Step #2 - Alignment

        “If you don’t know who you are, or what matters to you, you won’t know who you should marry.”

In my last blog entry, I talked about the importance of building a missions ministry from the foundation up instead of the roof down. That means we start with spiritual discernment instead of strategic planning. We don’t just do stuff; we pray and listen. We don’t just pass out money to people we like or who make impressive presentations, we follow God’s lead. It is hard to overstate the importance of spiritual discernment. But there is a next step that matters a great deal also and is closely connected: alignment. 

If your congregation is going to have a healthy, impactful, and resilient missions ministry, the things you get involved with globally need to fit who you are locally. If you are out of alignment, you will likely end up in one or more of the ministry dysfunctions I wrote about earlier in this series.   

There are two important types of alignment to consider here: theology and values. 

Theological Alignment 

It is important that the ministries with whom you partner globally share the same core understanding of God, his mission, and the message of Jesus. This seems so obvious that it should not need to be said, but misalignment still happens frequently. At MRN, we’ve seen situations where workers in other countries would disfellowship their supporting American churches if those churches were in their country or vice versa.

It is not uncommon for American churches to form partnerships based on relationships without really exploring beliefs, and later be surprised at what they are supporting. Also, churches can get out of alignment with missions partners over time. Most of the time, becoming misaligned is not from partners misrepresenting themselves. Rather, one partner has likely changed in their understanding of scripture and/or practices over time, but the other partner has not been on the same spiritual journey and may not know about the change with the other partner. Over time, the two partners not only end up in some tension, but they may actually be in significant disagreement about core understandings of the gospel or church practice. 

Where this occurs, it needs to be addressed or it will undermine the integrity of both partners and create a major motivation problem in the supporting church. This is likely more complicated than it appears when working in cross-cultural settings, especially if the leaders in the other country are national leaders instead of American missionaries. For this to go well, it may take a broker who understands both cultures well enough to facilitate healthy dialogue that does not produce shame and judgment but fosters respectful understanding and the opportunity for re-alignment. The American church needs to be patient but persistent in this effort before making a change. However, if they cannot get in alignment, then it is best to help that ministry find support from churches that are in alignment with them theologically, or at least begin to phase out of supporting something they believe is teaching what is not healthy or true. 

One caveat: the gospel must be contextualized in every culture. I’m talking about deep misalignment. I’m not talking about practices that are by necessity different by context, but major conflicting understandings of the core beliefs of a church and/or matters that would cause one partner to break fellowship with the other if the issue were in the open. 

Values Alignment  

Not only do missions partners across countries and cultures need to share theological compatibility, but they also need to share similar values. The gospel is so comprehensive and calls on us to do good in some many areas, that no church can be part of every good work. It is important that every congregation knows what kinds of ministries fit their congregation’s heart and which do not. 

For example, churches do not all share the same level of passion for children’s ministry, medical missions, clean and accessible water, education ministries, feeding programs, leader development, justice advocacy, unreached people groups, or many other “access” ministries. 

By access ministry I mean the way a mission point demonstrates the love of God for people and gains a hearing for the gospel. The way the gospel takes on human flesh and begins to impact the world varies from place to place. It is important that the values of a supporting church in America line up well with the values that drive the work at each mission point. 

Some churches place high value on Bible teaching but less on compassion ministries. Other churches have a focus on family ministries that work for God’s reconciliation. Whatever ministries you support should make your congregation’s pulse elevate when they hear about it. 

When I’m raising money for MRN, I try to make sure there is good alignment between potential supporters and what we do at MRN. Sometimes, as I get to know potential supporters, I recognize that what God has put on their heart fits another ministry better than MRN. So, I refer those donors to other ministries. Why would I do that? Because we want the kingdom to advance, and the kingdom is bigger than any of us. We are not just promoting an organization. Not every ministry fits every potential partner. Fit matters. Where it is missing, the relationship is unstable and unhealthy. 

Therefore, when we are helping American churches review mission works, we always ask them to refer to their congregation’s values. What you support should excite your people. It is surprising how rarely churches have already considered this. But, where it is done, everything become clearer and more compelling. 

If your church has not identified your core values, we recommend you do that. For help with that process, or help using your values to evaluate your mission points, reach out to us at MRN. In my next blog entry, I’ll unpack the third key step in building a healthy missions ministry: Structural Soundness.