I’ve been listening to this language of “partnering” coming from the leadership of my church. Which is the same rhetoric coming from a wide assortment of popular Christian leaders.
By “partnering”, they mean joining together with other organizations to accomplish some good thing – in Jesus’ name.
These good things might range from working with local homeless shelters, food banks, addiction ministries, helping the poor, helping abused women, feeding starving children, or even joining with national or international groups providing aid to impoverished countries; or maybe just standing along-side some activist group trying to affect social or political change – once again, in Jesus’ name.
A common justification for this joint participation is that the organization we are partnering with is supposedly a “Christian” ministry that is doing “great good”. Which could, supposedly, do even greater good if more churches would join in their work.
However, does the Bible actually have anything to say about How we are to minister to others? Or with Whom we are to partner? Or Not to partner?
Has the Lord given us any clear guidelines or limitations for us to follow?
Or does our desire to help and to be good humanitarians take precedence over all other concerns?
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