Blog
Is Partnership the answer to reaching children?
Author: Ian Smith
Date: 13.04.2010
Category: Children & Youth
Translations
When we think about reaching children effectively - which means sharing the gospel and meeting their physical, emotional, and cognitive needs - how do we react? Let’s Imagine, if we can, what 2.2 billion children looks like – the population of India and China gathered together and all under 18. Too much? What about 50,000 children – is that easier to visualise? How many does your church reach? How many does your ministry reach? Do you feel overwhelmed about the size of the task? I believe that all too often we do, which is why we are tempted to give up trying to reach more, and content ourselves with reaching those who we feel are within our reach and within our means.
But doesn’t that leave the majority of children outside the envelope? And while we can say to ourselves ‘someone else is reaching them’ do we know that? And even if they are, are there ways in which we could help them be more effective? Are there ways that they can help us be more effective in our work with children?
As we raise these questions it is almost inevitable that we will recognise the value of working with others, and equally inevitable that we will focus on the problems of working with others ahead of the benefits that might accrue from doing so. Why is that? Obviously, many reasons and experiences determine our response to the opportunity / need to partner, but chief among them is often ‘too much pain for too little gain’.
I contend that partnering together is the answer to many of the issues we face as we seek to reach out to children effectively. Do you agree? What has your experience been? Good? Bad? Please share them so that our discussion ‘Is Partnership the answer’ can be grounded and helpful to us all as we contemplate how Lausanne will impact our work.
Keywords: Partnership, Children
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United States
Great to see your post here Ian! I think it is true that we engage most with those children who are “within our reach and within our means”. I think that is true—we are all limited to what we can do, our part. What we do best may not change because we become part of a network, but how that part connects with others to reinforce weak spots in their own work among children does change. That change is the difference between a street child walking out of a night shelter with continuing psychological problems and her walking out having just talked with a counselor who is helping her process the pain. It is the difference between chaos and integration of services from the child’s perspective. As you imply, that is well worth the effort and cannot be done in any other way, our pain notwithstanding :-).
Looking at the situation from the child’s own perspective, how they experience life, is a major reason why I believe we need to have a conversation around the theme of strategic planning. It is one thing to start a network… it is quite another thing to figure out what to do with that network. I really look forward to following this—thanks for getting the ball rolling!
15.04.2010
United Kingdom
@ Rinchen: I agree, a network without a strategic goal for children (or one without a strategic goal for the aspect it is focusing on) is unlikely to last. Why? Because while we all want to have fellowship with others who care about the same things we do, we also want to achieve real impact among those God calls us to help.
However it takes trust and real relationship to enable a network to get to the point where the members are willing to consider a long term goal that involves them in more than enabling them to do better what they have always done. This is when transformation begins to be possible in a local community
21.04.2010
Sri Lanka
@ Rinchen: I think that we are responsible for our younger generation.Where they need to be educated on gospel truth and values. I feel that partnering togtherther and tackling the issues we face is very vital and improtant. Partnership is the answer to our questions. I believe taht Lusanne will impact our work and help us to move foward in our attempts to win children to christ.
26.04.2010
United Kingdom
@ Packianathan_J:
I genuinely hope so - i feel that we will need to ensure that there are specific goals arising from Lausanne that enable the work completed in Cape Town to be focused.
We are faced with a choise - mobilise the church to work effectively with children through a concept or through a concept with associated action - i think that people would be happier with the latter.
14.05.2010
Zimbabwe
@ Ian_Smith:
Patnership needs to start at local church level where every ministry values children’programmes and comes in to support the work
Most partnerships have been formed and have proved to be of value in other spheres. It will definitely help in children and youth ministries. THE children ministry is one area where sometimes especially teachers need others to help in with ideas support of those in the same ministry. Sharing of ideas and challenges wiil benefit the children and the youth as the will learn from their counterparts
16.09.2010
Uganda
Thanks Ian for this piece.
I do agree with you that Partnership is very important in reaching out to children with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s been a year now since I joined a ministry to children and all our work is achieved in partnership with the local churches. I have seen partnership that not only enriches the children but also those who reach out to the children.
Our ministry strives to reach out to the needy of the neediest children in the communities where we work but as I ministered, I realize that all of us have needs. Whilst the major focus may be on reaching out to needy children both spiritually, physically, cognitively and social emotionally, the one reaching out in this partnership comes a long with needs which in turn, the child, his family and some times his church end up ministering to. I think God intended it this way so we can build each other up as the body of Christ.
This partnership to reach out to poor children has been going on close to thirty years now. Believers from churches in other parts of the world have reached out to poor children in my country. I would love to see more partnerships of churches in my own country – especially those in urban areas - reach out and empower local churches in poor communities, especially those in rural areas. Such partnerships should be formed and strengthened.
13.06.2010
United Kingdom
I wrote a blog post on this: http://chriskidd.co.uk/2009/09/22/partnership/
If we’re serious about expanding God’s kingdom in our village, town or city, then we need to understand, and more importantly, do partnership. Over the last few years I’ve tried to prioritise 3 types of partnership:
Partnership can be hard work, it can require sacrifices, it takes time to gain credibility in relationships, but in the end God’s kingdom will be increased because of it.
What do you think, how do you do partnership?
28.05.2010
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