Neighboring Congregations Working Together

Presentation by:

• Rob Guenther – Pastor at St. John’s
• Nate Scharf – Pastor at St. Paul’s

.8 mile apart in New Ulm, Minnesota

Work together with St. Paul’s School

Challenges to Acknowledge BEFORE Partnering

• Sharing a school with different sized churches.
• Disproportionate financial commitment and lack of complete understanding and transparency.
• Do we have the same vision for the school?
• Different Congregational Personalities.

• Known and Unknown Histories.
• Two different options can make people feel like there is competition between churches so close.
• Silo-ing.
• Transferring Members back and forth /People New to NEW Ulm – which congregation will they join???
• Other

Solutions – Prayer and Patience

• (Eph.4) Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit.

COOPERATE

• (Eph.4) Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is Christ.

COMMUNICATE and BE TRANSPARENT

• (Mark 9) “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.”

RESIST THE URGE TO BE TERRITORIAL

KINGDOM MINDSET (what would you add?)

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Assemble like-minded Allies for Working Together

Who would this be for you?

OTNU – One Team New Ulm in Outreach

• JohnandPaulministries.com (Not JohnPaul Ministries). (up to 10 events – Soccer Camp, March in 2 Parades, Summer Send Off with Outdoor worship, Winter Carnival, 2 Canvasses, Easter Event, Trunk or Treat, Share who takes lead.)
• Harvest Strategy spelled out (enough for both parties) and yet Flexible - For New Ulm this is a Center Street division as a soft boundary, but go with connections/relationships you have
• Shared Efforts in our Harvest Strategies with St. Paul’s Preschool, St. Paul’s Lutheran Elementary School, and Martin Luther College Early Childhood Learning Center

OTNU - Shared Gospel Ministry in Town

• There is always “in the moment” ministry in the grocery aisle, an email, or phone call question that comes up…communicate!
• Trade off “Pastor Questions” at the school along with Greeting at the doors.
• Trade off Jail Ministry and Nursing Home Services
• Pulpit Exchanges – Lenten Rotation, Summer Catechetical Series
• Cross promote unique services and opportunities (Tre Ore on Good Friday, Monday night service in the summer, and unique to one Bible Studies or Groups – MUMs, Women’s Bible Class, Grief Group, Cancer Group, Marriage and Pre-marriage seminars, Inreach events like Joint congregational camp-out or waterpark day).
• Joint Worship Service

Challenges to Acknowledge WHILE Partnering

• Sharing Financials with each other – Operation Manager/Bookkeeper/Financial Secretary talking openly and honestly and asking honest questions and seeking answers
• Governance Model with disproportionate voting membership on School Board
• Centralized Communication is so important
• Different Congregational Personalities

• Different Pastoral/Staff Personalities
• Good Times and Bad Times to Talk
• Other

Solutions

• (Eph.6) And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel…

PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER

• (2 Timothy 4) Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. (Acts 6) They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit…(Philemon) To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker – also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier…

SPEAK WELL OF ONE ANOTHER PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY

• (Romans 1) I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong – that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith

GET TOGETHER REGULARLY

(what would you add?)

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Looking to the Future – New Efforts/Resources

• Continued efforts toward collaboration vs. competition
• St. Paul’s continuing to be bigger than St. John’s?

SJ – 900, SP – 2000, Costs associated?

• St. John’s continuing to be better than St. Paul’s? ☺
• Our unique setting and important role/responsibility in the shadow of Martin Luther College
• Anything we are missing???

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What might this look like for you?

• Prayer and Patience
• Humility
• Clear Communication (Corporate and Personal)
• Transparency breaks down barriers
• Third Party Blessings
• Seeking to Understand and honor the past, AND realizing and adjusting to new challenges and opportunities (Health Care costs, membership changes, new standards in education)
• Holding Up the blessings of Cooperation and Building Up one another.
• Little Advances – Year, Big Advances - Years

Story Time

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