Partnership Report to Association – March 2009

Partnership Team Leader, Tim Butler, moved to Duncan South Carolina in January, so we need someone with a love for partnership to replace him.

Our Association objectives states we are committed to partnership, prayer and giving. We exist to support, strengthen, and encourage one another. One of the ways you can determine what we are doing in the area of partnership is to look at the financial reports, monthly, or when you receive a summary such as the budget compared to income/expense. The congregations are very generous in supporting the association. This is true partnership.

Money is being spent to assist congregations as they have needs. About 54% of the expenditures from October 2008 through February 09, was directly on partnership activities. The other 46% was spent on administrative, prayer and facilitation needs, which is the administration and coordination or working together, in the association.

The largest single amount was sent to Lincoln Christian Center as we have said up to $3,000 would be paid for new work. That money was spent to pay part of the electrical contractor.

On a monthly basis, we are sending funds to the three Native American congregations for operating expenses, probably utilities. We have emergencies (benevolence) come up, primarily within pastoral families, so we send checks to assist. We have several new pastors and each was sent a $200 check during their first month of service. At this time, we are sending pastoral supplement to two congregations on a phase-out schedule.

Other areas in which we partner are both youth and children’s camps, mission activities, block party and tent trailers, and various training opportunities.

We have partnership arrangements with Grand Crossings Association, in Missouri, and less formal arrangements with teams from many other places. These activities take less funds from the association, but expend much more in time and energy of the pastors, layleaders and area missionary. Some of these partnerships have lasted over a very long time, and some are one time only, but always have the possibility of becoming long-term. There are construction teams, VBS teams, sports event teams, prayer walking teams, and camp teams, just to name a few. Some are comprised of senior adults, some are youth, and others are mixed. Each one is intended to extend the ministry here and generally improves the mission spirit of the church or group sending the team.

We hear of church-to-church partnerships within our association. This consist of sending VBS offerings to a smaller congregation; helping with Bible Study, lending training resources to another; or sending a work team to help with construction or renovation. Our churches are interconnected and care for each other: parents in one - children in another; friends moving from one town to another and becoming involved in the new place; news of a serious illness is shared, and people from the whole association are praying. All this is partnership, working together for the good of the whole.

Thank you for you, and your congregation’s interest and commitment.

Submitted by Berna Miller