My Life in Our Father's World

Partnerships

One of the hardest lessons to teach young children is sharing. From the moment of birth, we learn that if we cry loud enough & long enough our wants and needs will be met. When we are old enough to start playing with other children, we are shocked to find out that we have to take turns, and horror-of-horrors, share our favorite toy.

Unfortunately, many of us never get over our selfishness. This leads to relational strife and isolation.

I wish that I could say that the body of Christ is exempt from stinginess, but that would be a fictitious assumption. All too often we are so attached to our stuff or our building that we refuse to use these gifts for the benefit of others.

The congregation of Mundelein Church of the Nazarene has recently been given the opportunity to compromise. You see, we already share our building with Iglesia del Nazareno which means certain events and activities have to be scheduled at odd times or off-site so as not to interfere with their worship services.

AND NOW…

The Mundelein area has the largest Korean population in the Chicagoland area so we are welcoming a new church plant to join us as well.

This new partnership will bring more compromise.

BUT…

What joy to join with two other congregations to spread the love of Christ in our community. I for one, am excited to witness where this new partnership takes us.

Three congregations.

Three languages.

Three hearts united to do Kingdom work.

20 comments

  2. Oh, man, there are Koreans coming,
    bless the church, and God save me
    for the kitchens will be humming
    with the flavour of kimchee.
    Way back when in Viet Nam
    (yeah, two words, it means Far South)
    I had learned to eat nuoc mam
    without return trip from my mouth,
    but kimchee’s really spicy hot,
    and produces lots of gas,
    so there is no way I’ll not
    prevent that which I would not pass,
    but put a clothespin on your nose;
    with Christ, that’s just the way it goes.

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  3. Your story lines up perfectly with the events in the second chapter of Acts. It’s wonderful that your church is willing to share their building with two other congregations. Like it says in Ecclesiastes, “A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

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  4. Three congregations, three languages, and three hearts, but one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all(Ephesians 4:4-6). Love it when believers dwell together in unity! 😊

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  8. Back when I was a teen, my dad was asked to plant a spanish mission in an existing anglo church that was looking to disband because their congregation was aging, and their youth were moving away.
    In order that the church building would continue to be in use in a predominantly spanish speaking community they wanted to transfer the building over to the Hispanic mission.
    It was a success, and the church continues today, and my dad was their first pastor.
    Thinking back, I am grateful to have been a charter member, and so proud of my dad!
    Expect much more growth, God is looking to expand again!

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  9. What an amazing opportunity for your community. It shows how compromise can be a good thing – there’s grace in that. Thanks for sharing. Visiting from #11 this week.

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  10. I love hearing stories like this, Barb. What a wonderful thing to share your building, which is sharing your hearts and the love of God. I can imagine it does bring lots of complications along with it, but they can be worked out when you’re all working with one Spirit.

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