5 Practical Ways Churches Can Partner With One Another
What if your church stopped competing and started collaborating? Here are five simple, practical ways to build unity and partner with other churches in your community.
When I was in fifth grade, my two best friends planned their birthday parties on the same weekend. While I should have been excited about double the cupcakes and bounce houses, it ended up feeling more like an impossible choice.
For a few days, it turned into unnecessary drama. Who was going to which party? Would someone feel left out? Was I supposed to split my time equally?
And then, after what felt like weeks of overthinking it, their moms stepped in with a simple idea. What if we just combined the parties?
Suddenly, everything went back to normal. The tension disappeared. There was no more choosing sides. It became one larger, better celebration.
When the Body of Christ Starts Competing With Itself
If we are being honest, the Body of Christ can feel a bit like those competing parties sometimes.
Our cities are full of different churches, different denominations, and different ministries that are all doing meaningful work to spread the gospel. But far too often, it can feel like people have to choose sides – like attending one church somehow means never investing in the others.
I’ve sat in coffee shops and overheard nearby Christians talk about other churches with so much judgment that I nearly spit out my americano. I’ve also heard well-meaning pastors emphasize serving in the local church so much that they leave out the call to come alongside the rest of the Body of Christ in their community.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting we merge all churches into one giant Christian gathering. You shouldn’t cancel your Sunday service because the church across the street is having one. It is a gift that there are different communities and expressions of the Body of Christ.
That said, we should all be wary of the moment that a subtle edge of competition begins to creep in. Scripture reminds us that “just as the body is one and has many members… so it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). The Church was never meant to function like a collection of separate efforts. We were always meant to move as one body, where “if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Corinthians 12:26).
And if that is true, it is worth asking what it would actually look like for churches to partner together in a way that reflects that reality.
With that in mind, here are 5 ways that your church can begin to come alongside other churches in your community.
5 Practical Ways Churches Can Move From Competition to Collaboration
1. Invest in Relationships With Other Church Leaders
It is a lot harder to compete with someone you actually know. To that end, one of the most practical shifts church leaders can make is actively deciding to be in relationship with one another.
In my home city of San Diego, I have been impressed to see groups of church leaders from various denominations and church communities who gather regularly across the region. There are gatherings for executive pastors, worship leaders, and senior pastors. They rotate who hosts, share a meal, and create space to be honest about what is hard. No formal agenda, no ministry politics. Just leaders doing life together.
What tends to happen over time is almost inevitable. When you have sat across a table from someone, heard about their family, prayed over their church, and had them do the same for you, any competitive edge softens. It becomes easier to celebrate their church growth and come alongside their church as the Body of Christ.
If something like this does not exist in your city yet, you don’t have to wait for someone else to start it. Reach out to two or three neighboring leaders you respect, find a date, and keep it simple. Rotate homes, share a meal, and show up consistently. The structure matters far less than the commitment to keep coming back.
2. Cast a Kingdom-Sized Vision
The culture of your church is built slowly through the things you repeat.
If most of that conversation centers around what is happening inside your church walls, people will naturally measure impact that way through attendance, programs, and internal growth. None of those things is bad, but they are not the whole picture.
To widen that lens, begin weaving language about the broader Church into your everyday rhythms. Pray for a specific church by name on Sunday morning, not vaguely for “other churches,” but for the actual congregation down the street. Mention what God is doing across your city in staff meetings. Dedicate a section of your email newsletter to spotlight another ministry. Invite a pastor from a neighboring church to speak on a Sunday.
These moments may feel small on their own, but they compound over time. They begin to shape a culture that is humble, Kingdom-minded, and outward-facing.
3. Hold People With Open Hands
Ministry is relational by nature. You invest in people, walk with them through real seasons, and pray for them by name. So, of course, it feels significant when someone leaves. And if we are being honest, it can feel like a major loss.
But people were never meant to belong to us. They belong to God. In practice, this means building a culture where departures are celebrated rather than tolerated.
When someone leaves to move to another city or to serve at another church (and does so in a healthy way, following the Lord’s leading), pray over them publicly. Keep the door genuinely open to your church rather than letting things become awkward and go unaddressed.
It also means paying attention to the language your staff uses when someone exits. If the default is to quietly analyze what went wrong or let people slip out the back, that is a culture worth addressing directly. How you release people is a leadership practice, and whether you realize it or not, your team is always watching how you handle it.
