Positive Partnerships

We live in a 'What's in it for me?' culture.  Whenever we come across something new that is the question which we ask.  We will join something, or start something, or commit (though we struggle with this bit) to something if we think it is worth it.  If it doesn't require too much of us or provides us with something of great benefit in return.

But the Bible turns that thinking on its head, it is full of partnerships - partnerships that bear with one another, that carry one another's burdens, that put others first, that love deeply at cost to ourselves.  I want to share about a partnership that I have found increasingly a real encouragement to ministry and to my personal growth in Christ, with the aim of encouraging others to join up.

I live in Doncaster, one of the least reached towns in one of the least reached counties in the UK.  It is an area where it is hard to be a Christian, where there are few churches, and also where there is a growing hostility to Christianity and church.  The church I lead is a blessing to be part of, but is also hard and often both encouraging and discouraging at the same time.  In the midst of all of that I have come to find the support of other ministers in the Yorkshire Gospel Partnership (from here on YGP http://www.ygp.org.uk/) invaluable and incredibly helpful.

Every six weeks or so a group of ministers from a wider range of churches in Doncaster, some in the YGP some not yet in the YGP, meet together to chat, share food, pray for one another, and sharpen up one another's preaching.  We run through an outline of an upcoming sermon and then help one another deconstruct and reconstruct our talks, often helping one another think more clearly about the passage or people.  Many of us also meet up more informally outside of these meetings, we also text prayer points and encouragements to one another.  This partnership is vital.

Furthermore a wider group of church leaders from across South Yorkshire meet together twice a year for a day of training.  Most recently we had David Jackman, visiting the wilds of Yorkshire, to take us through teaching Ephesians, we again ate together, and encouraged one another.  Previously we had Professor Glynn Harrison teaching us on pastoring the heart.  These days are invaluable both for training but also for partnering together more widely.

YEMA is also another opportunity to meet together even more widely, it is the yearly YGP day conference.  Last year we had David Meredith and Mike Reeves teaching us on Trinity and the Church.  You can find the audio here: http://www.ygp.org.uk/audio.asp  It is well worth listening to.

Partnership isn't something we should have to think too hard about the do I or don't I provided we agree on the gospel.  If we can partner with someone in the gospel we should, we shouldn't make such decisions primarily on a cost benefit analysis.  But I hope I've given you enough to get you thinking about YGP even on that basis.