churches. There may be all sorts of ways the smaller, poorer church can offer a better lived example of how biblical commands ought to be expressed in the life the church and the larger, richer church may have things to learn about how they could function better as a church in light of the gospel.
Of course, not every little church will necessarily be able to do all of these things. But I suspect every little church would have some or at least one of these things to offer a bigger church that is genuinely not looking to patronise, nor arrogantly assuming it has everything together simply because it is bigger, but to partner meaningfully with another church.
Encouraging one another
Some partnerships are less about the sharing of specific resources of money, people and knowledge. Instead, they are just about encouraging one another in the work of the gospel. In a partnership, both churches might encourage church members to attend a partner church when they are on holiday. As a general rule, if I am in the country and on holiday, we try to visit a partner church where we are able. Similarly, we have been encouraged when members from other partner churches have come to see what we do, to join with us as part of our service and to see first hand the ministry we are engaged in.
But on top of encouraging each other by being with one another as and when we’re able, we can share preachers and pray for one another. All the better when we can work out how to hold a joint prayer meeting (maybe on zoom, maybe another way) where we can see people. The stories we hear about what is going on in different churches, and being able to put a face to a name and then pray for them, all these things both encourage and build partnership together.
Being known
One of the key reasons behind forming good gospel partnerships is simply the value of being known. One of the worst aspects of ministry in a forgotten place is the all too regular sense that nobody knows (or, frankly, cares) you are there. Partnerships are the means by which we can battle that sort of isolation and keep pastors who would otherwise be knocked out of ministry in the game and churches that would otherwise fall into insularity out of discouragement continuing to be active in the work of the gospel.
As we develop proper partnerships, isolated churches will develop friendships and links with people who not only know they exist, but are keen to be actively involved in the work. Pastors and churches won’t fall into despair, but will be encouraged to press on by the prayers, involvement and active interest of partner churches. Their joys will be shared with others and their discouragements will be borne, not by themselves alone, but by those they are in partnership with.