4. Share the Load and Deploy Your People Well
If you’ve been in ministry for any amount of time, you probably know the temptation to try to be everything for everyone. To have a program for every need and a solution for every gap. But trying to meet every need in your city through your own church is not sustainable, and honestly, it is not good stewardship either.
Before launching something new, it is worth asking what already exists. Is there a recovery ministry in your city already doing this well? A young adult gathering that already has momentum? A food pantry that has been faithfully serving your neighborhood for twenty years? If so, you may not need to build a parallel version. You may just need to send people there to help!
The same principle applies to how you talk about serving within your own congregation. When people get the sense that their contribution only counts if it happens inside your programs, you are unintentionally capping what they can offer.
Encourage your church members toward local nonprofits, schools, and neighborhood organizations. Keep a running list of outside opportunities to partner with other churches, and share it in your regular communications. And when someone steps into a meaningful role beyond your church, name it from the stage and celebrate it out loud. Become a congregation of people fully deployed in the work God has called them to, wherever that may be.
5. Create Simple, Visible Pathways for Partnership
One reason collaboration between churches feels difficult isn't that people aren’t open to partnering. It is often because they simply aren’t aware of what is happening at the church or ministry down the street.
To help overcome this, consider creating a shared calendar with other churches in your neighborhood. If that feels too complex, start smaller. Work with other pastors to plan a yearly service project you can host together.
Another simple step is to create a “Next Steps” page on your website that includes opportunities beyond your own programs.
When collaboration is visible and accessible, people are far more likely to step into it.
A Bigger Vision for the Church
Looking back, that fifth-grade birthday dilemma was never really about cupcakes or bounce houses. It was about the assumption that celebration had to be divided.
It did not. It just needed someone to reimagine what was possible.
In many ways, the Church has the same opportunity. We are not lacking passion, vision, or resources. What we often lack is alignment. A shared willingness to see beyond our own walls and recognize that we are already part of something bigger.
The body of Christ was never meant to compete with itself. And while we may not be able to “combine the parties,” we can choose to collaborate in ways that reflect the unity we say we believe in.
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Susanna is a theological content writer with a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. She is passionate about ministry, running, and exploring new cultures through international travel. In her free time, you’ll find her surfing, obsessing over the Olympics, or enjoying the San Diego sunshine!
When I was in fifth grade, my two best friends planned their birthday parties on the same weekend. While I should have been excited about double the cupcakes and bounce houses, it ended up feeling more like an impossible choice.
For a few days, it turned into unnecessary drama. Who was going to which party? Would someone feel left out? Was I supposed to split my time equally?
And then, after what felt like weeks of overthinking it, their moms stepped in with a simple idea. What if we just combined the parties?
Suddenly, everything went back to normal. The tension disappeared. There was no more choosing sides. It became one larger, better celebration.
When the Body of Christ Starts Competing With Itself
If we are being honest, the Body of Christ can feel a bit like those competing parties sometimes.
Our cities are full of different churches, different denominations, and different ministries that are all doing meaningful work to spread the gospel. But far too often, it can feel like people have to choose sides – like attending one church somehow means never investing in the others.
I’ve sat in coffee shops and overheard nearby Christians talk about other churches with so much judgment that I nearly spit out my americano. I’ve also heard well-meaning pastors emphasize serving in the local church so much that they leave out the call to come alongside the rest of the Body of Christ in their community.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting we merge all churches into one giant Christian gathering. You shouldn’t cancel your Sunday service because the church across the street is having one. It is a gift that there are different communities and expressions of the Body of Christ.
That said, we should all be wary of the moment that a subtle edge of competition begins to creep in. Scripture reminds us that “just as the body is one and has many members… so it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). The Church was never meant to function like a collection of separate efforts. We were always meant to move as one body, where “if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Corinthians 12:26).
And if that is true, it is worth asking what it would actually look like for churches to partner together in a way that reflects that reality.
With that in mind, here are 5 ways that your church can begin to come alongside other churches in your community.
5 Practical Ways Churches Can Move From Competition to Collaboration
1. Invest in Relationships With Other Church Leaders
It is a lot harder to compete with someone you actually know. To that end, one of the most practical shifts church leaders can make is actively deciding to be in relationship with one another.
