Readers respond to Valdir Steuernagel's "More Partners at the Table"
For More Conversation
The Two-Thirds World Church
Considers church growth in Latin America, Africa, and Asia and identifies reasons for growth and causes for blockages in evangelism.
A Mission Voice from Latin America: Partnering for World Mission
By Valdir Steuernagel
A Theology of Evangelism in the Global South
By Samuel Escobar
The Paradigm Is Changing: Bible Translation and the Church of the Southern Continents
By Kirk Franklin
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Suman Aghamkar, India
I have apperciated what you have written about partenership in mission. We often use these words, partnership, networking but when it comes to actual doing we somehow hesitate to partner with others. It may be due to our selfish ambitions or worldy motives, but it remains there and nothing concrete takes place. The actual partnership takes place when we allow our selfish ambitions to be under the control of the Holy Spirit and give him room to work in our hearts.Partnership will help us to come together, understand each other and work together for His glory. But this not will not happen overnight.
Abraham J. Meintjes, South Africa
It remains a mystery to me that we have had a Gospel for 2010 years, and an uniterrupted gospel in South Africa for 358 years, and yet society and the world in general do not reflect a Godly character. The face of Africa rflects the character of its people and its leaders ... also mostly ungodly in its fruit. Yet, there are church services all over the world every Sunday. My mission call is to the Congo River. How can central Africa be so unreached and undiscipled through all these years. Then I do not want to mention the division between Christ-confessing denominations, and the enimosity between Pastors and Mission workers.
Alex Araujo, USA
Hi Cody, I did go to your blog site and read your thoughts on the Biblical reason for partnering. I am so glad you took us to Eph. 4, as there is no stronger statement of our oneness, all of us globally, in Christ, and the very important and practical application of the gifts given to each for the benefit of the whole.
Proshanta Kumar Roy, Bangladesh
I would like to join the conversation.Pl add me your conversation. I am apastor from bangladesh. Proshanta
L-Arredondo, Mexico/USA
Dr. Valdir , parabens! goste de mais de sua visiao. I will like to take this long term relationship suggestion to a deeper dialogue. Could we dream about being more intentional about partnering with those in a position that together we could reach more effectively the people in the 10/40 window. For example, Western church partnering with a Guatemalan church to unite gifts and resources to "plant" a church in a Muslim city where we could send 2-3 families there to evangelize. It would be much easier to send 2-3 Guatemalan families instead of 1 family from the western church, smaller cultural bridges to cross, smaller complexities (political etc.) I can go on forever & w/ examples.. this concept has been mildly touched in 2004 conclusion of partnering together and the evaluation on the "two thirds church" and most recently by Samuel Escobar in a response in the "whole gospel, whole church and whole world" Hope to stir more dialogue in this direction.
Samuel Orkar, Nigeria
I appreciate your last statement that we should have partners who critique us, I believe that as our partners visit our fields on short-Term missions and understand what we are are doing, they will know how to really partner with us.
CD, U.S.A.
We are still in the developing stage - about what it means being in " partnership in mission." That is why it is good discussion topic. -my perspective. *Few things I learned in "partnership in mission" over the years. -You do not impose your programs to others. -Primary focus should not be on money.
Cody C. Lorance, USA
This is a powerful statement, "It's not me who needs money. It's us together." It seems to me that unless your relationship can transcend the sense that one party is giving money (or whatever) to another so that the recipient can do "his" work/ministry, no genuine partnership can be developed. Partnership, it seems, implies that there is an "ours" to the work. Of course, as Niringiye has written, it is ultimately God's mission. But in our relationships we also have to arrive at a sense that the work is ours together. If it is as much yours as it is mine, then we move beyond donations and charity to genuine partnership.
Cody C. Lorance, USA
Thank you for this contribution. I especially appreciate the dismissal of merely pragmatic motivations for partnership as essentially inadequate and instead the emphasis on a theological impetus rooted in the doctrine of the Trinity. A more thorough theological/biblical rationale must be provided however. I've provided fuller reflection here http://ow.ly/17BbB
Nims, Kenya
I have been curious about the South African congress this year. I have just done a search on the term 'Somali' and found only one entry made by Zac Niringiye. Somalia is in international news a lot for the wrong reasons. What plans does the Lausanne congress have for this peopel group? I am one of a growing number of Christians in this area and would be excited to hear more about initiatives heading in the direction of the Somalis.
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