Partnering
Now for the Second Half
By Don and Elaine Lanier
"Partnerships and Partnering Are a Way of Life" was a title in a recent business journal I was reading. More and more, there are announcements of new partnerships in the secular world . . . Wal-Mart and McDonalds, Texaco and Carl's Jr., Exxon and Subway, etc.
Curiously though, partnerships for the most part are conspicuous by their absence within the body of Christ, a sad commentary when the Scriptures teach partnering as an important concept. Second Half Ministries is attempting to impact this void by influencing the body of Christ to recognize and embrace partnering in marriages and within the community of believers.
Partnering is a Biblical concept that one can readily see in action in
four relationships: the Trinity, the marriage union, the body of
Christ, and the twelve Apostles. The Trinity is the most curious as I
ponder, "Why did God do it . . . the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?"
Certainly not out of need. God is God, all-powerful, all-knowing,
omnipotent. Possibly He chose to be Three to model for us a unified
partnership—different responsibilities with one purpose.The marriage union, from the beginning of Genesis, teaches this concept. God instructed Adam and Eve to be "one flesh". . . a picture of harmony. . . to keep an order in the Garden of Eden together. They were also treated as "one" when the consequence of sin was pronounced.
The body of Christ is a beautiful visual for a group of believers instructed to live and minister under the umbrella of Christ in unity. We are taught all the parts of the church body—the individual gifts and abilities—are equally important and necessary to labor together for the glory of God. Scripture also gives examples of husbands and wives, like Aquilla and Priscilla in the New Testament, that model how a couple can experience ministering together. Their names are always mentioned together . . . Priscilla and Aquilla were "one."
And there is the model of the twelve Apostles. What a challenging picture of dynamic partnership: disciples traveling together, eating together, praying together, ministering together . . . in obedience to their instructor. He sent them two by two, not alone.
In the Second Half Forums, 16 areas are identified that can help marriages now, as well as prepare couples for the second half of life and ministry. Partnering is one of those 16 areas that is essential in a couple maximizing their lives and contribution. Partnering is not necessarily a new concept. However, most people have not applied it to their marriages because of lack of time, lack of priority or emphasis, lack of instruction in what partnering looks like, and/or lack of resources to equip them. Second Half Ministries exists and prays for opportunities to help people take a deliberate approach to refocusing their future so that their marriages and partnerships are enhanced and more meaningful.
Used by permission from the Second Half Ministries newsletter, "Finishing Well . . . Together," Volume 1, Issue 2.
Don and Elaine Lanier have partnered together for many years in a variety of roles within The Navigators ministry. They currently live in Colorado Springs, where they help provide leadership for The Navigators' People Resources Team as well as Second Half Ministries.