In my home city of San Diego, I have been impressed to see groups of church leaders from various denominations and church communities who gather regularly across the region. There are gatherings for executive pastors, worship leaders, and senior pastors. They rotate who hosts, share a meal, and create space to be honest about what is hard. No formal agenda, no ministry politics. Just leaders doing life together.
What tends to happen over time is almost inevitable. When you have sat across a table from someone, heard about their family, prayed over their church, and had them do the same for you, any competitive edge softens. It becomes easier to celebrate their church growth and come alongside their church as the Body of Christ.
If something like this does not exist in your city yet, you don’t have to wait for someone else to start it. Reach out to two or three neighboring leaders you respect, find a date, and keep it simple. Rotate homes, share a meal, and show up consistently. The structure matters far less than the commitment to keep coming back.
2. Cast a Kingdom-Sized Vision
The culture of your church is built slowly through the things you repeat.
If most of that conversation centers around what is happening inside your church walls, people will naturally measure impact that way through attendance, programs, and internal growth. None of those things is bad, but they are not the whole picture.
To widen that lens, begin weaving language about the broader Church into your everyday rhythms. Pray for a specific church by name on Sunday morning, not vaguely for “other churches,” but for the actual congregation down the street. Mention what God is doing across your city in staff meetings. Dedicate a section of your email newsletter to spotlight another ministry. Invite a pastor from a neighboring church to speak on a Sunday.
These moments may feel small on their own, but they compound over time. They begin to shape a culture that is humble, Kingdom-minded, and outward-facing.
3. Hold People With Open Hands
Ministry is relational by nature. You invest in people, walk with them through real seasons, and pray for them by name. So, of course, it feels significant when someone leaves. And if we are being honest, it can feel like a major loss.
But people were never meant to belong to us. They belong to God. In practice, this means building a culture where departures are celebrated rather than tolerated.
When someone leaves to move to another city or to serve at another church (and does so in a healthy way, following the Lord’s leading), pray over them publicly. Keep the door genuinely open to your church rather than letting things become awkward and go unaddressed.
It also means paying attention to the language your staff uses when someone exits. If the default is to quietly analyze what went wrong or let people slip out the back, that is a culture worth addressing directly. How you release people is a leadership practice, and whether you realize it or not, your team is always watching how you handle it.
4. Share the Load and Deploy Your People Well
If you’ve been in ministry for any amount of time, you probably know the temptation to try to be everything for everyone. To have a program for every need and a solution for every gap. But trying to meet every need in your city through your own church is not sustainable, and honestly, it is not good stewardship either.
Before launching something new, it is worth asking what already exists. Is there a recovery ministry in your city already doing this well? A young adult gathering that already has momentum? A food pantry that has been faithfully serving your neighborhood for twenty years? If so, you may not need to build a parallel version. You may just need to send people there to help!
The same principle applies to how you talk about serving within your own congregation. When people get the sense that their contribution only counts if it happens inside your programs, you are unintentionally capping what they can offer.
Encourage your church members toward local nonprofits, schools, and neighborhood organizations. Keep a running list of outside opportunities to partner with other churches, and share it in your regular communications. And when someone steps into a meaningful role beyond your church, name it from the stage and celebrate it out loud. Become a congregation of people fully deployed in the work God has called them to, wherever that may be.
5. Create Simple, Visible Pathways for Partnership
One reason collaboration between churches feels difficult isn't that people aren’t open to partnering. It is often because they simply aren’t aware of what is happening at the church or ministry down the street.
To help overcome this, consider creating a shared calendar with other churches in your neighborhood. If that feels too complex, start smaller. Work with other pastors to plan a yearly service project you can host together.
Another simple step is to create a “Next Steps” page on your website that includes opportunities beyond your own programs.
When collaboration is visible and accessible, people are far more likely to step into it.
A Bigger Vision for the Church
Looking back, that fifth-grade birthday dilemma was never really about cupcakes or bounce houses. It was about the assumption that celebration had to be divided.
It did not. It just needed someone to reimagine what was possible.
In many ways, the Church has the same opportunity. We are not lacking passion, vision, or resources. What we often lack is alignment. A shared willingness to see beyond our own walls and recognize that we are already part of something bigger.
The body of Christ was never meant to compete with itself. And while we may not be able to “combine the parties,” we can choose to collaborate in ways that reflect the unity we say we believe in.
podcast transcript
Susanna is a theological content writer with a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. She is passionate about ministry, running, and exploring new cultures through international travel. In her free time, you’ll find her surfing, obsessing over the Olympics, or enjoying the San Diego sunshine!
