Congregational partners make us aware who we really are. We are Witnesses of the Gospel. Our congregational partners send us as an extension of their witness around the world–to share the Gospel of Peace. In return, the world sends us back to our congregational partners as witnesses of what God is doing among the nations around the world.
Witnesses share their experience of God, of Jesus, of the Spirit. With much respect to those whom we witness to. Not imposing. Not proselytizing. But serving. Loving. This is the life and message our partners send us with.
Our congregational partners are ‘the home’ of our being witnesses. Without this ‘home’, we’ll just be perpetual wanderers doing good stuff without a ‘return’ direction. With congregational partners, we know deep within us that there are communities, segments of a larger community, who would welcome us home.
Congregational partners and Witness workers are like the two legs of a compass. The needle leg is the congregational partner; the pencil leg is the Witness worker. Witness workers can expand as far as we can reach–geographically, culturally, theologically; but our point-of-reference is the Body of Christ who sent us, particularized in the congregations whom we have established relationships with. Imagine being a compass with a pencil leg but without a needle leg? It would be a messy circle!
Imagine too, if the compass has needle leg without pencil leg.