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Church-to-Church
Partnership Guidelines for
Congregations of Shenandoah Presbytery and
Illubabor Bethel Synod
STATEMENT
OF PURPOSE
The primary purpose of church-to-church relationships is “sharing spiritual gifts, one with another” (Romans
I:11-12) between the peoples of the congregations of Shenandoah
Presbytery and Illubabor Bethel Synod (IBS).
Church-to-church or mission community
to presbytery partnerships are intended to work within the larger Shenandoah
Presbytery to IBS partnership to facilitate relationship,
understanding, and sharing of spiritual gifts. It is the goal of the Shenandoah and IBS
Partnership to encourage personal involvement at the local
level in direct exchange and projects, further facilitating
our Presbytery projects as well as each congregation in partnership
developing their own. All congregational and mission community
partnerships should be in accord with the covenant which
the Shenandoah Presbytery has signed with IBS. The congregational and mission community
partnerships will be part of the overall program, affirming
and expanding each party’s understanding of their own faith,
each other and the church universal. As we work and worship
together we rejoice in our common faith. As we develop new
insights and friendships, we see that we are building Christian
unity in very concrete ways. We celebrate together the kind
of Christian love that cares about the other and responds
to the other in authentic mutuality.
FORMAL
STEPS
1. A particular congregation or mission community within
Shenandoah Presbytery contacts the coordinator of
church-to-church Partnerships in the Ethiopian Partnership
Committee, in writing, and states that they are interested in
exploring a Partnership Relationship with a church or presbytery
in the Illubabor Bethel Synod of Ethiopia.
2. Upon receipt of a written
request from a congregation or mission community, the
church-to-church coordinator will send the requesting party
an information packet that will include general information,
guidelines, examples, and an application.
3. Upon receipt of the fully
completed, valid application, the church-to-church coordinator,
or designee, will schedule a meeting with the session, and
perhaps others, of the congregation submitting the application. In the case of a mission community making
application, a responsible, authoritative body for carrying
out a partnership relationship will be suggested by the mission
community and mutually agreed upon by the mission community
and the Ethiopian Partnership Committee.
The coordinator of church-to-church partnerships
will meet with the mutually agreed upon body as described
above
4. At such time that a church
or mission community has:
a. thoughtfully
and prayerfully considered a
church-to-church relationship,
b. written a
brief description of their church (not to exceed
two pages)
c. reviewed the
packet of material on church–to-church sent it by the coordinator,
d. submitted
a complete and valid application, and
e. had a meeting
with the session and the church-to-church
Coordinator, then
5. The Ethiopian Partnership will
review and approve the submitted material and forward it
to the IBS church-to-church Coordinator
6. IBS will identify churches
and presbyteries seeking to explore a church-to-church partnership
in a similar way as described above.
7. At such time that
a match is made, each church or mission community will be
provided contact information and asked to communicate directly
with their partner church in exploring together a partnership
relationship. Note: Communications with partnering churches
is likely to be challenging because of technology, cultural
differences, and language.
8. A written partnership
agreement will be developed between the partnering churches,
or mission communities and presbyteries, within the first
year following the beginning of their discussions with each
other. The agreement will be one to four years in length,
at the discretion of the partnering parties. The agreements will be reviewed and approved
by the Shenandoah Presbytery and IBS Partnership bodies.
9. The Shenandoah
Presbytery Coordinator of the church-to-church partnerships
will be a resource to the partner churches at all times and
the primary link will be between the partnering churches and
the Ethiopian Partnership Committee.
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