When I was in fifth grade, my two best friends planned their birthday parties on the same weekend. While I should have been excited about double the cupcakes and bounce houses, it ended up feeling more like an impossible choice.
For a few days, it turned into unnecessary drama. Who was going to which party? Would someone feel left out? Was I supposed to split my time equally?
And then, after what felt like weeks of overthinking it, their moms stepped in with a simple idea. What if we just combined the parties?
Suddenly, everything went back to normal. The tension disappeared. There was no more choosing sides. It became one larger, better celebration.
When the Body of Christ Starts Competing With Itself
If we are being honest, the Body of Christ can feel a bit like those competing parties sometimes.
Our cities are full of different churches, different denominations, and different ministries that are all doing meaningful work to spread the gospel. But far too often, it can feel like people have to choose sides – like attending one church somehow means never investing in the others.
I’ve sat in coffee shops and overheard nearby Christians talk about other churches with so much judgment that I nearly spit out my americano. I’ve also heard well-meaning pastors emphasize serving in the local church so much that they leave out the call to come alongside the rest of the Body of Christ in their community.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting we merge all churches into one giant Christian gathering. You shouldn’t cancel your Sunday service because the church across the street is having one. It is a gift that there are different communities and expressions of the Body of Christ.
That said, we should all be wary of the moment that a subtle edge of competition begins to creep in. Scripture reminds us that “just as the body is one and has many members… so it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). The Church was never meant to function like a collection of separate efforts. We were always meant to move as one body, where “if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Corinthians 12:26).
And if that is true, it is worth asking what it would actually look like for churches to partner together in a way that reflects that reality.
With that in mind, here are 5 ways that your church can begin to come alongside other churches in your community.
5 Practical Ways Churches Can Move From Competition to Collaboration
1. Invest in Relationships With Other Church Leaders
It is a lot harder to compete with someone you actually know. To that end, one of the most practical shifts church leaders can make is actively deciding to be in relationship with one another.
In my home city of San Diego, I have been impressed to see groups of church leaders from various denominations and church communities who gather regularly across the region. There are gatherings for executive pastors, worship leaders, and senior pastors. They rotate who hosts, share a meal, and create space to be honest about what is hard. No formal agenda, no ministry politics. Just leaders doing life together.
What tends to happen over time is almost inevitable. When you have sat across a table from someone, heard about their family, prayed over their church, and had them do the same for you, any competitive edge softens. It becomes easier to celebrate their church growth and come alongside their church as the Body of Christ.
If something like this does not exist in your city yet, you don’t have to wait for someone else to start it. Reach out to two or three neighboring leaders you respect, find a date, and keep it simple. Rotate homes, share a meal, and show up consistently. The structure matters far less than the commitment to keep coming back.
2. Cast a Kingdom-Sized Vision
The culture of your church is built slowly through the things you repeat.
If most of that conversation centers around what is happening inside your church walls, people will naturally measure impact that way through attendance, programs, and internal growth. None of those things is bad, but they are not the whole picture.
To widen that lens, begin weaving language about the broader Church into your everyday rhythms. Pray for a specific church by name on Sunday morning, not vaguely for “other churches,” but for the actual congregation down the street. Mention what God is doing across your city in staff meetings. Dedicate a section of your email newsletter to spotlight another ministry. Invite a pastor from a neighboring church to speak on a Sunday.
These moments may feel small on their own, but they compound over time. They begin to shape a culture that is humble, Kingdom-minded, and outward-facing.
3. Hold People With Open Hands
Ministry is relational by nature. You invest in people, walk with them through real seasons, and pray for them by name. So, of course, it feels significant when someone leaves. And if we are being honest, it can feel like a major loss.
But people were never meant to belong to us. They belong to God. In practice, this means building a culture where departures are celebrated rather than tolerated.
When someone leaves to move to another city or to serve at another church (and does so in a healthy way, following the Lord’s leading), pray over them publicly. Keep the door genuinely open to your church rather than letting things become awkward and go unaddressed.
It also means paying attention to the language your staff uses when someone exits. If the default is to quietly analyze what went wrong or let people slip out the back, that is a culture worth addressing directly. How you release people is a leadership practice, and whether you realize it or not, your team is always watching how you handle it.
