By Pastor Wondimu Sonessa
While recently thinking about the value of partnerships, I reflected on the experience of the apostle Paul and his companions as they were sailing for Rome. During the several days of this journey, they encountered a dangerous wind.
Luke recorded their experience during this oversea commute saying that “neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned” (Acts 27:20). After a devastating shipwreck, the traveling party came to the Island of Malta. Even as a significant journey remained for the travelers, the natives there greeted them with an “unusual kindness.” As Luke reports, “Since it had begun to rain and was cold, they kindled a fire and welcomed all of us around it” (Acts 28:2).
A sustainable partnership is based on kindness and love that prompts us to kindle a fire of compassion around which we welcome those who are not optimistic about the future of their ministries. It also requires courage with which we cross over our presuppositions and past experiences to rebuilding trust and relationship with our neighbor.
“In a healthy partnership, there is a mutual interdependence in which we share the gifts we have received from God.”
In partnership, the relationship is based not on a wealthy congregation giving and the other receiving. It is a mutual interdependence in which we share the gifts we have received from God. It was not just the natives of the Island that served Paul and his companions, but also Paul himself visited the father of Publius the community leader who was sick. Paul “cured him by praying and putting his hand on him” (Acts 28:8).
Partnership is a response to the grace of God that involves giving ourselves to the will of God. Once we understand this, we can strengthen fellowship in our ministry by sharing with our neighbors even those things we perceive that we need for survival.
THE SIMPLIST EXPRESSION of partnership is when churches lean on each other for an ongoing fruitful engagement in God’s mission. This becomes practical only if we can see and recognize the grace of God that works in and through the life of all believers, particularly those at the margin in society.
Thus, it is not a taboo to talk about money in partnership. Yet it is not healthy to establish a relationship on the generosity of one church where the other church is identified as a mere receiver of the financial and other material blessings. We share our gifts and resources to support and encourage each other in ministry. Congregations don’t have to be rich to do so but to be able to see this fellowship as an opportunity to combine our small gifts and experiences in preaching the gospel and building up the church as the body of Christ.
“Partnership is a response to the grace of God that involves giving ourselves to the will of God.”
Macedonian Christians set us a good example in this regard. Their generosity could have been hindered by the extreme poverty they were experiencing. Paul testifies, “they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us” (2 Corinthians 8:1-5). Whenever we focus on the grace of God that is given to each of our congregations, whether they are new ministries, strategic congregations, or well-established self-supportive churches, nothing we bring to partnership will be insignificant to God’s mission entrusted to the church.
It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit may initiate a passion for an unusual kindness with which our congregations can kindle a fire of partnership and welcome all around it in the years to come.