A new initiative invites shared stories of collaboration. Joel Gordon and Adam Kline of the EFC Centre for Ministry Partnership and Innovation explain more.
The EFC is passionate about uniting Evangelicals to bless Canada in the name of Jesus – because the Church is stronger when we can leverage our distinct traditions and work together, bearing even greater witness to Canadians through our kingdom collaboration.
Unity is important. It has always been a central characteristic of Christ’s kingdom. Collaboration is essential – this is how the Body of Christ becomes incarnate. Jesus Himself prayed for unity and collaboration among His disciples:
I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one – as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me (John 17:20-21 NLT).
It was Jesus’ prayer that His disciples would be united, just as He is united with the Father. The oneness shared between God the Father and God the Son is a bond of love and purpose, and Jesus desires us to experience the same.
But how is this possible? Well, let’s reverse engineer it. If the Canadian Church recognizes that our collective witness is stronger when we collaborate, then we will recognize our need to prioritize unity, and open ourselves up all the more to the oneness of God the Father, Son and Spirit.
Jesus knew His disciples would face challenges and difficulties in their mission to share the gospel, and He knew they would need to be united to overcome those challenges. And so He prayed for their unity, but more specifically Jesus prayed that His followers would be in Him and the Father, so that the world would believe in Him.
Unity – true unity – is not the absence of conflict, it is the outflow of God’s own oneness extended to us. And our collaboration is its evidence, the practical manifestation of this divine promise.
Which is why we want to introduce you to The Collaboration Project, a new initiative at the EFC inviting our EFC affiliates to share stories of collaboration. Together we can celebrate unity and experience a greater sense of God’s own oneness.
In the coming weeks and months we’ll regularly share interviews with leaders, artists and educators about best practices. We’ll be listening and learning from their testimony about successful collaboration between diverse groups of disciples. And from those examples, we’ll share unique resources for the Canadian Church so that we can all work together with one mind and purpose.
So, will you join us? Let’s pray as Jesus prayed – for God’s own oneness to overflow, so that we might be united, and see the world believe in Him.
“Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.” Philippians 2:2 NLT