In our experience with passionate leaders like you, we’ve seen that a critical element to success is the community partnerships for your new business.
If you want to jump straight to the main points, here are some helpful links:
Questions to ask as you get ready to pursue collaborations:
- Who are you looking to serve with your venture?
- Do you trust God’s timing?
- How do you view potential partners?
Proven ways to secure effective community partnerships for your venture:
These strategic partnerships multiply your efforts and accomplish significantly more than you can do alone with people who share your values of giving back to the community.
After all, your mission is bigger than you and your team. When you partner with other entities, you —
- Deepen your impact
- Sharpen your execution
- Glean wisdom from those walking alongside you
- Ultimately, multiply the Kingdom influence
This African proverb makes the point well:
Ask yourself these 3 questions as you get ready to pursue collaborations. And then keep reading to find our proven ways to secure those collaborations effectively.
1. Who are you looking to serve with your venture?
If it’s an attempt to build a personal reputation, you need to go back to your “why.”If you’re passionate about meeting people where they’re at and looking for opportunities to bring them into the Kingdom, strategic partnerships will be the foundation for a substantial impact.
2. Do you trust God’s timing?
Yes, it might feel more efficient to go it alone, but it’s not necessarily more effective. We’re all limited by the systems around us, and when we join together, we carry the weight to make a difference. Rare is the church, organization, or business that’s powerful enough to have a true impact on the community around them. It takes collaboration.
3. How do you view potential partners?
Beyond the mechanics of collaboration, partnering with other organizations develops in us a “heart of peace” that sees others with love and dignity.
Do you have a sense that your idea, team, or mission is more important than someone else’s purpose? If so, you’re at risk of “using” others to accomplish your goals, forgetting the mission at large.
Check your heart. Are you genuinely valuing those with whom you’re looking to collaborate?
In our years working with churches, businesses, and leaders, we’ve seen many teams eager to build these partnerships but feel stuck and unsure how to begin. As part of our signature process, we can help you move from uncertainty to confidence.
3 Proven Ways to Secure Effective Community Partnerships For Your Venture
1. Build Relationships
Not everyone will want to partner with you, nor do you want to align yourself with everyone in your community. But certainly, everyone is worthy of your respect and understanding.
By putting others first and being genuinely interested in their work within the community, you and your team will lay the foundation for building healthy relationships.
Here’s an easy tool to utilize: Actively listen to the heart of the speaker, not to change others’ views and perspectives, but to truly hear. Instead of seeing others as an object, listen to —
- Learn about others
- Learn from others
- Understand their perspective and how you might have been mistaken
2. Establish Trust
This one is simple — in theory. Establishing the trust of those around you simply means you’ve done what you said you’d do.
Have you?
The proof is in the pudding, so to speak. Has your team fulfilled commitments and maintained healthy relationships with others in the community? Do you have a reputation for following through and finishing well?
The reputation of your team, your leadership, and ultimately your venture will go before you.
Building Trust With Support
When a Michigan pastor established a unique partnership, it benefitted both his mission and the mission of a local partner. Likewise, there have been unexpected benefits, too.
When Pastor Matt Schuler from Oxford, Michigan, began coaching with FiveTwo, it was to move his new church from a place of “doing church” to a new purpose of “being the church.” Their mission was to introduce people to Jesus.
In addition to open mic nights and an expanded preschool ministry, Holy Cross Oxford Lutheran Church began a Bible study in an unlikely place: a local pub.
At the Beers and Bibles gathering, men and women of varying spiritual walks meet to open the Bible and ask questions, starting a conversation about Jesus. About the unique study, Matt says, “I invite people to Beers and Bibles before inviting them to a weekend worship service because it is an easier way to start a conversation about Jesus.”
And that’s not all. In addition to supporting the local establishment and collaborating on this bi-monthly event, Matt has begun developing relationships with the staff members, owners, and brewmasters, finding opportunities to have spiritual conversations and hear about their journeys.
Sometimes building trust starts by patronizing an establishment and simply supporting their work in the community. Keep your eyes open for unique relationship opportunities.
3. Find Engaging Collaborators
Start finding community partners by simply doing your research. Keep track of individuals and organizations, their contact information, and — most importantly — how you can help one another.
Pastor Tom Eggebrecht explains an excellent partnership experience he developed with a fellow pastor in Castlebury, Florida.
In addition, Tom established relationships with local authorities and leaders, which only helped the coalition’s mission to bless the community in the name of Christ. But remember, these relationships didn’t develop overnight — more like over 2-3 years. Be patient.
Likewise, be mindful of potential collaborations within your faith family. Be on the lookout for like-minded people who’ve caught the vision you’ve established for your venture and might be a perfect fit for your team.
Remember, we are better together.
As you can see, securing community partnerships for your new business venture has incredible benefits and multiple purposes. We’ve seen ventures experience widespread success because of their dedication to building relationships, establishing trust, and finding engaging collaborators.
