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Partnering Well
“I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: 4 there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.”
The author of the Letter to the Ephesians has already explained that the church’s calling is, as N.T. Wright puts it, to “live as a small working model of the new creation” for the world to see. (The Vision of Ephesians, 5)
Now, the author sets forth to illustrate that the way they treat each other is crucial to this mission. The members of the Body of Christ are not like employees who simply can do their jobs without regard for each other, rather, in humility and with gentleness, patience, and loving forbearance for each other, he begs them to make “every effort” to pursue God’s dream for the church. In other words, partnering well is part of the mission.
Impact Missions is involved in many partnership both domestic and international. Over the years we have noticed several themes important to partnering well. Here are three of them that are particularly related to how we treat each other as we pursue God’s mission together.
1.. Your team is bigger than you think.
Team tee shirts can be a great way to build cameraderie among volunteers. However I don’t know how many times I’ve seen churches create a shirt for their travel team, without taking any shirts for the partner they were going to work with. How must it feel when the guest team are all dressed alike, and each night withdraw to themselves to de-brief the day, as if the host church were not an equal part of the team? If the team consists of the senders, the goers, as well as the receivers, what would partnering well look like in this situation?
In reality our Gospel-equal partners are anywhere Jesus Christ has planted his church. If every believer is gifted in some way, do we see those brothers and sisters as part of the team that the Holy Spirit is putting together to face the task at hand? Think about who is actually on your team, and open your hearts and program to what they have to offer.
2.. Have clear intentions about what God is leading each of the partners to do, and how you are going to contribute to each other’s effort.
Most partnerships desire to accomplish something, and it’s important to identify that. What is God leading your partner church to do? Do they have a vision for their community that they would try to accomplish even without your help? Is it their vision that they own, or are you imposing on them your idea of what they should do? It’s easy for well-intentioned assistance to outstrip the capacity on the ground for supporting and sustaining the work. Generally it’s helpful to think of ourselves as each other’s “back-up singers”, and not as rescuers.
Partnering well means being open to the input of the entire team, including your partners. If they asked how they could help you with what you have planned for your community, would you have an answer? Does your church have a vision for your own community? If missions always means going somewhere else, if there is nothing a team could come and help you with, it would be time to seek God’s vision for your church.
3.. Be a good listener.
Regarding “the Ministry of Listening” Dietrich Bonhoeffer famously writes, “The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love to God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them.” (Life Together, 97) Partnering well does not mean that we never get to talk, but it does require remaining open to others in the expectation that God can still show us through our brothers and sisters something we need to know for the situation at hand. Listening acknowledges the dignity and giftedness of our partners, and it expresses the love and wisdom that Jesus is growing in our hearts. Partnering well means listening.