TWINNING
The coupling, association, or partnership between two similar people, groups, or things
TWINNING IN MISSIONS
Doing missions by partnering with indigenous Churches or individuals in unreached and unevangelised nations, cultures, or regions.
At the heart of the Church is an interdependent community of people with a world-wide vision. This commitment to live with an open Bible on a large open map makes an important contribution to global missions. But this also requires an open mind and an open hand; exposure and partnerships
TWINNING is not a new concept in global missions, but it is a neglected concept.
For too long missions was a one-way street where there was a ‘sender’ and a ‘receiver’. Developing partnerships is the new norm and “twinning” churches with churches, and believers with believers, will take missions beyond traditional limitations and will allow all role-players to play equally significant roles.
The future of missions must be ‘organic and relational partnerships between Christian groups and individuals.’
Paul’s metaphor of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12) gives clear encouragement to churches to acknowledge our interdependency, deny our self-sufficiency and to develop partnerships with other parts of the world-wide body of Christ. The Word is uncompromising in addressing the independence that many mission activities sadly reflect: 1 Corinthians 12:20-22 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.
“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’” is true both for the eye and also for the hand. Different parts of the world-wide Church are called to join together in the essential task of sharing God’s love in a world full of different needs. This is a task that crosses boundaries of culture and language. No part of the Church can do it alone. We need each other. We are called to work in partnership with others.
Cross-cultural partnerships help develop the vision of the Church and of the world. For too long there were those on the giving end of missions and those on the receiving end of missions. TWINNING will strengthen both the ‘giver’ and the ‘receiver’ and will give both role-players the opportunity to change roles from time to time. The fact that the Church is described as a ‘body’, a living organism, will allow for all to discover the joys of reaching cultures previously unreachable. The achievement of this purpose will help to transform the Church and the lives of individual Christians.
This journey of faith will result in strangers becoming friends and will require that all parties whole-heartedly commit to Kingdom principles in joining hands for a common purpose: unity in Christ through different ministries for the glory of God. It is therefore key, even before involving the wider community, for the key role-players to determine, in a flexible and broad context, the common goals and shared vision.
Churches and groups that twin together in a partnership will subsequently need a clear focus and follow a process of discovery. Relationships don’t just happen; it takes time, trust, and communication. The following process will assist to build mutual understanding and accountability:
This first phase of church twinning starts by determining the VISION:
With a clear vision of what we can become, no ocean of difficulty is too great. Without it, we rarely move beyond our current boundaries. TWINNING will require effort and vision, but the results will be rewarding and fruitful.
STEP 2. INVESTIGATE THE OPTIONS
The second phase of Church twinning starts by determining the MISSION. This step needs to be approached in the same way that we choose a partner to marry – it is a long-term decision and should take all factors in consideration.
Choosing the right TWIN to partner with is a very significant decision for a church to make. You must make this choice judiciously and not let yourself be blinded by the romance of entering a new culture. Do not ignore red flags and “deal breakers.” You should have your list of “must haves” that extend beyond theology. Think about personality, character traits and key things to have in common, such as a strong work ethic, honesty, a sense of humour, stability, and the ability to openly communicate.
STEP 3. ESTABLISH THE RELATIONSHIP
This phase of building a partnership is important to ensure that relationships are strong, expectations are clear and principles of working together are established.
The first question in establishing a partnership, that needs to be answered honestly and openly by all partners involved is: Am I comfortable with compromise?
This will be an integral part of any successful relationship. Be prepared to think in terms of “we – our churches,” not just “me – my church.” You should feel that you are ready to do this and that you also see this trait in the person you are with. You must never feel as if you are sacrificing the things that are most important to you. You ought to feel good about creating a partnership, even though you are at times conceding some things that may not be worth fighting about.
Above all, you should know deep down that you can count on this person. This will require good planning, good maintenance, and good communication. For this you would need good leadership – on both sides.
STEP 4. CONNECT THE ROLE-PLAYERS
This is the exciting phase where role-players are physically introduced to one another and twinning officially take place.
Clear expectations, from both twinned church partners, and an agreed plan of activities and principles for how the twinning will work now has to be discussed and agreed on by both partners and is essential to building a fruitful relationship.
Agree how best to communicate with each other. How often, and by what means? It can be useful to use things such as WhatsApp, Facebook, or Skype to bring congregations together or to ‘be together’ for events. Find out what works best for both partners. Be discreet and be aware of security issues as well.
1. Co-development and planning
Engaging in inter-church partnerships across barriers of culture, race and language is both risky and exciting. Common themes should be agreed and explored in both communities. A plan of activities and aims of the twinning relationship should be co-developed, and both partners need to be happy with how they can contribute. Expectations must be shared and managed.
In order to achieve a fruitful twinning, Churches should commit to a document of understanding that is discussed and agreed on by both parties (you are welcome to get in touch with us for a detailed document of understanding at www.dia-LOGOS.co.za).
Congratulations on establishing your partnership – now comes the challenging part. Partners will soon discover that values differ, priorities are not always shared, and worldviews are often worlds apart. Living in an “honour/ shame culture” has completely different values than living in a “right/ wrong culture”. There will have to be intentional efforts to bridge the differences by focussing on the following:
Be prepared to work through conflict in a spirit of mutual openness, respect, sensitivity, and commitment to one another. Great learning and growth can be the result. Find opportunities and strengthen the relationship. As the partnership develops aim to give opportunities to:
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make friendships across cultures and language, and break down barriers based on stereotypes and prejudice
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help us to see ourselves as others see us
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accept and learn from that which is different, foreign, or alien to us, as well as what is similar. This is at the heart of a meeting and should not be overlooked, particularly in the early stages of development. Some of this may be disconcerting or unsettling but it should not be seen as a threat to the partnership
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develop new insights and self-awareness into what it means to be Christian and to be the Church
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experience new forms of worship and new methods in mission.
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develop a sense of solidarity
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invite the partner to share their observations of your situation and the challenges you face
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strengthen the concern for other parts of the world and for your own context.
STEP 6. EXPAND THE CIRCLE
At last, it is time to launch the twinning partnership officially!
STEP 7. DEVELOP THE RELATIONSHIP
At last, it is time to launch the twinning partnership officially!
It is important to take the time for each church and congregation, as well as leaders, to reflect on the twinning partnership and how it is going.
If you would like to learn more about twinning churches and how it can be a powerful tool for spreading the Gospel, promoting Christian unity, and fulfilling the Great Commission, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Stefan: 082 952 9800
stefan@dialogos.co.za
Mike: 082 865 7380
info@dialogos.co.za
