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Partnerships"Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor." ~Ecclesiastes 4:9 NAS How You Can Be A Partner
A partnership brings together resources to accomplish shared kingdom objectives. By appropriately applying the resources of an individual, church, association, or ministry group to the needs of another, the benefits exceed the sum total of the parts. Boldness, encouragement, and ministry are multiplied. The North Central Baptist Association is currently enlisting partners. Partners are being asked to identify with one or more of the three major ministry areas. The Church Partner
Enormously important to churches in North Central Iowa are steady and consistent friends who remain connected summer, fall, winter, and spring. That connectedness shows up in phone calls, prayer support, volunteerism, and attention to the ongoing ministry of the church. Often this kind of Partnership emerges after a short term ministry project is served. Relationships are formed; friendships take hold; investments are made; and anticipation for the future of the local church is forged in the heart of the Partner. This a great way for a Sunday School class or If you would like to consider becoming a Church Partner, contact Roger Graves at 515-232-9432. The Church Start Partner
Even with ten of the fifteen counties of North Central Iowa un-entered by a Southern Baptist ministry and with communities populated by 4 to 10 thousand people and no Southern Baptist witness, only part of the story is told. Numerous towns and people groups have little or no evangelical witness. Brand new Great Commission churches are desperately needed. Learn about the communities; understand the needs; consider the religious backgrounds; make a visit and prayer-walk; pray for an open door for witness; ask God to provide a person of peace; seek God to direct lay indigenous disciple makers to match up with the communities. The goal of North Central Association is to fan a Gospel brush fire across the plains of Iowa and surrounding regions: 1) by engaging equipped and motivated disciple makers to initiate and develop Discipling OutPosts in under-reached towns and/or people groups with view to the formation of simple multiplying indigenous churches, 2) by providing an Indigenous Leadership Equipping system to train laymen with basic shepherding skills for the multiplying congregations, 3) by networking emerging congregations together around Catalyst Churches and for global kingdom objectives. You can partner with us by adopting one of these communities and/or people groups and resolving to develop a Great Commission congregation there, even if no one else does. Resources are available to assist with a simple process of church starts which makes it feasible to rapidly introduce the beginnings of a church in a relatively short period of time. You can learn more about Church Start Partners by contacting Roger Graves at 515-232-9432. The Project Partner
The multiplied man-power of mission teams serves existing North Central churches and developing church starts in untold numbers of ways. Projects include such things as Backyard Bible Clubs, free evangelistic car washes, community fix up projects, assisting with VBS, door to door surveys, painting inside and out, cutting trees, refinishing floors, clowning, music in the town square, etc. The possibilities are endless. Mission Service Corps, Summer and Semester Missionaries, and US-C2ers provide another very important partner possibility for longer-termed projects. All Partner Projects are derived from the ministry field to allow local leadership to apply energy and resources to what they ministry priorities. Project Partners come in all shapes and sizes: Youth teams, Senior adult groups, family teams, individuals and couples, etc. They stay for as little as a few days to as long as a year. If you would like to learn more about being a North Central Project Partner, call Roger Graves at 515-232-9432. As God directs you to consider a way and a place to make a difference for the kingdom, be sure to consider North Central Iowa. Your partnership is welcome!
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