I’d favor a 4 to 5 year partnership with goals and objectives that recognize the “finite” nature of a “long-term” partnership. The team doesn’t become dependent upon any one church. And the church doesn’t develop “tunnel vision” with regards to the ends of the earth. (The latter being a more likley scenario than the former.)

To that end, Marty, I agree with your fourth point wholeheartedly.

And it wouldn’t hurt to introduce to the churches how they can be proactive in seeking out partnerships. Unless a church has a direct connection with a team or regional leader, or is in an association with a partnership, I would think that many churches simply don’t know how to go about engaging long-term. The IMB’s VIM site just won’t cut it.

Sometimes relationships are kinda messy, and their beginnings are obscure. Maybe a blog comment, maybe leading to a phone call, then emails, then eating way too many pancakes way too early in the morning with Mr. Wrestling II. (I still need to get you in contact with Carl too…)

Not sure of the methodology, but it has to start with getting to know folks and finding out what drives each of us and how we can get’r'dun together. Probably way too messy for most to want to be involved with, but, kind like some friends I have, it’s worth the effort to try. Not sure how to fabricate that kind of relationship.

I know, I know, thanks for the help…. but then what do you expect from a former engineer, failed construction business owner,unemployed bum, now pastor kinda guy?

I suggest that you check out the REAP strategy. REAP is an acronym for Rapid Entry (short time window) Advance Plan (advance of the Gospel by an indigenous church). It is nothing like a “scatter shot mission trip - spread out…”

Our church has the responsibility to develop a strategic plan to launch and facilitate a church planting movement among our people group, the Panao Quechua of Pachitea Province, Peru.

We’re not just taking one trip a year. We are deploying at least four teams throughout the year to our mission field. We will be doing pastoral and church planting training, as well as large evangelistic events, medical clinics, etc…

Like Marty said, the problem with going beyond four or five years is the issue of dependency. Our immediate goal must be to turn over the responsibilities of discipleship and training to indigenous believers (leaders) as rapidly as possible.

I will be flying down in a couple of months to sit down with our missionary team and plot out our four-year strategic plan.

But, as in all missions, the goal must be for us to plant a biblically sound, strong movement, turn the leadership over to indigenous leaders, and remove ourselves from the field as rapidly as possible.

I anticipate that, once this particular partnership is complete, we will begin another.

Check out a better strategy of the REAP plan here:

http://reapsouth.org/what_is_reap.htm

http://geoffbaggett.wordpress.com

how do ‘4-year’ or ‘5-year’ comittments play out? isn’t it the same thing as a scatter-shot mission trip to “someplace new” only stretched out? what about open-ended partnerships? i think what we need is not curiosity, but vision towards something that may very well stretch beyond the “use by” date on most of our church members.

I am praying for the day in Southern Baptist life when we realize that “missions giving” does not, necessarily, mean “missions-minded.” There IS so much more to doing missions than proxy giving.
http://geoffbaggett.wordpress.com

Marty your suggestions are dead on especially #’s 2,4 and #5. Number 5 is so needed with many SBC churches. The CP is great but SBC churches have handed their responsibility over to others (The IMB and NAMB) to do on their behalf and now it is like the church no longer knows how to do missions. Many have not personally taken up the cause themselves. What we run into a lot are churches who are so locally focused and seeking to grow their own world that they have failed to see God’s heart for the ethnos or people groups runs from Genesis to Revelation.
Thanks for your comments and I hope more will jump in on this .