Click here for a short informational flier.
Click here for the Partnership Covenant document we have developed.
Click here for the Partnership Brochure.
.jpg){kind=logo}
At annual conference 2014, we announced the partnership our conference has formed with the Red Bird Missionary Conference. This partnership is about forming mutual relationships between the churches of our two conferences. The goal is to work side by side to learn best how to be in ministry to our respective communities, as well as be in mission together with each other. Our churches can learn from each other, be in prayer together for each other, share ideas and resources, and so much more.
This new partnership is based on the holistic understanding of ministry and mission, and a ministry that helps, not hurts. See the books “When Helping Hurts” and “Toxic Charity” to get a better understanding of the vision for the foundation of this partnership. These books help us understand how the Church, over many years of ministry and mission, has sometimes done more harm than good. A better model understands that we all have something to offer, and we are all in need of God’s grace and mercy.
There are 22 churches and outreach centers that comprise the Red Bird Missionary Conference (RBMC). Those are pastored by 14 faithful men and women who are considered missionaries in this impoverished region in Southeastern Kentucky. The church attendance at these rural churches ranges from just a handful of people to several dozen.
Instead of every last one of our AWFC churches having an active relationship with the 22 RBMC churches, each AWFC district is focusing on one to four Red Bird churches. The districts form the nucleus of the teams that partner with the teams of RBMC churches. By design, the framework of the partnership is still under development. The needs and gifts vary from church to church, and district to district. Together the partner districts and churches will discover and decide how best to be in ministry and relationship with each other over time.
The intention is not for AWFC churches to go build things for RBMC churches (houses, churches, etc.). Neither will it be to take them a lot of stuff to them or do ministry for them. Instead, the main drivers will relate to economic development, leadership development, evangelism, and joint mission.
One good example: a small RBMC church wants to reach out to the children in their community through a VBS program. They do not have enough people to offer a safe, fun, and effective program by themselves. However, if a team from AWFC went for a week to help them, they would have enough adult supervision, new ideas, and curriculum/material support to hold the VBS. Our churches would not run the VBS for them, but the RBMC church would be empowered to take their outreach with their community to a new level.
Our churches are learning a whole lot from their churches, too. Their pastors have years of experience working with people who are poor, who live in an economically depressed area with few jobs and major issues such as drug use and hopelessness. Let us work together as God’s sent people to reach out in Jesus’ name to the many people everywhere who still need to hear about the love and hope found in Jesus Christ.
We are already forging relationships through sharing prayer concerns, visits, phone calls and letters or emails. Several district teams have already sent teams, shared phone calls and emails, and more.
If there are leaders in your church - clergy or lay - who would like to learn more about this partnership, contact Susan Hunt at 334-356-8014 or susan@awfumc.org.
Click here for a short informational flier.
Click here for the Partnership Covenant document we have developed.