Partnerships

Every year more than 1.6 million people from the U.S. participate in short-term mission trips which normally last from 5-15 days. As growing numbers of people go to minister with Christians in other parts of the world, many are working to make this type of ministry more effective through greater cultural awareness and recognition of the wisdom that can be found in mutually edifying relationships. One of the ways that large churches, inparticular are exploring is that of congregation to field partnerships in which the local church focuses on one particular area of the world over an extended period of time. Instead of a local church sending teams to as many different places as possible, the partnership model sends short-term mission teams to a focused area of the world in order to foster a sustained, collaborative work. The following clip is from a worship service at Bethany, Oklahoma First Church of the Nazarene. This church has made a ten year commitment to work in partnership with Swaziland. This clip is interesting because it demonstrates a partnership in worship and also gives a glipse into some of the partnership initiatives in Swaziland. True partnership in this type of relationship is difficult at best and I am sure that there are many shortcomings in this particular example. It is, however, an interesting move on the part of a local church and the church in Swaziland.