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Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo brucec (0)
Estados Unidos de Norteamérica

Wouldn’t it be great if we lived in a world where the Christian church would trust the Christian church?  We find it hard to create partnerships because of lack of trust.  Even in local communities, I find churches not really trusting other churches.  I think for global partnerships to work, we must be willing to support churches and groups without putting our agendas on them.  We can partner with groups like the "Gospel for Asia,"  supporting them and letting them figure out how to do the work.  As one below commented, we can partner with individual churches and get to know them one-on-one. 

We need to create partnerships.  Just as in the biblical examples, we may fail sometimes, but we need to do all we can to make sure the gospel is carried around the world.

11.12.2011

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo TheCrookedMouth (0)
Estados Unidos de Norteamérica

One of the results of recent technological innovations is the effective shrinking of global communication. Instantaneous, simultaneous, multinational conversations happen everyday. Many churches are imagining ways in which this communication might be leveraged to form new global partnerships. Audéoud and Pohor examine what needs to happen in order for these partnerships to be a benefit to all parties.
Early in the paper, they identify the need for partnerships to be based in "100% trusting, mutual, and intimate relationship that gives adequate security for an exchange or resources and services." They then go on to cite some biblical examples of such partnerships and then address the assets and challenges of developing such partnerships on a global scale.
Of particular interest to me was their fear that such partnerships "may become another subtle way of ‘colonializing’ church movements in the developing world such that the power remains on the side of those who have the financial resources." This temptation is especially true to those initiating partners in the global north and west. Often, out of the richness of blessing, faithful churches endeavor to "spread the wealth" by partnering with churches internationally in an attempt to help them overcome (mostly financial) obstacles to reaching their communities for Christ.
Audéoud and Pohor emphasize over and over again that there must be mutuality present in these relationships. Even though the partnerships may not be on equal ground financially, there is still and abundance of teaching and learning each side can impart to the other. Humility and wealth are strange bedfellows. Yet this is exactly what is required if churches of great financial means wish to have sustainable, equitable partnerships with their brothers and sisters around the globe. How might a church enter into one of these partnerships with hands facing up - to give of her means and to receive blessing?

16.10.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo philipmoore (0)
Francia

Hi Martine

Thanks for this stimulating paper. It would be good to be able to correspond on a project that I am involved with called ’OIKOS’, based in France, which has as its goals bilateral partnerships between France and French-speaking Africa. We already have links with a bible institute in Korhogo, working along lines very similar to those you describe. Our association intends to send, receive and train across and through the multicultural context we live in. One of our key biblical attitudes is that described in Romans 1.11-12

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

We notice in these verses a key shift - inspired by the Holy Spirit - in Paul’s attitude.

In verse 11, Paul, the great apostle, is the giver, the one who imparts a spiritual gift to strengthen the receivers, the Roman church. In verse 12, he stops, reconsiders and rephrases his intention : it becomes clear that the relationship between people on God’s mission is always a mutual encouragement by each other’s faith, bilaterally and in mutual service.

We in the West are on the hinge between verse 11 and verse 12. May God give us the humility to inhabit verse 12 fully.

14.10.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo Sarah_Breuel (0)  
Italia

Thank you for the encouraging examples of partnership and provoking questions on how to move forward. May the Lausanne Movement be a platform of many more to come!

13.10.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo ChrisKidd (0)   
Reino Unido

In the section which highlights some contemporary examples of global partnership using the example of Gospel for Asia who focus on “training local Indian and Asian Christians to become missionaries on their own continent.”  This incarnational approach to evangelism reminded me of my limited understanding of the work of Hudson Taylor and his focus on British missionaries integrating into Chinese culture through language, clothing and custom and focussing on the development of home-grown missionaries to reach their friends and communities. 

Certainly my experience in youth ministry is that young people are much better placed to reach their own friends than I or my other leaders are.

09.10.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo kande (1)  
Estados Unidos de Norteamérica

Africa Rural Trainers, operated by Wainaina Njuguna, is an excellent example of how church leaders are being trained in their local contexts.

http://africaruraltrainers.org/Africa_Rural_Trainers/Welcome.html

07.10.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo Maryedemuth (3)   
Estados Unidos de Norteamérica

I appreciated your highlighting of Gospel for Asia. I love what they’re doing and how they’ve done it. 

