Welcome to the fifth article in a series designed to enhance the use of the Small Membership Church Guideline. Ideally, this Guideline will be shared among your church leaders, read, discussed together, and used to strengthen ministry.

Here is added information and material on sharing ministry to help you get the most out of this resource in your small-membership church.

Types of Shared Ministry
There are many ways congregational members can share ministry with other congregations or even local organizations. Sharing ministry is a way to extend mission and ministry into the community. Fortunately, it is not dependent on one church having all the resources, but it is essential that a participating church is willing to be a ministry resource with (and for) others.

Informal Shared Ministries
Some shared ministries are informal, such as events, organized activities, and programs that occur occasionally, seasonally, or as needs arise. The church may "vote" to participate, but there is not a long-term connection that depends on combined finances, leadership, or other factors. Usually, these forms of ministry are group- or association-oriented. Examples of these would be:

1. Seasonal ministries (Holy Week services; summer activities)
2. Age-level shared ministries (vacation Bible school; children's camp; area youth ministry)
3. DISCIPLE Bible study (classes open to several churches)
4. Shared mission projects (3 churches building a Habitat House, a town emergency disaster relief team after a tornado)
5. Others (theater production company, etc.)

Formal Shared Ministries
Other shared ministries are more formal in the way they are organized and sustained. They may have leadership, funding, or space that is shared. They are intentionally connected in a longer-term relationship. Examples would include:

1. Cooperative Parish: many congregations with one staff
2. Circuit: multiple congregations served by one pastor
3. Cluster: multiple charges each with own pastor in ministry together
4. Ecumenical Shared (Federated/Union): more than one denomination
5. Shared Facility: more than one congregation/organization sharing site
6. Community Development: Shalom Zone; non-profit incorporated
7. Others

Discussion Questions and Activities

• What types of shared ministry does your congregation participate in currently?
• One of the determining factors for the success of shared ministry is perspective. Do people in your congregation see sharing ministry as a barrier or a bridge to faithful mission? Why?
• Consider the list of "barriers ands bridges" to sharing ministry below. (Note that barriers are things that prevent you from extending mission and ministries into the community with others. Bridges are things that make it possible to do so.)
• Under each column, write additional words that are especially true in your context. Next, star the top three words in each column that are especially true in your situation. Review your selection carefully. Which column is more powerful: barriers or bridges? Why?
• Now select one or two of the most powerful barriers and brainstorm a list of ways to work to overcome them. Let the list simmer for a while; and in a church council meeting, work to develop a manageable action plan to address the main barriers. (As you make progress with the first one or two, begin work on the next two.)
• Select three or four of the most powerful bridges. Examine why those bridges are possible and then consider the success factors you have identified. How can you apply those factors (not specific activities) to address the barriers?

Barriers	Bridge
Fear	Courage to try
Pride	Humility
Inexperience	Experience
Leaders unwilling to try	Leaders willing to try
Unresolved conflict between churches	Good relationship between churches
Little desire to serve community	Desire to serve community
Distrust of others	Trust others
Hope someone will save us	Hope we can serve others
Negative experience	Positive experience
_______________________	_______________________
_______________________	_______________________
_______________________	_______________________

Copyright © 2004 The General Board of Discipleship. Permission is granted for use in local church training or study groups. No portion of this article may be reprinted or republished in any form for any other reason without written consent.

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