Expanding the Expedition through Partnerships
By Christian Coon
1 of 23 books in the 2022 Greatest Expedition Series
greatestexpedition.com
After more than a year of adjusting the being the church during a pandemic, churches are considering ways to take advantage of the post-pandemic time as a period to reach out to their communities a create new methods of worship.In Expanding the Expedition Through Church Partnerships, author Christian Coon leads readers to consider the possibilities of a church partnership. Coon suggests ingredients to help readers through the process of making important decisions and/or taking steps forward. These include Engaging in intentional prayer, listening to many different voices, reflecting on the Scriptures, asking the “What if?” question, anticipating pushback and possibly sabotage.
Author Christian Coon quickly admits that all of these ingredients are not original. They have been handed down through the ages with our ancestors of the faith using them, tweaking them, and adding to them. The reader is invited to find beauty in items that may seem out of date or irrelevant.
Testimonials
Christian Coon draws deeply from his own ministry experience and provides a strategic, practical resource that will inspire pastors and faith communities to expand their current mission field, to establish new and collaborative church partnerships and to explore innovative models for ministry. This remarkable, creative approach to multiplying ministry and building partnerships integrates spiritual disciplines, organizing principles and critical reflection, and has proven to be effective.
Bishop Tracy S. Malone
East Ohio Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church
In an effort to reach new people, more and more churches are exploring mergers, creative closures, multi-site, or partnership with other churches. The possibilities are exciting but the process is daunting. No matter where your church is in its life cycle, this book is a must read for leaders that are serious about discerning creative possibilities for their future. Even more, it is also a practical guide on how to actually get there.
Matt Miofsky
Lead Pastor, The Gathering, St. Louis MO
Joining churches together for shared ministry and leadership is no easy task and not always successful! Christian offers insights to this unique and organic journey for churches to partner that builds trust, transparency, and accountability. This is a must-read for any leader who is considering joining churches together.
Kay Kotan
Author of Being the Church in a Post-Pandemic World
How does one honor a struggling or smaller church’s history and ministry? How does one engage a new community of faith to live out their vision with an existing congregation? Christian Coon asks a simple question: what if? Listen to the voices and prepare to celebrate and affirm what each holds in common.
Bishop Michael McKee
North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church