07.10.2010

Responder Señalizar 1 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo Lee_MJ (1)
Emiratos Arabes Unidos

I appreciated your warning that me must be careful to avoid a new colonializing of church movements. Your concern was those financing ventures will unduly influence those receiving finances. While your concern is certainly valid, I am personally more concerned with the danger of cultural colonialism.
I am so pleased at all that benefits and blessings of expanded communication due to the internet. But most web-content is developed in the West, by Westerners, with the Western church in mind and then merely translated into other languages.
Truly I have been very blessed by the increase of Christian materials and programs as English books are translated and programs are dubbed into Arabic. But, as you caution, we must keep our eyes open to the potential for another form of colonialism that assumes a Western perspective and Western audience. Often Eastern Christian leaders have already been so steeped in Western thought that they might not even recognize that there are whole areas of topics that would speak much more directly to the strengths and weaknesses of Eastern Cultures. If we major on translating Western materials we are missing a potential to resonate more clearly with the heartbeat of Eastern populations. I think most non-North Americans will already recognize that this cultural colonialism is an issue due to the dominance of North American web-content.
It is significantly more economical to translate an existing program or a best-selling Christian book into other languages, but we also need to give strong support to developing materials from within the recipient cultures. We must encourage local leaders and thinkers to fill in the gaps left by Western Christians speaking out of and to the Western Church. We must be willing to fund production of solid biblical media that comes out of Eastern cultural perspectives and has the Eastern culture in mind as the audience. In this way we can better avoid a new cultural colonialism.

06.10.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo Jonathan_Pryke (2)  
Reino Unido

Another potentially very fruitful example of global partnerships is a partnership between one local church and another. Our church in North East England has a partnership with another Anglican church in rural Kenya. We will be celebrating 25 years of our relationship next year. Members of both churches have travelled on visits to the other church, on many occasions over the years. We have helped them financially. They have helped us spiritually. On both sides, our loving friendship in Christ and our living experience of being brothers and sisters serving the Kingdom together has been and is a tremendous privilege that will live with us always. When the relationships are strong, we have the foundation from which to work through the many difficult questions that such partnerships inevitably throw up.

05.10.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo JudithJ (2)  
Jamaica

I like the focus and the clarity of this presentation.  Reference to the three biblical partnerships is powerful in itself with great scope for further development.  I am sure there is much more information out there on partnerships within the Body of Christ that could be included - categorized and indexed and provided as a resource for participants.  Finally, if we are talking global and incarnational then we need to talk some more about the Christ in us principle that will enable us to get things done and transcend barriers even.  I would love to hear about prayer networks and the amazing things God is doing through regular people who sacrifice for the Kingdom and leave a legacy of depth of purpose behind - the planting on good soil that provides the basis for exponential increase.

24.09.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo Swells_in_the_Middle (14)  
China

I appreciate very much the tone and focus of this paper.  While there are many activites taking place under the name of "partnership" I wonder how many of them actually display the kinds of values and priorities outlined in your article?

Your last paragraph, I believe, addresses the real challenges in the area of partnership.  The ideal nature of God-honoring partnerships does not seem to me to be especially difficult to describe.  On the other hand, it is very very difficult to realize those kinds of partnerships in practice.  If this Congress hopes to make a positive contribution towards improving the state of global partnerships in the church today, then we need to talk about real answers to these questions.  Honest confessions, along with practicable "how tos" and best practices need to be shared across cultures.  Those who have parntered need to speak up and tell of their failures and successes (see http://conversation.lausanne.org/en/resources/detail/10727 for some stories about finance in partnership).

Thank you again for getting the conversation started!

12.08.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo maudeoud (0)
Costa de Marfil
@ Swells_in_the_Middle:

Yes, Swells, we hope that the discussions during the Congress with bring some pratical and tangible responses to some of those questions.

Deep down, however, I feel that there is the necessity to develop more and more Abraham’s attitude regarding material wealth and ’just’ to walk hand in hand with God, in His intimacy.

21.09.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo Alex_Araujo (4)
Estados Unidos de Norteamérica
@ Swells_in_the_Middle:

Swells,

I suggest the book, Body Matters, by E. Addicott, for practical helps on forming and operating mission partnerships. Many practical ideas and a rather short book.

You can find it at www.betterpartnerships.net

 

Alex Araujo

24.09.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo ChloeRoberts (0)  
Reino Unido

Thanks for this thought-provoking paper.

I love the sentence: "Global relationships should not be sought because ‘we are living in a global world’, as is often said today, but because the Church’s heart beats with God’s heart in yearning to pursue deep, intimate, trusting relationships with other parts of the Church here on earth, thus prefiguring heaven when “God will be all in all” (2 Cor. 15:28)." Absolutely! This could and would make our partnerships so much more vibrant and dynamic.

Your three challenges at the end are indeed huge questions. I would love to see a way that more Christian leaders could be trained up within and alongside their current contexts in particular.

24.09.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo Liz_Gold (0)  
Estados Unidos de Norteamérica

Thank you for an excellent paper.  I appreciate that you started with Scripture noting three main partnerships, then showed the answer to all being the "major component" - complete, unconditional trust and intimacy in relationships; hearts filled with God’s Trinitarian love towards another, the expression Christ’s body.  God will be all in all. 

