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How to Build Partnerships Without Compromising your Faith

by | Jan 5, 2022

Churches that make an impact in their communities work in partnership with a range of groups. But how can you maintain your core Christian values without compromising your faith? Here are our top tips from those in the know!

1. Find common ground

There are always things that we can find in common with people of different faiths such as our shared humanity. We can do this without diluting what we believe but must always exercise grace and act as Ambassadors for Christ in all of our conversations with people as well as our written communication.

Paul Stevenson

Paul Stevenson

Bethany Christian Trust

Bethany Christian Trust work with individuals and local communities across Scotland to prevent and end homelessness.

2. Be clear about who you are

Be absolutely clear about your Christian identity, what this means and why it’s important. Other organisations may not agree with you but they will appreciate the clarity and the fact that you stick to your guns.

Samantha Graham

Samantha Graham

Clean Sheet

Clean Sheet helps local churches to offer a three step pathway from prison to employment.

3. Be inclusive not exclusive

Make sure those you are working with know that you are not exclusively available to Christians. The Church should exist for its non-members. We outline that we are available for any and every young person, regardless of their beliefs. By being clear, other organisations know how to interact with you.

Joe Lowther

Joe Lowther

KICK

KICK’s mission is to transform young people’s lives with God’s love, through sport and support.

4. Be humble

If you want to be true to your Christian identity it is one of the most important leadership responsibilities of your trustees, CEO and executive. When speaking to other faith groups and secular organisations we should be ourselves. A key ingredient I would encourage in those meetings, however, is humility. We don’t know more than them, we aren’t better than them, we can learn from them, we can share with them, we can, together, help people in a journey of recovery.

Ed Walker

Ed Walker

Hope into Action

Hope Into Action provides training to enable local churches to provide homes for the homeless and engage with and mentor those they support.

5. Just love people

Here at CMA, we always state that we are a Christian Charity and want to share the love of Jesus in practical terms as Jesus did by helping people at their point of need. Being in debt knows no boundaries and affects people regardless of their age, creed, colour, race etc, but Jesus’ love is for all.

Kate Downward

Kate Downward

Community Money Advice

Community Money Advice (CMA) helps local churches who have a vision to help people in debt, to establish local money advice centres.

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