{"id":43,"date":"2012-04-18T19:04:33","date_gmt":"2012-04-18T19:04:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/thoughts\/?p=43"},"modified":"2012-04-18T19:04:33","modified_gmt":"2012-04-18T19:04:33","slug":"building-collaborative-relationships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pbthomas.com\/thoughts\/?p=43","title":{"rendered":"Building Collaborative Relationships"},"content":{"rendered":"

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As we consider the future of the Baptist family, many of us
\nare dreaming dreams about what church could be like at local, cluster, regional
\nand national levels. Financial constraints are focussing our minds on structures
\nand patterns. I suggest that we also need to look from a different perspective:
\nthat of relationships. I am most grateful for Tony Peck\u2019s inspiring comment in
\nVoice 25: \u201cWhen structures are necessarily light and material resources are
\nfew, the forging of collaborative relationships comes more to the fore as
\nvital.\u201d Likewise for John Colwell\u2019s phrase in Voice 30: \u201cintentionality of
\ncovenant friendship.\u201d I believe that in Baptist circles we need to rediscover
\nand rebuild these \u201ccollaborative relationships\u201d and \u201ccovenant friendships.\u201d<\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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Over 25 years of ministry it has fallen to me to work hard
\nto build such collaborative relationships between congregations of different
\ntraditions, for more than half those years in leadership of local Churches
\nTogether groups and also serving parachurch mission organisations. I believe
\nthat various insights from such experiences may be relevant to ways forward for
\nlife in Baptist Associations and Union.<\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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When there can be no appeal to denominational loyalty, you
\nneed other grounds on which to build collaborative relationships. Such grounds
\nmay be theological: the unity of the one church (1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians
\n4) and the importance of visible unity in the church\u2019s witness to the world
\n(John 17:20ff). Less satisfying but often more effective appeals can be based
\non the direct benefits to participating ministers and congregations of their
\ninvolvement in joint activities. For a Union and Associations of independent
\nchurches, surely we can articulate better reasons for doing things together
\nthan just \u201cbecause we\u2019re all Baptists.\u201d<\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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Ultimately, local collaboration between congregations rests
\nnot on structures but on relationships. You need trust that those giving the
\nlead and making the arrangements have the best interests of all the churches at
\nheart. Trust undergirds a relationship and is also expressed in it. We will do
\nthings for somebody we have confidence in which we will not do for somebody
\nelse. And trust does not come from position, but from relationship. Locally there
\nis a built-in accountability because if those entrusted to build co-operation
\nfail in that task for any reason they will simply not be re-elected, with the
\nfall-out that the congregations distance themselves from each other again. But
\nthe starting point for collaboration is trust between church leaders and that
\nusually means lots of coffees and lunches getting to know each other. At the
\nend of the day, it is not about meetings but about friendships. <\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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Attempting to draw together hundreds of volunteers from
\ndozens of congregations demands effective communication which reaches beyond
\nthe church leaders and directly to grassroots members. There need to be
\nmeaningful relationships between members of different congregations, not just
\nbetween leaderships. <\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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In many ways, the process of getting local churches to do
\nsomething new together they haven\u2019t tried before is like entering the Dragon\u2019s
\nDen (the BBC TV programme in which entrepreneurs attempt to gain investment
\nfrom successful business people.) You need a good idea and then a good pitch to
\ncapture the attention of the other churches. You need to work hard to persuade
\nthem to \u201cbuy into\u201d the new event or activity with time, personnel and finance. All
\nthe preparation and hard work is worth it when the plan is finally realised. But
\nyou can\u2019t presume anything \u2013 you have to do the legwork!<\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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Many churches invest a great deal of their time and energy
\nin collaborative ventures with their neighbours across denominational
\nboundaries, from united worship, prayer and teaching events to joint publicity
\ncampaigns, from united Good Friday processions of witness to town-wide weeks of
\ncooperation in mission. Not to forget the many ways in which groups of churches
\njointly organise and finance local schools work, food banks, hostels for the
\nhomeless, counselling services, Street Pastors, and so on. In contrast, the
\nonly involvement of very many churches in collaborative mission with other
\ncongregations of their own denomination is simply financial. Relationships grow
\nfrom working together. It would be good if we could find lots of new ways for
\nBaptist churches to actively work together, supporting and partnering with each
\nother in mission.<\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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And perhaps we need to invest the same kind of time and
\neffort in building up collaborative relationships within the Baptist Family as
\neverybody has to do to build such relationships locally between congregations.<\/o:p><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

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  As we consider the future of the Baptist family, many of us are dreaming dreams about what church could be like at local, cluster,…<\/span><\/p>\n

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