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Cross-cultural Ministry Partnership Teams (CMPT) Guidlines

Colby & Theresa Weinhofer

FOUNDATION:

The local church should be the force behind the sending of workers to other locations, people groups, and nations that are in need of a stronger presence of the gospel. The church commissions a person to go and then partners with their ministry in that endeavor. Although the person sent to work cross-culturally has a special role, members of the church also fill a vital role in this cross-cultural ministry. As all in the body of Christ are called to accomplish God’s mission of reconciliation and restoration in the world, we share equally in the responsibility of working to see this accomplished.

With that in mind, as missionaries, we are ministry partners commissioned to work cross-culturally as a ministry of Berean BFC, in conjunction with the Capital Region, and the BFC denominationally. We will work alongside the church to develop and implement a plan to increase the spread of the gospel among the people we plan to serve. We will also work with the church to develop a network of partnering churches and individuals to assist in providing prayer, financial, and logistical support.

This type of partnership provides greater connectedness between the sending church and the cross-cultural worker as well as between the church and partnering churches and individuals. This will in turn provide the ministry endeavor with a more stable base of financial and logistical support and a more informed base of prayer and emotional support. Through the partnership council, the cross-cultural worker is also provided with an extra layer of care, advocacy, and guidance in making ministry decisions.

In addition to the sending church and the cross-cultural worker, the sending agency benefits by having a stronger and more active support base for its worker. Its connection with this base through the worker also allows it to build partnership and connectivity to facilitate future endeavors.

ROLES:

Sending Church: The church from which the cross-cultural worker’s ministry is an extension. The partnership council will be centered in one of the ministry teams from this church. The partnership council reports to the sending church’s Board of Elders or an intermediary group.

Board of Elders: The leadership of the sending church and the ultimate source of authority in the cross-cultural worker's ministry. Provides ultimate leadership for the church and thus for the cross-cultural worker’s ministry as a part of that church.

Partnership Council: A body of individuals who form the nucleus of the cross-cultural worker’s partnership team. Provides accountability, support, and advocacy for the cross-cultural worker. This group receives frequent updates from the cross-cultural worker and is included in all reports and evaluations. Participates in the decision making process for any major decisions.
This group functions as a ministry team in the local church and thus reports to the church’s leadership. Members of the council are recommended by the council and the cross-cultural worker and approved by the church leadership. The group also helps to facilitate greater connectivity with partnering churches and individuals. At the discretion of the council and the cross-cultural worker, individuals from these two groups can be invited to participate in the activities of the partnership council. Further partnership relationships & arrangements (other than what is already implied through financial partnership) can also be established between the partnership council and interested churches.

Sending Agency:
An organization that acts as a partner to the sending church by providing assistance and expertise in areas of cross-cultural ministry. Provides administrative guidance for the cross-cultural worker in relation to their collaboration with other workers from other sending churches serving on the same team. Also provides administrative guidance in other areas related to international ministry such as:

1. Cultural and legal issues present in the target people group / country
2. Logistical support for living & ministering internationally
3. Language acquisition and cultural adjustment of the cross-cultural worker
4. Emotional and physical care of cross-cultural workers

EXPECTATIONS:

Of the Partnership Council:

Accountability:

1. Provides an administrative link between the cross-cultural worker and the Board of Elders for the sending church. Has regular reports of the council’s and cross-cultural worker’s activities on file for the Board of Elder’s reference.
2. Plans ways to send teams & individuals to visit the cross-cultural worker, encourage them, and learn about their ministry.
3. Receives copies of all evaluations, reports, and ministry plans from the field and provides guidance for the cross-cultural worker’s development.
4. Keeps the cross-cultural worker abreast of developments in the sending church. Helps the cross-cultural worker to find ways to actively support the church’s ministries and goals.

Support:

1. Helps to provide financial support for regular expenses and special projects through finding donors for special projects and holding fundraising events.
2. Assists the cross-cultural worker with the logistics of communication such as processing prayer letters, communicating prayer and logistical needs to partnering churches and individuals, and facilitating electronic communication.
3. Helps to coordinate logistical support provided by outer partners, making those efforts more effective in supporting the cross-cultural worker.
4. Prays for the cross-cultural worker daily.

Advocacy:

1. Helps the cross-cultural worker to investigate and arrange opportunities to present the ministry to potential partnering churches and individuals.
2. Utilizes their own networks and opportunities to promote the cross-cultural ministry and encourages people to become involved.
3. Individually or in conjunction with the cross-cultural worker, meets with potential partnering churches and individuals and encourages them to become part of the partnership team.
4. Makes the worker’s prayer, financial, and logistical support needs known to appropriate partners to provide for the cross-cultural worker’s needs.

Of the Cross-Cultural Worker

Minister

1. Carries out cross-cultural ministry in conjunction with the plan developed by the council and the sending agency.
2. Intentionally looks for opportunities (both distance and onsite) for the partnership council and members of the sending church and partnering churches to be involved in cross-cultural ministry.
3. Prays for the partnership council daily.

Promote

1. Communicates regularly with Partnership Council Facilitator, providing reports, prayer updates, current needs, and plans for future ministry.
2. Investigates opportunities and meets with potential partnering churches and individuals to actively promote the cross-cultural ministry.
3. Initiates the creation of content for updates to partnering church and individuals, such as prayer letter, internet sites, and presentations.

Organize

• Works with the Partnership Council Facilitator to lead and train the partnership council.
• Works in conjunction with the sending agency to develop ministry plans.
• Actively seeks opportunities and plans for future full-time involvement of other people from the partnership base.

Ver. 1 (5/20/07)