Ministry: Church partnerships for community transformation

I am trying to build partnerships between churches in the west and those in the north of Burkina Faso as a means of mission and blessing to both communities.
I am convinced that such partnerships, done in God's way, can both

• Serve Burkinabe churches in their mission to the unreached
• Lead the western church into a more consecrated discipleship.

Doing it "God's way", means that partnerships are:
Two-way, Relational, Christ-centred, and Missional:

Two-way Partnerships
Such partnerships are not one-way streets, where the west exports its own brand of Christianity because it has the power and wealth to do so. They are two-way partnerships where we recognise that each has something to give and something to receive.

Relationship-based Partnerships
The partnerships will be founded first of all on building relationship of mutual respect and understanding, rather than firstly on what we can do. Out of that relationship we hope to see the possibilities for serving each other, where the strengths and experiences of each community contribute to the other.

Christ-centred Partnerships
The partnerships are to be centred on Christ, pursued in a cross-shaped attitude of servanthood, faith, self-giving, and sacrifice. We engage with a heart to learn to follow Christ and be discipled and shaped by him through the relationship.

Missional Partnerships
The partnerships are focused on bringing God's blessing to the world. They aim to see the kingdom of God impacting and transforming the surrounding communities both spiritually and socially.

Practical Partnering

I am in the process of setting up a charity to facilitate these partnerships and the ministry in the Burkina Faso sahel.

I aim to help partnering churches pursue their relationship through prayer, regular communication and encouragement, visiting, giving, and serving. The whole church can be challenged to involvement in the partnership - both in mission in Burkina Faso, and in receiving from the Burkina church.

Read here to find out more about how the partnership might work in practice in both Burkina Faso and in the western church:

Partnering for mission in Burkina Faso.
How western churches can join with Burkina Faso churches in incarnational holistic mission to the unreached Sahel.
Read more

Partnership for discipleship in the West.
How African churches can give to the west in our poverty of community and spirituality in 21st century consumerist society.
Read more.

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