Connected: Partners in Mission

Today, in January of 2023, I have in front of me a small booklet which we use to deliver a clear description of the current objectives of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren. It comes down to four words: Call, Partner, Unleash, and Multiply. We are Called to follow Jesus on his mission and to Partner with others, in practical ways, to carry out that mission, seeking to Unleash new leaders (partners!) into disciple-making efforts which have a Multiplying effect, seeing more people enter the Kingdom of God through faith in Jesus. Let’s focus for a bit on the Partner objective.

If you use Facebook to connect with people, you may have received a message similar to one I had come my way the other day. “Bruce, we care about you and your network of Friends. Here’s a post from the past…” (or something like that). At first I was going to ignore it, but then I realized it might help confirm the dynamic nature of partnerships for this article. Here’s what I posted back in 2016:

“I’m at a restaurant waiting for a meeting and just had a moment to experience the positive side of this ever-expanding connectedness we enjoy (most of the time). On my phone, just now, I was able to read an update from missionary Dean in Japan, find out that missionary Dan is on his way back from Africa (photo evident with the Eiffel Tower in the background!), and get some updates from friends here in Breckenridge, MN and Wahpeton, ND! I then discovered that my old friend Tom is visiting the Philippines, checking into ministry invitations there. GOOD STUFF! Oh, here comes my tea...”

From around the world came some very enjoyable reminders and updates that I have some terrific mission partners who have truly “gone into all the world to preach the gospel.” If you and I were to identify our friends who are in ministry, and the organizations that support them, I’m sure we’d have a very impressive list of partners in the gospel.

Because Partner is one of the senior objectives of the CLB, allow me to give some food for thought on the development of our partnerships.

Let us Partner internationally. My old buddy Tom is still a world traveler, with a special interest in ministry focused on the welfare of children. My Facebook friend, Dean, ministers to the unreached in Japan, and Dan now heads up LB International Mission (see his article on page 8). Did you know LB International Mission provides famine and refugee relief to those in need in Chad? Did you know our missionaries have started a school in a village in Africa, that teaches young Muslim children to read, write, and about Jesus? GOOD STUFF, AGAIN!

All these ministry partnerships help us connect to international mission areas we’d never get to on our own, at least, not as effectively. It is not possible to list the numbers of organizations and individuals that would love to have you partner with them, but, if you aren’t connected internationally, I’d highly recommend you explore what the CLB is doing through LB International Mission (www.clba.org/lbim). For well over one hundred years this international partnership has been at the heart of CLB mission. That’s not changing. Join in.

Let us Partner nationally. As the world gets smaller and smaller because of social media and communications, it has become much easier to connect with like-minded congregations, independent ministries, para-church organizations, and individuals who have much to offer our Church body. Recently, our efforts in CLB North American Mission (NAM) have seen us involved with several groups that offer training and resources for planting churches, training church planters, working with those who want a bit of a “do over” for their congregation, pastoral transition help, and help with other challenges that we face together. As we refresh the staffing of NAM, we are learning all we can from others who have been successful in reaching people across our country with the gospel, with the intent that individuals come to Christ and those individuals are called into fellowship with congregations. If you are unaware of our national work, ask for a copy of our Prayer Link, a monthly prayer letter that serves well to share news of what’s happening in our work as a network of churches in the US and Canada. We’re online, too (www.clbforge.org).

Now, before this becomes too much of a commercial for CLB departments and work, let me get to the one partnership that excites me the most:

Let us Partner individually. This is so personal. We are called to be followers of Jesus, one-by-one, but we are never called to be alone. The Scriptures are clear about our need for each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. The Church, with Christ as the head and his people as the body, goes into all the world, carrying (preaching!) the gospel. And people, other individuals, hear the Word, read the Word, believe the Word, and are saved. And sent.

This is why I’m so committed to having our congregations embrace the ministry of Greg Finke’s Joining Jesus on His Mission books. First, we see that following Jesus into our local communities is simple, even easy. Please don’t take my word for it. Read one of Greg’s books (there are now three) and see if the encouragement given might be something you have been looking for. If you have ever carried guilt because you don’t feel like you are “doing enough for Jesus,” there is good news. For you and for me. Jesus goes ahead of us, preparing people to hear his Word. When we get to them with the Word, he’s already there! The truly basic needs people have can only be met by the presence of Jesus, and we are given the privilege of being carriers of the very Word they need to hear, read, and believe. Consider joining with other individuals to form a group to discuss and pray over how to reach your friends and neighbors with the life-giving message of Jesus.

Partners in Mission. The network of churches that is the Church of the Lutheran Brethren is committed to these basic objectives that will help us respond to the call of Christ. This has always been so, since the first days of our commitments to mission in Asia and Africa, as well as the US and Canada. This call, which we still hear, leads us into missional partnerships of all kinds, and these commitments call for new leaders and ministries which are unleashed, resulting in the multiplication of new disciples in the Kingdom of God. It’s a wonderful thing. It always has been. Come along, partner.

Rev. Bruce Stumbo is North American Mission Lead for the Church of the Lutheran Brethren.