When talking about “Partnerships” our mind most often turns to some kind of business relationship or a film duo like “Batman & Robin”. It certainly does not go immediately to the relationship between a Church and her Missionaries… but it should.
Both Missionaries and Churches need a “Partnership” relationship which impacts each in so many areas.
Here are the six areas missionaries need partnership and why they are important.
- Financial and Physical: Missionaries are dependent upon the generosity of supporting churches, but that is often where the “partnership” stops. While funding is a critical part, Missionaries and Churches need the Physical partnership which enables each to experience the positive impacts of the other.
- Short Term Journeys: They are an awesome boost for both Missionary and Church. Longer Term Relationships keep the benefits of STJ’s going day after day.
- Relationships: Closely related to emotional, they are two basic needs each entity has. Missionaries and churches are inclusive of peoples with feelings, emotions, needs, hurts, joys. It is inherent in all to want to share these with others. Those sitting in pews need the contact a relationship brings with a Missionary in order to share the rich experiences of life.
- Emotional: The same is true for the Missionary in the field who often experiences great depression for feeling like they are all alone on the island of service for the Lord. The advent of Social Media has made this aspect of Partnership much more feasible to accomplish.
- Intellectually: Consider ways you can regularly pour into your missionaries to sharpen their skills, and increase their resources. Each time your church provides a training for your staff, volunteers or church body think of ways you can get those resources to your missionaries too.
- Spiritually: Constant giving can drain us, and missionaries need refilling from a new source. Spiritual encouragement can only take place through communication and connection between believers. In this example, between those in churches and those on a Mission field. The sharing of spiritual and intellectual truth is a great relational need which should be a consideration in every “Partnership” relationship.
As you think about “Partnership”, remember the “Partnership” Relationship needed between Churches and Missionaries and these six areas of connection. The impact to each is both needed and can be one of the greatest joys either can experience.
Wayne Dinsbeer
Church Partnerships
