Partnerships - The Sending Church

What is the difference between a "sending church" and a church that is in "partnership" with a missionary or cross cultural church planting team? Do you believe there is a difference?

I truly believe that every cross cultural worker needs to be “sent” from a church. I believe one’s calling into cross cultural missions needs to be in community and not simply an individual's calling. I believe often the calling starts in a person’s heart but it needs to be shared, prayed through and confirmed within a community of believers.

I really believe this is the model we see in Acts 13.
I found this from Urbana 81 by Gordan MacDonald.

There are many churches; there are relatively few sending churches. Let me define a sending church. We can do it by way of a historical model, the church in Acts 13 in which the Holy Spirit was free to speak because he would be heard. That church called Saul and Barnabas and sent them out to the uttermost parts of the earth. That was a sending church. It was a church marked by intercession for world evangelization, marked with caring for the needs of hurting people, marked with a hunger for the teaching of the Word of God. It was a church marked with leaders who really believed the mandate of Acts 1:8. Into that sort of atmosphere the Holy Spirit can quickly move. So when he said, "Set apart these men," the church laid hands on them and "sent them off' (v. 3). It was a sending church.

Here are a few thoughts I have had over the years of church planting, pastoring and being a cross cultural worker in regards to "sending" churches.

• They confirm the giftings and calling of the missionary and family if married.

• They find ways to prepare and equip the missionary to go out.

• They pray over the missionary and send them out. In Acts 13 you see the “laying on of hands”. I think this came once they knew the Holy Spirit was sending them and they confirmed this calling and blessed them.

• The sending church maintains contact with the missionary while on the field even once the new wears off. (I found a great link for this and will try to post tomorrow)

• The sending church should hold the missionary accountable while on the field. I believe this accountability deals with the spiritual, character and strategic aspects of the missionary.

• The sending church financially supports the worker as needed. I say this for I believe there are some missionaries who do not need the financial support or as much financial support from the church for they work in jobs in these countries. They do still need these other aspects of support.
Check out Skybridge Community or Marketplace Intiatives if you want more context about "tentmaking" or "Doing Business As Missions".

• They find ways that they can be involved in the work and strategic ministry of the missionary. I think as a church sends out a missionary that they are also committing to supporting the ministry in which they are going to serve. One way that I think this can work is when churches build their mission's strategy around the people whom God has called to missionary service. This may not always be a possibility but I think it can work. This facilitates long term involvement with the missionary team that is sent out and meaningful mission's involvement for the church.

For example if a church has a couple / individual coming overseas to serve as church planters what are some other ways their church can engage in the city? Obviosuly prayer should be a given.

• Could international business people from the church look to come to that city to take a job with thier company?
  
• Could a football or basketball player from the church try out for a professional team in Europe and play a sport?
• Could the church rent an apartment in the city and send short term workers for three months at a time?
• What about the international business people from the church who may make trips to that city? How can they be strategically used to think missionally while doing business abroad?
• What about college students from their church looking to study abroad? Could they study in that city?
  

The list can go on and on. You are more creative than I.
Just sending one person or family could be the beginning.
A couple of opportunities for conversation:

If the missionaries are being sent through a mission agency strategy conversations need to take place regarding who makes strategic decisions once on the field.

As time goes on for the people that were sent on the field conversations need to continually be revisited in case there is a change of ministry in the life of the missionary or if the church chooses to go another strategic direction in their missions. What happens if the church and the missionary have differing strategies? What gives?

LifePointe Church in Smyrna (near Nashville, Tennessee) and The Upstream Collective will be putting together a "Sending Church" conference early in 2010. I will keep you updated on the dates and info on that as we plan.

More soon.

Art Gallery Advocacy

One challenge we have on the mission field is how do we personalize our ministry to our supporters back home?

I must admit that I do not like to stand at a booth in a mission fair. This may be disappointing to you I know. I know some people love that sort of thing and that is great. Many churches these days do not have mission fairs or expos or whatever the latest title may be but yet they are involved in mission partnerships. What are some ways we can personalize missions with churches that do not have mission expos?

I heard of this idea the other day while in Athens. This group used the idea to personalize their missions as well as promote prayer advocacy and partnerships with North American churches. By the way the name of that ministry is PORTA and they have an outstanding work with an immigrant population in that city. Let me know if you want to contact them.

I think this can also be a great idea for churches who have partnerships with a city or people group. Here is the idea. Send a photographer to that city and have them take a bunch of shots of people and places in the selected city. (I am partial to Europe but it can be anywhere, smile)

Enlist a group of people in your church and community who know photography to choose the best 40 - 50 pictures and have them printed. Make large prints of the photos and prepare them for display like an art gallery. I am sure Fed Ex Kinkos or other places can take care of this for a price.

