Strategic relationships between U.S. Alliance churches (“Christians”) and Alliance workers overseas (“Missionaries”) are the foundation of who we are: The Christian & Missionary Alliance! Not only do personal, spiritual, and financial partnerships assist our IWs in accomplishing Kingdom work, these relationships also benefit the local church by mobilizing and revitalizing a passion for missions in the North American Church that ignites personal involvement.

Forming Partnerships

The best partnerships are organic, that is, they develop naturally from a church’s relationship with an international worker or workers. The relationship is developed to a deeper level as the church gets involved in some or all of the five partnership activities:

  • Strategic Prayer

  • Doing Our Share (Financial Resourcing)

  • IW Partner Care

  • Going There (Short-term Trips)

  • Staying Aware (Ongoing Connections)

Partnerships tend to begin in one of three ways: 1) interest in a person or people group, 2)  interest in a place, or 3)  interest in a project. The relationship with the person or people usually holds the partnership together and makes it strong. When all three elements are involved in a partnership—a person, a place and a project—there is passion!

There may be three steps to developing partnership:

Step 1: Look and See (Vision or Partnership Exploration Trip)
This may lead to a deeper cross-cultural commitment or may not.

Step 2: Work Teams
The primary objective is a hands-on experience. It may lead to a long term, deeper cross-cultural commitment.

Step 3: Partnership
A long-term commitment. Long-term positive effects can be measured by an increase in GCF giving and prayer support, as well as a growing relationship with the partner.

Partnerships can be initiated by district missions mobilizers,  IWs, field leaders, clusters of local churches, pastors, and/or local missions team leaders. That’s you! 

Questions to Ask

Some questions to ask in considering where to partner and with whom:

  • Do we already have a relationship connection with an international worker who we’d like to develop deeper ties with?

  • Is there an international worker who really connected with us while touring in our church?

  • Is there a region of the world we’re particularly interested in?

  • Does our church have a special kind of outreach that might be similar to something being done overseas?

  • What are the demographics of our church (the kinds of people and their special interests) that can inform what kind of overseas ministry might really click with us?

Some Things to Remember

There are three players or actors in a healthy cross-cultural partnership:

  • the sending church or group

  • the Alliance IW or team

  • the Alliance national church in the host country (where the church has been developed)

Be Creative

You can “partner” without having a defined “partnership”. Partnering does NOT mean that you MUST make short-term trips or make huge financial contributions. Any church, no matter how small, the age of the people in the congregation or their economic situation can partner. Do the partnership activities that you are able to do! Or be creative and work together with one or two other churches with connections to the IW or field you connect with as a cluster of churches, enabling you to possibly make a trip or contribute more than you could as one congregation alone.

Short-Term Trips

Short-term trips, when planned in coordination with your international worker partner and in conjunction with their field or team strategy, can be very helpful and encouraging for both the IW and your church. For information on where to find assistance in planning a short-term trip, click here!

Communicate Carefully

With many of our international workers functioning in creative access situations that require special consideration in regard to communication due to security risks, it is always wise to ask your international worker partner for specific instructions regarding your communication with them. Basic, general communication guidelines for CAC workers can be requested from your district missions mobilizers, but specific guidelines and preferences vary from place to place and IW to IW.

 Partnership Exploration Trips

Bob and Dian Harner | [email protected] | 330-414-0554 Because of the value our district places on churches being involved in partnerships and pastors being a major catalyst for missions engagement in their churches, the district offers Partnership Exploration Trips.  A church that desires to explore a partnership must submit an application to the district missions mobilizers.  The district will cover the expenses (not including passports, immunizations and souvenirs) of the lead pastoral couple if at least 3 other influencers in the church commit to taking the trip with them.  (The number of additional influencers who may also take the trip will depend on the limits defined by the field/IW.)  The district missions mobilizers will work together with the church and the field/international workers to organize the trip, and will also accompany the group on the trip.  (If you have questions about your ability to meet all the requirements, contact the district missions mobilizers.  Exceptions are made at times.)

International Workers from the Central District

View a list of International Workers sent from the Central District of The Alliance at CMAlliance.org/district/central.

NOTE: You can contact the District Missions Mobilizers for a more complete list.

Additional information about this topic is available in the printed (or PDF) version of the Handbook. It is excluded from the online version for security reasons. To request a printed (or PDF) copy of the Handbook, contact the district Missions Mobilizers.