In the last few months, I (Alvin) have had the honour of working alongside the Church Life team with the Small Church Envisioning days (the last session is this Saturday at Immanuel Baptist Church in Toronto). While there have been several inter-department collaborations in the past, this round reminded me of its importance. Here are a few insights.

  • I can (and should) learn from others. Admittedly, I sometimes have a prideful (maybe even arrogant) stance. The fact is, I can learn from others, even if I’ve heard their presentation multiple times before. The Holy Spirit may reveal specific nuances at certain times.
  • I do have something to offer. More and more, my presentations aren’t new discoveries, but rather new ways to help people connect  with information they may already know. This helps us look at things in new ways and reframe a ministry understanding into something more useful.
  • Together, we exemplify the body of Christ. While we each have our own areas of responsibilities, when we work together both our similarities and our differences shine and remind us that we are his body.

Within our office staff, interdepartmental collaboration is key both to our effectiveness and our efficiency in the work God entrusts us to do.

So, who else can you collaborate with in your ministry setting? Perhaps there’s a connection point you’ve never considered before. I pray that those (perhaps undiscovered) inter-departmental channels will become evident as together we seek to do the will of the One who sent us, on earth as it is in heaven.