Delmar Yoder and Angel Soto point to the route their partnership exploration team traveled during a visit to Argentina. Photo: Linda Shelly

Overview

Mission partnerships consist of groups who have formed covenants with each other to accomplish specific, mutually beneficial objectives. They raise financial support, set ministry directions and deploy mission personnel. Partnerships illustrate the increasingly interconnected nature of global mission. Collaboration permits partners to accomplish far more when they connect with others who share a similar vision and commitment.

Current partnership options are listed below. If you are interested in receiving additional information, please e-mail

Ministry Connections: Congregations, congregational sub-groups, businesses or individuals can arrange an ongoing relationship with a mission worker or ministry. Ministry Connection relationships provide prayer support, personal support, and financial support for ministries around the globe. In some cases, participants designate contributions specifically for the ministries to which they relate. In other cases, people connect simply to make mission more personal.

Global Mission Partnerships: Congregations, area conferences and other groups participate very directly in all aspects of these partnerships (global participation). Partners organize to accomplish specific mission objectives. They coordinate their efforts through a partnership facilitator and a partnership council engaging Mennonite Church USA members with others in shared control, direction-setting and decision-making.  An extended exploratory process engages all potential partners in dialog as vision and leadership needs are refined.  By the time initial objectives are defined, partners confirm their participation and agree on roles each will fill.

Ministry Support Teams (MST): Ministry Support Teams work with Mennonite Mission Network to launch ministry support networks for long-term workers (at least two year terms). Theses teams involve congregations and individuals in providing much needed personal, prayer and financial support to specific workers or ministries.  Ministry Support Teams carry out programs of mission education and fund-raising, but do not participate in decision-making about ministry directions. Ministry Support Teams are also supported by an MST Coach. The Coach helps the group think about ways to be involved in the work God is doing through Mission Network and provides ongoing resources and encouragement to congregations so that the worker they support is wrapped with prayer, encouraging letters and emails and financial giving. Read more on this model in the related news story, Ministry support teams generate energy, passion

Sister Link Partnerships: In cooperation with Mennonite Women, groups of women connect internationally for differing lengths of time and typically focus on gifts sharing around particular projects.