In today’s episode, we dive into the strategic importance of forging effective ministry partnerships. We’ll explore how an initial assessment and open communication can lay the groundwork for a successful collaboration, propelling your ministry to new heights.

Show Notes:

• Why start with an initial conversation and assessment before diving into a new project?
  • Lay a clear, firm foundation upon which to build new things.
  • We always begin with questions that help us discern where someone is beginning:
    • Where are you now?
    • What’s working?
    • What are you hoping for?
    • What challenges are you facing?
    • What systems are currently in place? Are they working well?
  • It’s not overly formal, but it’s intentional to gather data and get an inventory of where things currently stand.
  • Illustration: The Dance Floor Analogy – you can have the most skilled dancer, but if the dance floor is not maintained and breaks or causes stumbling or injuries, the performance won’t be as good as it could be. Often the dancer even gets injured! Our systems and surrounding realities are the dance floor.
  • The new thing is more exciting than pausing and thinking about basic, foundational systems, but it’s vital to start there or your new thing will not be able to even get off the ground.
• When considering a partnership, how do you know if it might be a good fit?
  • Are they asking questions and being curious?
  • Are they aware of what they’re doing now and why that might or might not be working well?
  • Is this someone looking to build a relationship?
• What about when there is resistance in the partnership?
  • Don’t ignore it, address it!
  • That might be an indication that blind spots are being exposed which is a very positive thing.
  • But we are also committed to walking alongside as someone progresses through the growth process out of those blind spots.
  • If we avoid the awkward, hard conversation, they’re going to fester and hold back your ministry until they are dealt with.
• We address things like architecture (systems, details, processes, etc.), but we also need to consider the atmosphere: the climate in the room. Don’t accept the status quo, with some courage, hard work, and some outside perspective, it’s possible to solve these challenging issues and get your ministry moving forward again.
• There are lots of different ways that we partner with people. We will paint multiple pictures for people so they can get a good perspective on all the different ways the partnership can work.
• How do you decide who your ministry should partner with when you’re looking for help?
  • Don’t JUST consider the basic things like price and expertise.
  • Consider the “personality” of the organization.
  • Consider their philosophies, convictions, and values. (Here are our values.)
  • Consider how well you and your team work with the people you will be interacting with.
• Set up a free coaching call with Ministry Architects to see if we’re a good fit for you.
• Contact Mary Beth Abplanalp: marybeth.abplanalp@ministryarchitects.com
• Contact Sean Williams: sean.williams@ministryarchitects.com
• Connect with Brandon Collins: brandoncollins.org – brandon.collins@ministryarchitects.com
• Connect with Renee Wilson: renee.wilson@ministryarchitects.com