One log does not burn very well, but several logs make a blazing fire. That’s how it is with Scripture engagement projects as well or with any project for that matter. Often we need partners inside and outside the community to help facilitate Bible translation and Scripture engagement projects in order to bring them to completion and produce positive results. Different partners bring different gifts and experiences to a project. At the very beginning of a project, it is important to listen to the many different voices in the community in order to develop a good understanding of what the local needs are.
This May Be a Good Tool For Your Community If:
If your community is diverse, or even divided, it is critical to work together to make things happen in the area of Scripture development or engagement. If there is an expressed need for Scripture material, it will be very important to look for ways to bring people together, to listen to each other, and to seek to join hands around a project.
Website: VisionSynergy.net
How This Works
A good starting point is to talk to leaders of churches and Christian organizations in your community. Seek to convene a meeting that is open to a diversity of leaders who represent the different churches and denominations in the area. Other meetings should include a variety of community leaders such as the local school teachers, local government officials, and local lay leaders.
Finer Details
What challenges or difficulties are there using this resource?
Developing and maintaining a good partnership going is not easy. Partnerships may start well but they can easily fall apart. In spite of the challenges, developing and maintaining these partnerships is vitally important to the success of a project. Research into what makes a successful Scripture engagement project shows that without effective partnerships, projects often fail.
How To Get Started
Sometimes it is helpful to have an outside person or organization help facilitate a meeting. Maybe they can provide expertise and be a neutral voice. One organization which specializes in partnership development is visionSynergy. Here is the link to their website.
visionSynergy also has many tools and articles that may be of help.