PARTNERSHIP
Partnership with SJM
Partnership is a scriptural principle which was established by God to bring benefit and blessing to our lives. The Apostle Paul realized the tremendous value of partnership in his own personal life and ministry.
Partnership is Powerful
Through the principle of partnership, everyone reaps the same benefits and receives the same rewards. Partnership in ministry is established by God for the purpose of reaching the world with the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ. Through partnership we can accomplish something great!
Partnership Has Value
In a letter to the church at Philippi, Paul said, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now." Paul acknowledged the people of Philippi and expressed his gratitude for their fellowship in the gospel. The Revised Standard Version says that Paul was thankful for their partnership in the gospel. According to Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary, the definition of partnership is "the association of two or more persons for the purpose of understanding and prosecuting any business."
Partnership is of God
Partnership was established by God and dates back to the Old Testament during the days of David. In 1 Samuel 30, David and his band of mighty men are in pursuit of the Amalekites who had taken their families captive and had stolen their possessions. As David's army was aggressively tracking their enemy, 200 of their company became fatigued and could not go any further. David left them at the Brook Besor and told them to guard the supplies while he and the rest of his men continued on. After claiming victory and recovering the spoils of war, the 400 men that fought in the battle did not want to include the 200 men that stayed behind when it came to dividing the spoils. But David said in 1 Samuel 30:24, "But as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike."
The Message Bible says, "The share of the one who stays with the gear is the share of the one who fights - equal shares. Share and share alike."
