As a recognized leader in partnering with non-Western indigenous ministries, Partners International is committed to advancing the understanding and practice of ministry partnerships. We educate Christians, churches, and foundations in the U.S. about the importance and practice of mission partnerships, and provide opportunities for our donor partners to invest in what God is doing through local Christians in the least Christian regions of the world. In addition to our Covenant of Partnership and the Doing Partnership Well blog, Partners International provides the following resources:
Servant Partnership
By Jon Lewis, former President, Partners International
Accountability without Control
By Alex Araujo, Partners International
Many missions organizations feel that the only way to ensure accountability of a ministry partner is to have control over it. However, the experience of many years in missions has shown that it is definitely possible to have healthy accountability without being controlling.
Freedom and Dependency in Christian Partnerships
By Alex Araujo, Partners International
"No man is an island." Each of us is dependent on others. In fact, the Bible advocates mutual dependency. However, dependency can have negative consequences. Well-meaning missionaries have often created one-way dependency that has stifled local initiative. Our challenge is to distinguish healthy from unhealthy dependency.
Getting Beyond Money Problems in Missions Partnerships
By Daniel Rickett, Partners International
Version 03/07/01
© 2001 Daniel Rickett All rights reserved.
Five years ago I walked with my friend David Kitonga through the mud streets of a slum outside of Nairobi, Kenya. Children climbed on garbage heaps to forage for food. Sewage collected in open ditches. Dozens of children crowded around and someone said, "These children are quiet, well behaved." David said, "They are quiet because they are sick." As we moved forward toward rows and rows of dark, clap board shacks, several men came toward us. They were not there to greet us; they came to chase us away. You see the economy of that slum was based on prostitution and the production of illegal liquor. Even the police seldom ventured there.
Partners International recommends the following books:
From Brazil to Bangladesh, Irian Jaya to India, Jon Lewis takes us on his trips to visit indigenous believers around the world. Half the book covers his flying days as a pilot with his former employer Mission Aviation Fellowship, and the other half covers his travels to see Partners International's ministry partners. Feel the adventure of being followed by a black sedan in China...and knowing it's not for your good. Or of meeting the Dalits ("Untouchables") of South India whose lives have been transformed by the power of the Gospel. Each report is rich in history, culture, traditions and stories. When you finish the book, you'll have a better understanding of what God is doing through His people in the least Christian regions of the world.
Professional writer and speaker Kay Marshall Strom wanted to find out for herself what happened when families around the world received gifts purchased through catalogs like our Harvest of Hope gift catalog. In this book, released July 2007, Kay shows how small purchases like a goat or water well can put a third world family or village on the road to economic health. Kay offers an invitation to discover the power and joy of giving that changes lives—yours, and the lives of people all over the world.
Daniel Rickett reflected on 20 years of experience and found the essential components to be a blend of vision, relationship, and results. In Making Your Partnership Work, he shows how to build a partnership by focusing on nine imperatives. Making Your Partnership Work is like having a personal coach eager to help you build your ministry partnership.
"The growing global nature of the Church makes partnership between East/West and North/South an essential part of our future. This book points to key issues that need to be considered, particularly between Western and non-Western 'partners.' You will find the check-lists particularly helpful as guidelines for planning and Kingdom action."
— Phill Butler, Founder/President, InterDev
"Follow Anand Chaudhari's inspiring journey from Brahmin Priest to minister of Christ. "This book constructs an authentic, nuanced, and sympathetic account of what it is like to live, learn, be converted, and minister within the context of a Hindu society. Anand Chaudhari, his family, and his nation come alive!"
— Dr. Jonathan J. Bonk, Overseas Ministries Study Center.
Born on one of Indonesia's remotest islands, Chris Marantika has risen to become one of the world's trend-setters. From its inception, the development of his hands-on approach for "putting the theological training to the test of grassroots ministry" has had a profound impact on the growth of the church, not only in his native land, but throughout the developing world. I Cannot Dream Less is Dr. Marantika's extraordinary journey from a remote island to the heart of a nation!
John and Helen Dekker gave themselves to the Dani tribes people of Irian Jaya, helping them discover the gospel of Jesus Christ and their destiny as helpers of other tribes. Today, the 79 churches of the Toli Valley, with 13,000 baptized believers, have sent out 65 couples to other tribes needing the gospel.
A chapter from a present-day Book of Acts, Torches of Joy is a model for cross-cultural mission strategy and one of this century's most striking chronicles of God's grace and power.
Special Reprint for David's 100th Birthday
This book tells the incredible story of David Chen, a Chinese orphan and underground church pastor, who was supported by Partners International for many years beginning in 1948. Read how he survived famine, imprisonment, beatings, and all kinds of persecution for the sake of his Savior.
When Helping Hurts reveals the painful truth about poverty. But it does more than tell you what not to do. The book moves from foundational concepts about poverty (Who are the poor?), to principles (Should we do relief, rehabilitation, or development?), to strategies (How can we help the poor domestically? Internationally?).
Theology, spirituality, and social science are synthesized in the definitive book on how Christian mission can contribute to overcoming poverty and dismantling systematic social evil. Myers explores Christian view of poverty, its causes, and how it is experienced differently in different cultures.
Nothing derails global partnerships more quickly than cultural misunderstandings about finances. North Americans don't understand cultural expectations of patronage, and Western money often comes with subtle strings attached. So local mission work is hampered by perceived paternalism, and donors are frustrated with lack of results or accountability. How do we build financial partnerships for effective mission without fostering neo-colonialism?
The Beauty of Partnership takes church missions leaders or short-term teams to a whole new level of readiness for effective collaboration with national brothers and sisters. As cross-cultural initiatives multiply, this book is an essential training tool for churches wanting to be valuable and appreciated global partners.
Scriptures in Use is a consulting, training agency highly focused on church planting training for oral cultures.
Visit Scriptures in Use
Disciple Nations Alliance (DNA) exists to help churches around the world fulfill their strategic role in the holistic transformation of their communities and nations.
Visit Disciple Nations Alliance
MentorLink International’s goal is accelerating worldwide servant leadership development through mentoring. Their vision is: “For every believing community, effective leaders; for every leader, an effective Christ-like mentor.”
Visit MentorLink International
Interdev Partnerships Associates (IPA) promotes the formation and maturing of strategic mission partnerships for the purpose of discipling the nations. (Matt. 28:19) We serve in the specific area of forming operational partnerships of churches and mission agencies working in a common geographic, people-specific, or theme-specific mission; encouraging and strengthening such partnerships wherever they exist; providing training for exploring, forming and operating these strategic mission partnerships.
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LifeWind International is igniting a global movement with a wholistic strategy called Community Health Evangelism (CHE pronounced chay). CHE equips and empowers international organizations, mission agencies, denominations, churches, governments, communities, and individuals in over 70 nations with a relevant gospel for the poor. LifeWind believes passionately in the wholistic approach to ministry modeled by Jesus and proclaimed in Luke 4:18.
Visit LifeWind International
She is Safe extends God’s love to unreached women and children through practical local programs of spiritual life, health, education, economic and leadership development.
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Founded in 1890, Whitworth University is a private, residential, liberal arts college located in Spokane, Washington, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. Partners International links with Whitworth University through an exchange of bi-lateral training resources.
Visit Whitworth University
Partners International · 1117 E. Westview Court · Spokane, WA 99218 · Toll-free: 1-800-966-5515 · Fax: (509) 343-4015 · info@partnersintl.org
