YoungLives Handbook - Flipbook - Page 19
ESSENTIAL # 5:
CHURCH AND
COMMUNITY
COLLABORATION
Collaboration with churches and the community is vital for gathering volunteers and potential financial
support. It also plays a crucial role in identifying potential resources and community advocates for
YoungLives. By partnering with community organizations, the ministry can leverage existing efforts
rather than duplicating them. As you start building a committee, its members will assist in forging
even more connections with churches and community agencies, enhancing the ministry’s reach and
impact.
BUILDING CHURCH RELATIONSHIPS
Churches are a valuable resource for establishing ministry partnerships for YoungLives. Beyond
financial support, churches may provide club space, childcare, food, storage, and donations of supplies.
Encourage the church to be involved in the ministry through prayer, recruitment of volunteers as
mentors or childcare, and other support.
It is often easiest to begin with a church where you or someone you know has an existing relationship
with church leadership. It is equally important to direct your efforts to establishing relationships with
churches in the community where you want to begin ministry (if your ministry is starting in a different
community than the one you live in). Be sure to include in your strategy those churches whose ethnicity
and socioeconomic background reflect the adolescent parents you want to reach. These churches will
often have a vested interest in making a difference in their own community.
Your goal is to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with a church. You should do some
homework to familiarize yourself with the church, its heart for ministry, and the ways it is already
serving in the community. YoungLives can add to or dovetail with existing ministries. Remember that
we are not trying to provide them with a service; we are seeking to collaborate. We want to serve them,
not just ask them to serve!
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