College Hill Presbyterian Church: A New Partnership

Some have said that, when cooking a new recipe, every successful recipe starts with good ingredients. This is true in the kitchen when cooking up something delicious and I believe it has also proven to be true through this new venture of expanding The Marriage School (TMS) to College Hill Presbyterian Church (CHPC). Here is a selection of key ingredients that we have experienced during this process.

1. Prayer: You cannot rush a good thing. For over 18 months we prayed and discussed whether this partnership was right for CHPC. It takes time to discern the heart of God and the willingness of the church to support a new ministry. We believe marriages are worth the time and effort it takes to determine the right fit, the right time, and the right direction for the church/community.

2. Alignment with vision: The CHPC and TMS leadership teams have taken time to determine if the partnership aligns with our vision. For CHPC, we explored if this partnership would meet the needs of our covenant partners and the surrounding community. This also included aligning financial resources to support the vision.

3. Collaboration: Our hope is that this partnership serves the broader community. Success depends on support coming from inside and outside of the church. We are actively seeking support from our members, other churches, and the area ministerial alliances. This is a Kingdom of God effort. 

4. Communication: Three communication strategies have been used so far: 1)  key email communication to potential volunteers in our church, 2) hosting training/informational sessions, 3) visiting other churches to make announcements about the partnership.

5. Faith: You cannot rush the process. This is a new recipe, and we are not sure how it will turn out. We are not sure how God will move but we believe marriages have a special place in His heart and God will provide what we need as we step out in faith.

These are the key ingredients that have gone into this new recipe. We have mixed the ingredients and now we are waiting to see what comes out of the oven. We are prayerful and anticipate seeing God meet the needs of this partnership. We are truly walking by faith and not by sight. 

We encourage others to start the journey as well.

Written by Michael Gaines.