How do you know if a church is ready for a significant global partnership or strategic initiative? (The terms will be used interchangeably in this article with the intention of including a broad range of proactive, hands-on efforts coupling the resources of Western churches, national churches, missionaries, and/or other organizations.)

Wouldn’t it be convenient if church leaders could answer 10 easy questions and quickly determine if they were ready for a global partnership and what type would fit their church? Agencies, missionaries, and national churches looking for partners would love to be able to check a church’s website and find a partnership-readiness rating.

It’s not that easy, but there are indicators. In recent interviews with dozens of church leaders, I have heard stories that highlighted and confirmed some shared characteristics of churches prepared to partner successfully. . .[Click below to continue]