Why I Call It Partnership

My radio is usually tuned to 89.3 WGNB, the Moody radio station in our area. This week they are doing their yearly pledge drive, which--while I know it's necessary--is a little annoying to me. Maybe that's because this year I feel like Erika and I are also doing a sort of "pledge drive" (and it's lasting much longer than a week). As I've listened to the radio this week I've thought about the difference between giving to charity and partnership in ministry.

I prefer the word partnership to the word giving. To me, giving to a charity or ministry implies a quick, clean, one-time intersection of needs and provision. Partnership is an on-going relationship.

When I think of partnership I imagine the nation of Israel as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. While Joshua led the army against the Amalekites, Moses sat on the rock and Aaron and Hur held up his arms (Ex. 17). Each person--including every unnamed soldier-- played an important role, and each person shared in God's blessed victory.

Similarly, Paul wrote about his partnership with the Philippians (Phil 1:5, 4:17). The church in Philippi not only took up a collection for him when he was visiting, but they also sent Epaphorditus to personally meet specific needs. Paul was out pounding the pavement, but he knew that the funds, the help of Epaphroditus, and the general support of the church made the spread of the Gospel possible (2:25-30, 4:18). The church supported Paul's ministry just as literally as Aaron and Hur supported Moses's uplifted arms which, in turn, supported Joshua and the army in battle. Every person had an important role, and every person had a share in God's blessed victory.

Paul outlines the logic of partnership in Romans 10:13-16, beginning with the purpose: "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." He reasons that for people to call on the Lord they need to believe His message. They can not believe the message if they do not hear it. So, they need someone to come and tell them about God and His message. It all starts with people being sent. "As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'"

We hope that our supporters (and potential supporters) will be more than givers. We need partners with us like the partners in the examples above who exemplify the kind of interdependence that God intends for His work. We hope our supporters understand that the spread of the Gospel begins with and depends upon the partnership of senders. Those sending us into ministry play an indispensible role in the work and share equally in God's blessed victory.