Article
Beyond Partnership
Harvest Glasgow was planted 14 years ago. A vital part of our history has been what are commonly referred to as partnerships. There have been churches who have had an excitement about our vision for planting churches in Scotland that has compelled them to come alongside us. They have prayed for us, visited us, resourced us and cared for us in ways that have been kind and generous beyond what we could have expected and what we deserve. There is a grace in Gospel partnership to the extent that partnership seems too cold and functional a word to describe what we have experienced here in Scotland. I used the phrase ‘commonly referred’ in relationship to partnership because of it lack of adequacy in expressing what we have commonly experienced from those churches. So I have stopped using the word ‘partnership’ and started using ‘familyship’ instead. That is closer to the reality that has run through our history of connecting with other churches as we have grown as a church.
There is a grace in Gospel partnership to the extent that partnership seems too cold and functional a word to describe what we have experienced here in Scotland.
I also mentioned how vital these relationships have been to us in Scotland. They have been vital because in our culture and spiritual climate it is very easy to feel isolated and distant from places of spiritual health. They played a vital part in both the planting of and the ongoing life of Harvest Ayr where three other churches planted in partnership with Harvest Glasgow. The faithfulness of our familyships has borne fruit in us and we are thankful.
We had the opportunity to have a tangible expression of these church friendships at our recent Rooted Conference. Rooted Conference is the annual conference of our church planting network here in Scotland, Rooted Churches. The goal of Rooted Churches is plant churches and nurture disciples who are gripped by, growing in and grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The conference is designed to add fuel to that work.
Jeremiah Canfield (Reclamation Church, Monroeville PA), Scott Hollingshead (Doxa Church, Rocklin CA), Jerry Lingenfelter (Mission Church, Lancaster PA) and Marius Mezin (Metanoia Braila, Romania) came to help us explore what it means to be Established in Christ, in Patience, in Grace and in Faithfulness. It was a tremendous weekend of exploring this theme in main sessions as well as through break out sessions which explored some practical areas we might grow as being established disciples. It was a great weekend. Here are three of my many take-homes around what it represented in terms of ‘familyship’ for us here in Scotland.
It Starts with Friendship
We are squarely of the opinion that resource without relationship is not a win. It was an amazing thing to have a sense of friendship permeate everything about the conference. From the ceilidh (Scottish dance, and yes that is how you spell it) on the Friday night to the audible and evident laughter and joy as people mingled and dug into discipleship together we were reminded of the special grace that God has given us in spiritual friendship. That we are family.
It Involves Sacrifice.
Each of the speakers mentioned above were willing to sacrifice something to come. And not just them but the churches they represented and lead. Even more the family members who allowed them to come either grandparents doing childcare or their kids who offer all too often under-rated service by embracing their parents being away for a season. That is a blessing to our church family and we are thankful. All those people came as sent messengers who lovingly and faithfully opened and applied God's Word to us.
It Shows Growth.
Ever since God gave Harvest Glasgow the gift of this old building it has been our prayer that He would help us see ways that it could be used for His glory. This event gave us a glimpse of what we hope God might do in the days to come as well as an awesome sense of answered prayer spanning over 14 years. We had over 30 visitors from other countries. We had people come who are asking what God might call them to do by way of future ministry.
This event gave us a glimpse of what we hope God might do in the days to come as well as an awesome sense of answered prayer spanning over 14 years.
The worship was loud and vibrant and led by people who have grown and served faithfully in Scottish churches. The word was brought by pastors who represent churches who are committed and compelled by what we are praying for Scotland. We were challenged, we were encouraged, we left feeling established.
I always wanted to be part of something bigger. Part of something that was going to remind me of God’s global and eternal family. Rooted Conference 2023 gave me a wee look and I can’t wait to see how God grows our family even more in the years to come.