4. Share the Load and Deploy Your People Well
If you’ve been in ministry for any amount of time, you probably know the temptation to try to be everything for everyone. To have a program for every need and a solution for every gap. But trying to meet every need in your city through your own church is not sustainable, and honestly, it is not good stewardship either.
Before launching something new, it is worth asking what already exists. Is there a recovery ministry in your city already doing this well? A young adult gathering that already has momentum? A food pantry that has been faithfully serving your neighborhood for twenty years? If so, you may not need to build a parallel version. You may just need to send people there to help!
The same principle applies to how you talk about serving within your own congregation. When people get the sense that their contribution only counts if it happens inside your programs, you are unintentionally capping what they can offer.
Encourage your church members toward local nonprofits, schools, and neighborhood organizations. Keep a running list of outside opportunities to partner with other churches, and share it in your regular communications. And when someone steps into a meaningful role beyond your church, name it from the stage and celebrate it out loud. Become a congregation of people fully deployed in the work God has called them to, wherever that may be.
5. Create Simple, Visible Pathways for Partnership
One reason collaboration between churches feels difficult isn't that people aren’t open to partnering. It is often because they simply aren’t aware of what is happening at the church or ministry down the street.
To help overcome this, consider creating a shared calendar with other churches in your neighborhood. If that feels too complex, start smaller. Work with other pastors to plan a yearly service project you can host together.
Another simple step is to create a “Next Steps” page on your website that includes opportunities beyond your own programs.
When collaboration is visible and accessible, people are far more likely to step into it.
A Bigger Vision for the Church
Looking back, that fifth-grade birthday dilemma was never really about cupcakes or bounce houses. It was about the assumption that celebration had to be divided.
It did not. It just needed someone to reimagine what was possible.
In many ways, the Church has the same opportunity. We are not lacking passion, vision, or resources. What we often lack is alignment. A shared willingness to see beyond our own walls and recognize that we are already part of something bigger.
The body of Christ was never meant to compete with itself. And while we may not be able to “combine the parties,” we can choose to collaborate in ways that reflect the unity we say we believe in.
VIDEO transcript
When I was in fifth grade, my two best friends planned their birthday parties on the same weekend. While I should have been excited about double the cupcakes and bounce houses, it ended up feeling more like an impossible choice.
For a few days, it turned into unnecessary drama. Who was going to which party? Would someone feel left out? Was I supposed to split my time equally?
And then, after what felt like weeks of overthinking it, their moms stepped in with a simple idea. What if we just combined the parties?
Suddenly, everything went back to normal. The tension disappeared. There was no more choosing sides. It became one larger, better celebration.
When the Body of Christ Starts Competing With Itself
If we are being honest, the Body of Christ can feel a bit like those competing parties sometimes.
Our cities are full of different churches, different denominations, and different ministries that are all doing meaningful work to spread the gospel. But far too often, it can feel like people have to choose sides – like attending one church somehow means never investing in the others.
I’ve sat in coffee shops and overheard nearby Christians talk about other churches with so much judgment that I nearly spit out my americano. I’ve also heard well-meaning pastors emphasize serving in the local church so much that they leave out the call to come alongside the rest of the Body of Christ in their community.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting we merge all churches into one giant Christian gathering. You shouldn’t cancel your Sunday service because the church across the street is having one. It is a gift that there are different communities and expressions of the Body of Christ.
That said, we should all be wary of the moment that a subtle edge of competition begins to creep in. Scripture reminds us that “just as the body is one and has many members… so it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12). The Church was never meant to function like a collection of separate efforts. We were always meant to move as one body, where “if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Corinthians 12:26).
And if that is true, it is worth asking what it would actually look like for churches to partner together in a way that reflects that reality.
With that in mind, here are 5 ways that your church can begin to come alongside other churches in your community.
5 Practical Ways Churches Can Move From Competition to Collaboration
1. Invest in Relationships With Other Church Leaders
It is a lot harder to compete with someone you actually know. To that end, one of the most practical shifts church leaders can make is actively deciding to be in relationship with one another.
In my home city of San Diego, I have been impressed to see groups of church leaders from various denominations and church communities who gather regularly across the region. There are gatherings for executive pastors, worship leaders, and senior pastors. They rotate who hosts, share a meal, and create space to be honest about what is hard. No formal agenda, no ministry politics. Just leaders doing life together.