If we could all go back to the beginning of what God’s love did for us in the death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ - that He gave His Son unconditionally for our salvation, that we can do nothing to add to that love; then we would understand how we are to partner with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Unconditional love - thinking of others before ourselves; giving what we have without expectation of anything in return; trusting completely in that relationship and by doing so building an intimacy that only that trust can accomplish - this is partnership. 

The question of "What kind of global partnerships could creatively address the non-discriminitory opportunities for all church leaders, especially in theological education without removing them from their communities and sources of income?"  We have partnered with DAI (Development Associates International) over the past 10 years because, they are in our opinion, superior in their ability to do this very thing through their Masters Plan program, which allows the national pastor or leader to stay in their home location while they bring the instructors for their Master’s Degrees to them.  This is done with tuition cost that is within their means, offset by partnerships with churches (like ours) to cover the last two years of the program.  If we had more mentor/leadership programs like these, then our "poorer" brothers and sisters would receive the help that they need to complete the theology classes needed to build up the church within their areas of influence.

I feel that God gives to each of us those things He expects us to share with others.  We are blessed to be financially (or in many other ways, ie. education) priveledged in the United States and being such should give substancially to our more underpriveledged brothers and sisters around the world.  They in return would share with us the ability to live with the knowlege of, and feel completely blessed even in what they don’t have, knowing that in Christ, we have everything.

Thank you for letting me share my heart. 

23.09.2010

Responder Señalizar -1 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo Jim_Harries (-3)
Kenia

Thanks for this paper. Some comments:

1. The paper opens with an observation that many ethnicities are these days found in the West. Note that for there to be people from ‘everywhere’ in the West, is quite different to those people being ‘at home’. That is, if the foundation (as in Montreal) is ‘Western’, that is different to situations in which the foundation is not Western. I think our major concern is with the latter.

2. At the end, the authors ask if Northern leaders are ‘willing’ to listen to other Christians, or will they ‘dominate’ them? I think this way of asking the question – as if to question the genuineness of northern leaders’ humility – can be a bit misleading. Perhaps the question ought to be ‘can’ northern leaders listen? Inter-cultural translation is a very fraught exercise. No amount of humility can simply do away with foundational problems in translation and differences in people’s root ways of life.

3. Maudeoud advocates “completely unconditional trust”! Wow. Indeed, trust breakdown may be a problem, but that is asking a lot. Is it even possible?? I don’t think that is very realistic. Trust break-downs must and will occur inter-culturally, which is why dependence of a church on those of another ‘culture’ is unhealthy.

4. On sharing of resources; a case of inequitable sharing is reported on in 1 Corinthians 11. ‘Eat at home’ writes Paul.(vs 34). True partnerships, I suggest, need to leave out sharing of resources.

31.07.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo maudeoud (0)
Costa de Marfil
@ Jim_Harries:

Thank you for your comments, Jim. Here are some thoughts:

1. I am not sure that I understand what you meant. Could you please clarify?

2. The term ’dominate’ was not part of the paper in the last paragraph, as far as I remember. But I think I understand what you mean. We need to remember, though, that what seems impossible in human and cultural terms, is possible through the Holy Spirit and because of Christ’s work at the Cross like Eph. 2 points out.

21.09.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo maudeoud (0)
Costa de Marfil
@ maudeoud:

3. If God trusts us unconditionally, and if we have been given God’s life and all of God’s resources - why not? Are we not often dimming the essence of God’s life in us with our limited experiences?

4. You are right, sometimes the sharing of resources may not be needed. The building of unconditional and deep understanding of trusting relationship is foundational to partnerships, though. Material resources are not. I think that we, i.e. Christians, really need to view partnerships in light of eternity with Christ.

21.09.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo Jim_Harries (-3)
Kenia
@ maudeoud:

Maudeoud, I will try and respond to your questions.

1.    I am saying that a different approach is needed to someone who remains based in their own community. If I meet a Philipino who has come to live in the UK, for example, I think it is much more justifiable to relate to them ‘as a Brit’, and if need be using English. This is because they have left their community. Once someone has left their community, they are much less constrained by the ‘rules’ and traditions of the same. But, if you try to reach a Philipino in his (her) own community, then the Western-gospel will meet many more obstacles. What one learns in interacting with ethnic minorities ‘at home’ is not necessarily what one needs to know when one is at ‘their home’.

2.    I am guessing a bit, as I read the above paper some months ago … I note your wanting to rely on the Holy Spirit. I addressed such an issue in this paper:  http://www.jim-mission.org.uk/articles/providence-and-power-structures.pdf Sometimes ‘we’ Westerners want to rely on God’s Spirit in a foreign context in a way that we would never do ‘at home’, and such can be a copout / excuse for not wanting to get to understand, that may not be helpful to those people in the long term. In other words – yes, if we rely on God’s Spirit at home, then let’s do it when away, but if not, then let’s be cautious before we load Him with what is in effect our ignorance.

