Article
Value of Partnership
One of my favorite races to run is a half-marathon that begins in downtown Indianapolis close to Lucas Oil Stadium. In Indiana, this race is simply known as “the mini” and attracts nearly 40,000 runners every year. The course takes runners past the baseball stadium, NCAA headquarters and zoo on our way to the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The energy builds as we enter the racetrack for a 2 ½ mile lap before we return downtown. Many runners stop at the yard of bricks for a ceremonial kiss. There are so many fascinating things about this race that I could never imagine running it alone, nor would I want to. While I am running with 40,000 other runners, my mile pace is 30 to 45 seconds faster than my training pace. Going in the same direction with other participants allows us to reach our destination better than navigating the path alone.
In the local church context, our destination is to become a strong, healthy church that plants and nourishes additional churches. The mission we pursue is too great to accomplish on our own. I serve a church that had seventeen people on our first Sunday in June 2021. God has been gracious to our congregation because we are a growing church. Leading our church to become a healthy church that plants and nourishes additional churches is best accomplished by running the race with other people. I praise God for the people who come along side us and that we are going in the right direction.
Here are three partnership lessons that I have been reinforced while revitalizing our church.
God has not called us to a partnerless purpose.
I first learned this principle while attending Hamburger University at McDonald’s world headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. At one of the entrances there was a plaque that stated a quote from Ray Kroc. It says, “None of us is as good as all of us.” His mission was to have a McDonalds at every exit on every highway in America. Friends, our mission is far greater than physical food.
Partnership in ministry lightens the load.
Jethro taught Moses this same lesson. Exodus 18:17-18 says, “Moses' father-in-law said to him, ‘What you are doing is not good. You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.’” This thing is too heavy for you. Do you feel that weight? How often do you work at lightening the load? Partnership in ministry lightens the load. Without the counsel, encouragement and prayer of other pastors, the hard work of ministry (revitalization, planting or established) can be easily extinguished. I regularly meet with two pastors that live forty-five minutes in the opposite directions of me. All three of us are revitalizing churches. All three of us share our struggles and celebrate our wins. Our congregations pray for each other. We need each other and we know that our churches need us to be together.
Partnership in ministry deprioritizes personal preferences.
Every pastor wrestles with the reality of a future day when his personal preferences can no longer matter. Planters and revitalizers often create the type of church they want to attend without much of the resistance that could be experienced in an established church. As I approach fifty, I am reminded that generations often have different preferences for worship. To this potential gap, I encourage to allow room in your leadership style for other people to be right.
We believe in a plurality of leaders. We gather to pray and discuss church affairs just like your church does. One of our elders always asks, “Is this the best thing for our entire congregation?” I love this question because it automatically places preferences on the mind of God.
Teams inside the church building promote an opportunity for partnerships outside the building.
Individualism leads to single-mindedness. Building a culture of teams within a local church takes time but is worth the effort. It is important that our congregation understands that one person does not have every answer, nor every spiritual gift. It is important to remind our congregation that our purpose includes other churches and other ministries. Here are three examples from our church.
First, we had to replace our water well last year. One of our ministry partners helped us financially. Another ministry partner negotiated a discount on our behalf. Another ministry partner donated bottled water, so we had drinking water. God always brings the right partners as the right time to glorify the name of Jesus!
Building a culture of teams within a local church takes time but is worth the effort.
Second, we do not have a benevolence fund for the community. We have the means to offer a grocery store gift card on occasion, but this is not a regular practice. Instead, we have partnered with social justice ministries in our county so we can send individuals to the ministries that God has established to care for those type of needs. We’re not afraid to admit that other ministries do something better than are able.
Third, we are part of a revitalization cohort with Small Church USA. This cohort is another level of partnership that is helping us become a strong, healthy church.
As we establish ministry partners, Trinity is a better church and is better positioned to love our neighbors and serve our community.