It doesn't take long in ministry to realize there are a lot of churches and organizations out there. Many of them do very similar work, sometimes in the same city and sometimes with the same people.
It is natural to wonder, "Wouldn't it be easier if one ministry just did all of this?"
And if you are in ministry, you may have thought, "Why can't our ministry just do it all?"
Let's be honest. Some churches and ministries operate as if they are the entire body of Christ. But Scripture gives us a very different picture.
Why So Many Ministries?
Paul gives us a clear answer in 1 Corinthians 12. The body of Christ has many parts, each designed to play a unique role. Here is what that means for us:
The body of Christ is one body with many parts by design.
God intends it this way. He created different parts of the body to do different things, even when there are similarities.
No one part of the body can claim to be the whole.
We may never say our church or organization is the body of Christ, but it is easy to operate as if we are.
No part is less important than another.
Sometimes we act as if other ministries do not exist or we push past them because we are focused on our own vision. Our vision should always lift up the entire body of Christ, not just our part of it.
When all the parts work together, the whole body benefits.
Each part should help the others thrive. That is how the body grows strong.
We often read this passage thinking only about our local church. But when we do that, we miss the point. The Church with a capital "C" includes every congregation, every denomination, and every ministry that serves in the name of Jesus. Limiting this passage to our own context means ignoring the rest of the body.
Why Would God Design It This Way?
Collaboration can be hard. It can be messy and even feel inefficient. So why did God make the Church a body and not a factory?
Because...
We all have blind spots.
We are all sinful and finite.
We are called to reach an entire world.
The world is full of diverse cultures, languages, and communities.
We lose focus easily and drift off balance.
We build artificial boundaries.
For all these reasons and more, we need one another.
God intentionally designed us to be interdependent, thriving best together
How Do We Live This Out?
I believe there are four steps we can take.
1. Compete with the right heart.
Competition is not always bad. It can sharpen us and keep us from becoming lazy. The key is to compete for each other, not against each other. Healthy competition helps us grow in excellence and faithfulness.
2. Communicate with openness.
Partnership begins with conversation. Finding common ground builds trust. Years ago, Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Church gave ministries a shared language that helped them understand one another. Sadly, many of us now use our mission and values statements to separate rather than connect. It used to be doctrine that divided us. Now it is branding.
3. Collaborate with humility.
When we are honest about our strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots, we begin to see how we complement one another. It is not wrong to do things differently, but it is better when we recognize that we are part of something larger than ourselves.
4. Complete each other.
My wife loves doing puzzles. When all the pieces come together, the full picture is beautiful. But a missing piece leaves an obvious gap. God is painting a masterpiece with His Church. Each church and ministry is a piece of that picture. We need one another for it to be complete.
The Beauty of Working Together
No one ministry can or should do it all. God designed the body of Christ to function through many parts working together. When we honor that design, we show His wisdom and power more beautifully than any one of us could on our own.
In the end, the goal is not for my ministry to win.
It is for His Kingdom to come.