Partnership

How We Commit To Our Mission

Partnership is how we do membership at Christ Church. We chose the word partnership rather than membership because it’s a word in the bible that we believe in our current cultural context, creates a clearer picture in the minds of those who hear it, of what we believe church commitment should look like.

A partner is someone who has moved from:
attendance to responsibility,
from observing to participation,
from consuming to creating value for others,
from primarily receiving to being an intentional giver,
and from helping to taking ownership.

Our partners are the ones whom our elders are accountable for leading, and who in return are accountable to their elders for growing and participating in the mission of God. Our partners are the ones we count on.

WHY PARTNERSHIP?

• Commitment: To emphasize the importance of commitment to the church in a culture that deemphasizes commitment in general (1 Cor 15:58)
• Unity: So that expectations and commitments are clearly defined, helping to lessen the likelihood of confusion and disunity (1 Cor 1:10)
• Health: To facilitate healthy body life where each part does it’s work (Eph 4:15-16, Rom 12:4-5)
• Accountability: So the elders know who they are responsible for and members know who they are responsible to. Membership is an official recognition of the elders’ responsibility to keep watch over a member’s soul as those who will have to give an account, and an official recognition of a member’s responsibility to obey and submit to the elders’ authority for building them up. (Heb 13:17, 1 Pet 5:2-3, 2 Cor 10:8)
• Practicality: So that the elders can best serve, love, care for, and build up the flock that is in their care, and the members can best care for one another (Acts 20:28, 1 Pet 5:1-5, 1 Cor 12:25-26)
• Mobilization: To effectively mobilize people for mission and discipleship (Matt 28:19-20)
• Discipline: To effectively exercise healthy church discipline when necessary (1 Cor 5:11-12, Matt 18:15-17)

FRUIT OF PARTNERSHIP

In order for a person to be a partner of Christ Church, he or she must be a person that the other partners in the missional community can count on, who is committed to the mission of the church, and who shows fruit of that commitment in all three of the specific areas of the church’s mission. The following items are meant to be examples of what that fruit looks like. This list is not meant to be a checklist or a complete list, but rather a guide to help paint the picture of what partnership with Christ Church looks like. These items are also not a list of requirements for being a Christian.

1. THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Shared Priorities

• Demonstrates the fruit of being a water baptized, disciple of Jesus
• Demonstrates the fruit of the fear of the Lord and ongoing sanctification (being saved)
• Demonstrates the fruit of a life primarily oriented around the kingdom of God
• Demonstrates the fruit of valuing what Christ Church values
• Demonstrates the fruit of serving the church as a joy and not a burden

2. ALL OF LIFE

Shared Vision

• Demonstrates the fruit of an open, vulnerable heart
• Demonstrates the fruit of an open, hospitable home
• Demonstrates the fruit of an open, flexible schedule

3. TOGETHER

Shared Responsibility

• Demonstrates the fruit of owning the identity, mission, and expression of a missional community
• Demonstrates the fruit of regular Sunday morning service participation and serving
• Demonstrates the fruit of regular corporate prayer meeting participation
• Demonstrates the fruit of regular financial support of the church’s mission by joyfully giving according to income
• Demonstrates the fruit of a good reputation and a demonstrated effort to be at peace with all men
• Demonstrates the fruit of using his/her spiritual gifts while also recognizing and receiving the spiritual gifts in others
• Demonstrates the fruit of verbally building up the church
• Demonstrates the fruit of commitment to ongoing training
• Demonstrates the fruit of submission to Christ Church leadership
• Demonstrates the fruit of monthly partnership meeting attendance

HOW TO BECOME A PARTNER

1. Take a good look at the fruit of your life and determine where it does and doesn’t match up with the three areas of the fruit of partnership.
2. Let your lead partner and the other partners in your missional community know that you would like to become a partner and ask them to give their input on where the fruit of your life does and does not match up with the fruit of partnership.
3. If you, your lead partners, and the other partners in your missional community determine that there is some fruit missing from your life, then be intentional in those areas and reevaluate in a few months with both your lead partners and the other partners in your missional community.
4. Complete Gospel Training and Partnership Training
5. Read or listen to “Build Up or Shut Up”
6. Agree with and commit to uphold the Christ Church Statement of Faith
7. Commit to check-in regularly with your lead partners and the other partners in the missional community, in order to hold one another accountable to the fruit and commitment of partnership
8. Commit to regular attendance at our monthly partnership meetings and to joining with the rest of the partners to fast each month on the day of the meeting.
9. Commit to becoming a lead partner of a missional community if called upon by leadership, or to taking up specific leadership responsibilities in your missional community if called upon by your lead partner
10. You’re officially a partner of Christ Church when you, your lead partners, and the other partners in your missional community are in agreement that the fruit of your life is consistent with the fruit of partnership. When that happens, they will make sure you’ve met with at least one of the elders regarding partnership, and they will invite you to attend your first partnership meeting, where they will introduce you to the other partners, and you will share how God led you to partner with Christ Church.