Find a space in your community and invite people to come to look at the photos. Have a local coffee shop cater the event. Have people who have been to that city on mission trips invite their family and friends.

I think this would be a great way to share about your experiences, create advocacy for that people group and pray for the people in that city. It is a great way to personalize your mission partnership.
This idea can be adapted in about 500 different ways I would imagine.

Any takers?

in Madrid - Partnership

This week I am helping out with an Upwards Basketball camp in Madrid. FBC Concord in Knoxville, Tennessee started these camps about four years ago. Since we used to live here we are having a blast seeing our friends from our old neighborhood. Our kids are helping in the camp this year along with Susan and I. I "try" to help the 13 - 16 year old boys group and my wife helps in the ESL part of the camp. I have forgotten just how hot Madrid is in the summer time. Whew!

Some cool things about the "hot" camp and the partnership with this church.

• They now have over 100 kids and they do not publicize the camp. Friends invite friends.
  
• The church that started the camp in 2005 is still coming back each year? Yea, FBC Concord.
• Repeat trips makes a difference. Several of the camp staff have been here serving 5 times or more since our partnership began in 2002. The children at the camp know many of the camp staff by name.
  
• The partnership has been to Madrid and not to a worker. Once we moved to Germany the church still comes here to work.
• The church often brings entire families to come and work the camps. It is a great experience for the children that come with their families to serve.
  

More soon on partnerships. I got to go to Camp!

Larry visits Mars Hill

Yesterday we went into Athens to see the sites. We made it to Mar's Hill. I will tell you about a really cool ministry connect we made there in my next post.

The book of Acts comes alive here as you walk around the marketplace, the temple sites, Mar's Hill.

I am standing next to his speech as recorded in Acts 17. I giving you the English version in case you cannot zoom in and read it in Greek.

²²Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. ²³For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.

I must say when you come to Athens you must try the "Frappe". I doubt the Apostle Paul was able to experience this aspect of Athenian life but the"iced coffee drink" is something to remember.

More Soon.

In Athens

We arrived last night in Athens. We flew in from Zurich to Madrid and then on to Athens. We had a long layover in Madrid so we took the metro into the city to get a cafe con leche (coffee) and some lunch. It felt good to be back in Madrid even if it were only for a few hours this time.

We flew out of Madrid and arrived late in Athens.
We are going to spend the next couple of days being tourists in Athens. We are grateful for staying at the home of some people who are doing "Business as Mission" with Greater Europe Mission.

More soon.

Partnerships

I think we see the importance of “partnership” with the apostle Paul to the church at Philippi. No blog post on partnerships would be complete without these verses:

3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. Phil 1:3 – 8


Some quick bullet points on these verses that always impress me.

• Paul is thankful to the Lord for that church.
• Paul is thankful because they have continually “partnered” with him in the good times and bad.
• Paul knows that their partnership is also growing them as a church and God’s grace is being shared.
• Paul has a deep affection for this church.

Some questions that jump out at me?

Was the church at Phillipi his “sending” church? What is the difference between a “sending” church and a “partnering” church?

In what ways did they partner with him?

In what ways did he partner with them?

Did they have a formal written agreement?

Did they pray for him?

Did they give of their resources to him?

Did they send out people from their church to help him?

How could they know his prayer request without “twitter” or “facebook” in those days? Grin.


More soon.
lmc

Partnerships

I am going to finally start my partnership series. I know you just cannot wait. Smile.

I feel that "partnership" needs a definition. It is a well used term. It may not be used as much as "missional" but I do hear "I want to partner with you" quite a lot.

What does “partnership” mean?

Is it like saying – “hello, how are you doing?”

When someone asks me that question do they really want to hear how I am doing? Do they really want me to stop and tell them if it is anything more than – “I am fine”.

That is the trouble with overused terms or phrases. They can lose their meaning.

So a quick google search on the word “partnership” and here is what I found.

A Partnership -

* the members of a business venture created by contract

* a cooperative relationship between people or groups who agree to share responsibility for achieving some specific goal; "effective language learning is a partnership between school, teacher and student"; "the action teams worked in partnership with the government"

* a contract between two or more persons who agree to pool talent and money and share profits or losses
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

In missions how do we use the word “partnership”?
What do we really mean?

What does this mean coming from missionaries or mission organizations?

What do churches and organizations who want to partner with the field mean when they say “we want to partner” with you?

I would love to hear your thoughts.