What tends to happen over time is almost inevitable. When you have sat across a table from someone, heard about their family, prayed over their church, and had them do the same for you, any competitive edge softens. It becomes easier to celebrate their church growth and come alongside their church as the Body of Christ.
If something like this does not exist in your city yet, you don’t have to wait for someone else to start it. Reach out to two or three neighboring leaders you respect, find a date, and keep it simple. Rotate homes, share a meal, and show up consistently. The structure matters far less than the commitment to keep coming back.
2. Cast a Kingdom-Sized Vision
The culture of your church is built slowly through the things you repeat.
If most of that conversation centers around what is happening inside your church walls, people will naturally measure impact that way through attendance, programs, and internal growth. None of those things is bad, but they are not the whole picture.
To widen that lens, begin weaving language about the broader Church into your everyday rhythms. Pray for a specific church by name on Sunday morning, not vaguely for “other churches,” but for the actual congregation down the street. Mention what God is doing across your city in staff meetings. Dedicate a section of your email newsletter to spotlight another ministry. Invite a pastor from a neighboring church to speak on a Sunday.
These moments may feel small on their own, but they compound over time. They begin to shape a culture that is humble, Kingdom-minded, and outward-facing.
3. Hold People With Open Hands
Ministry is relational by nature. You invest in people, walk with them through real seasons, and pray for them by name. So, of course, it feels significant when someone leaves. And if we are being honest, it can feel like a major loss.
But people were never meant to belong to us. They belong to God. In practice, this means building a culture where departures are celebrated rather than tolerated.
When someone leaves to move to another city or to serve at another church (and does so in a healthy way, following the Lord’s leading), pray over them publicly. Keep the door genuinely open to your church rather than letting things become awkward and go unaddressed.
It also means paying attention to the language your staff uses when someone exits. If the default is to quietly analyze what went wrong or let people slip out the back, that is a culture worth addressing directly. How you release people is a leadership practice, and whether you realize it or not, your team is always watching how you handle it.
4. Share the Load and Deploy Your People Well
If you’ve been in ministry for any amount of time, you probably know the temptation to try to be everything for everyone. To have a program for every need and a solution for every gap. But trying to meet every need in your city through your own church is not sustainable, and honestly, it is not good stewardship either.
Before launching something new, it is worth asking what already exists. Is there a recovery ministry in your city already doing this well? A young adult gathering that already has momentum? A food pantry that has been faithfully serving your neighborhood for twenty years? If so, you may not need to build a parallel version. You may just need to send people there to help!
The same principle applies to how you talk about serving within your own congregation. When people get the sense that their contribution only counts if it happens inside your programs, you are unintentionally capping what they can offer.
Encourage your church members toward local nonprofits, schools, and neighborhood organizations. Keep a running list of outside opportunities to partner with other churches, and share it in your regular communications. And when someone steps into a meaningful role beyond your church, name it from the stage and celebrate it out loud. Become a congregation of people fully deployed in the work God has called them to, wherever that may be.
5. Create Simple, Visible Pathways for Partnership
One reason collaboration between churches feels difficult isn't that people aren’t open to partnering. It is often because they simply aren’t aware of what is happening at the church or ministry down the street.
To help overcome this, consider creating a shared calendar with other churches in your neighborhood. If that feels too complex, start smaller. Work with other pastors to plan a yearly service project you can host together.
Another simple step is to create a “Next Steps” page on your website that includes opportunities beyond your own programs.
When collaboration is visible and accessible, people are far more likely to step into it.
A Bigger Vision for the Church
Looking back, that fifth-grade birthday dilemma was never really about cupcakes or bounce houses. It was about the assumption that celebration had to be divided.
It did not. It just needed someone to reimagine what was possible.
In many ways, the Church has the same opportunity. We are not lacking passion, vision, or resources. What we often lack is alignment. A shared willingness to see beyond our own walls and recognize that we are already part of something bigger.
The body of Christ was never meant to compete with itself. And while we may not be able to “combine the parties,” we can choose to collaborate in ways that reflect the unity we say we believe in.
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Susanna is a theological content writer with a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. She is passionate about ministry, running, and exploring new cultures through international travel. In her free time, you’ll find her surfing, obsessing over the Olympics, or enjoying the San Diego sunshine!
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