3.    The problem with ‘unconditional trust’ as I was reading it, is that we (people) ‘trust’ according to our culture’s norms. Therefore, unconditional trust of someone from another ‘culture’ is going to get us into trouble, because they aren’t going to behave according to ‘my’ norms, and neither should I expect them to.

Speaking from practical experience as well, … I don’t think we can operate on ‘unconditional trust’, as neither can we ‘give’ without strings ( http://conversation.lausanne.org/en/conversations/detail/10758 ) because the day will come when we will cease to so trust, and it’s probably better just to be honest and concede that from the start.

4. Yes – I agree with you. Here I would add also – that in partnerships one needs to be ready to give give give give give. BUT – not of things – that is disruptive and quickly goes wrong. We give ourselves “as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship.” (Ro. 12:1). That is; one must give (oneself) even to he who no longer seems to earn our ‘trust’.

21.09.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo MisionGloCal1Scott (12)   
Argentina

Excelente presentación. Me impactan las preguntas planteadas: ¨¿Está dispuesta la iglesia mundial a asociarse y dedicar tiempo a crear oportunidades no discriminatorias para todos los líderes de la iglesia, especialmente en los países en vías de desarrollo, para que tengan acceso a la educación teológica sin sacarlos de sus comunidades y sus fuentes de ingresos? ¿Qué clase de asociaciones globales podrían abordar esta preocupación creativamente? ¿Están los líderes de iglesia de los países desarrollados dispuestos a renunciar a su poder y ver los recursos intelectuales y espirituales de sus homólogos en los países en vías de desarrollo como más importantes que los recursos materiales disponibles? ¿Están los líderes de iglesia de los países desarrollados dispuestos a ESCUCHAR lo que los líderes globales del Sur están comunicando?¨

Otro parrafo a destacar es: ¨asociarse globalmente también significa reescribir la historia. De forma similar, ahora tenemos agencias misioneras de Nigeria y varios otros países africanos que se asocian para desarrollar equipos misioneros para ir a servir en Europa y EE.UU. Como escribió Oscar Muriu de Kenia para Urbana 2006 , mientras instaba a las iglesias a apuntar a la madurez en el trabajo de evangelización global: “El propósito de la madurez no es independencia, sino interdependencia”. Por lo tanto, las asociaciones globales considerarán una visión compartida impulsada por el amor divino, invirtiendo recursos locales y comunales en forma creativa a fin de servir unos a las comunidades de los otros, en forma interdependiente.¨

13.08.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo maudeoud (0)
Costa de Marfil
@ MisionGloCal1Scott:

Thanks a lot for your response, Scott. I tried to understand the gist of it through Google Translator. I like the questions that you asked and will keep them in mind (i.e. on paper) for our discussions at CT and I do strongly agree with you that developing global incarnational partnerships also definitely means to rewrite history - with a divine perspective!

21.09.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo Sharon_M (7)  
Singapur

I especially appreciate your highlighting that the aim of global partnerships is "to bring the Church to a level of maturity where it will proactively and conscientiously seek to live in the light of the cosmological redemption that Christ has accomplished at the Cross, and thus become a transformational agent..."  It is sometimes difficult to tell the way in which each global partnership will shape that journey towards maturity.  In certain instances, it is, in fact, in the learning to love and serve one another in the midst of great diversity that the Body is matured.  

17.08.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo maudeoud (0)
Costa de Marfil
@ Sharon_M:

Yes, it seems to me that this maturing is through partnerships is a divine and Spirit-led process - otherwise it won’t work!

21.09.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo Matthew_Fries (0)  
Estados Unidos de Norteamérica

Martine and Rubin, thanks for your words and thoughts.  From my perspective, the most striking sentence in your paper was:

"In view of the biblical roots of global partnerships for Christ’s Church, a major component of these partnerships should be complete, unconditional trust and intimacy in relationships."

The extent to which people around the globe are willing to  partner together in the context you mentioned above...I believe...will dictate their ability to have a successful partnership.  I agree with Jim Harries that it might SEEM impossible, but The Most High has taken a sinner like me and RADICALLY changed my life.  Truly, if He can change me, He can change anybody... especially His children...to have authentic intimacy in relationships. 

Therefore, another critical question to be asked in your paper is, "Are their men and women from different cultures and backgrounds willing to seek complete, unconditional trust and intimacy in real, authentic relationships?"  And then, "How is that fostered and formed?"  

21.09.2010

Responder Señalizar 0 Pulgares arriba Pulgares abajo maudeoud (0)
Costa de Marfil
@ Matthew_Fries:

I really appreciate your last couple of questions, Matthew. They are critical, as you say and we will discuss them during our multiplex discussion in CT.

21.09.2010

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