FIVE WAYS TO PARTNER WITH YOUR DISTRICT

One of the great privileges of my ministry has been the ability to belong to, find fellowship in, and contribute to the ongoing ministry of the Assemblies of God (AG) in the USA. While no organization or denomination is perfect, I have found this fellowship to be of great benefit to my life and to the world.

From the Global Missions focus, to the AG university system, to doctrinal and cultural stability—the AG leads the way in solidity and strength, in my opinion; I would not choose to be a part of anything else.

There is, however, a challenge and opportunity that every AG church faces: How do we effectively and properly connect into the larger fellowship? How do we serve our District? How do we give back to the whole? Where do we find support and strength in the larger movement of the denomination that God has placed us in?

I have pastored a growing church in the AG for over thirty years. I will observe that often larger churches in our movement struggle to find their niche in the larger whole. Why? Well, there are probably a lot of reasons for this, but rather than focus on the potential challenges, I thought I would take a moment to outline five ways that a church can connect and contribute:

PROGRAMMATICALLY

The most obvious way to connect with an AG District is to be an active participant in the programs that the network offices provide and promote: Youth Camps and Conventions, Pastor’s Retreats and Trainings, Women’s and Men’s Conferences, Kids Camps, and programs that support children’s ministries.

Personally, I benefited powerfully from a District Youth Camp program. It was there that I gave my life to Jesus. It was there that I felt affirmed in my decision to follow Him by the friendships and support of other young people who were also following Christ. I was raised as a Royal Ranger, benefited from Bible Quiz, and found great enjoyment in the annual Youth Convention.

Churches all over the region are served so well by these District programs. It’s one of the greatest benefits of belonging to a movement like the Assemblies of God. District leaders on all levels pour themselves into providing these needed programs, camps, and ministries.

The fact of the matter is that all these efforts to benefit the local church are incredible. And yet, not all programs and plans equally serve every local church. Some churches, both large and small, feel called to a different approach in certain areas of ministry.

Sometimes, a larger church has its own plan for a Youth Camp or Women’s Conference simply because the number of people involved in that church’s programs is significant. Because of that, there is a unique benefit both in terms of cost and momentum to hosting events, camps, and conferences as a local expression of that church and its ministries.

Beyond that, some churches struggle to participate in certain events because they are located long distances from the district offices and camps. Certainly, churches located 30 minutes from the campgrounds have an advantage over those located at the other end of their state, some with over nine hours of driving to the events.

Added to this complication is the fact that the calendar is so packed full of activities, conferences, and events that it is a true challenge to attend everything offered at the District level. Now, none of that is an excuse to opt out of everything. There should be many ways that any church can connect with and benefit from what their District offers, but to define participation only by programmatic faithfulness is too narrow a paradigm. Participation is one way a church contributes to the whole, but it is not the only way. It may not even be the most valuable way.

GOVERNMENTALLY

A second way to serve and connect is to be willing to function in an officially elected office as a Presbyter (who oversees a local Section), or as a Treasurer, Secretary, or Missions Coordinator of a local area. Serving as a support to the structure of governance is a key way to make a difference in the larger movement.

There are often voluntary roles through which to serve as well—by volunteering as a youth or kids camp counselor, a member of a committee serving in a District Department like Women’s Ministry, or in some specifically focused initiative.

I have served on the national Lead Team for the Church Multiplication Network to help mobilize church planting across the country. It doesn’t show up in my local Section or District as prominently, but it is still a part of contributing to the benefit of the overall governance structure.

MISSIOLOGICALLY

The third pathway to contribution and connection with the local District has to do with intentionally advancing one of the key missions of the District: reaching people who need Jesus and planting more churches. This has been my primary contribution over the years. While APC has been more sporadic in our programmatic participation, we have been one of the most consistent contributors to the planting of new churches.

The largest population centers in our District are Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. We have sent out, coached, financially supported, and encouraged many new works in both of these regions.

We have also led the way in raising up new ministers out of our ministry school. This has been, I believe, our sweet spot in the movement—to contribute aggressively to the advancement of the overall mission that we share together.

Districts can aid a large church's efforts to multiply into multi-site because they are often aware of dying congregations or empty properties that could be revitalized or relaunched. Districts can also connect large church pastors with potential pastors of language and/or cultural congregations that could help multiply their churches and reach new territory with the gospel.

RELATIONALLY

Often a less visible way to engage is by building relationships with other pastors. So many pastors feel isolated and discouraged. Many find their pace of connection within the schedule of events and opportunities offered at the District or Sectional level. But some fall through the cracks.

One of my goals in life is to be a “Barnabas” to other pastors. I make it a regular part of my schedule to reach out to other pastors by text, phone call, or an invitation to coffee. These kinds of efforts are not a substitute for programs and events; honestly, they are really just the way we should be doing life with one another.

It is also beneficial to be connected relationally into relationships with regional leadership because District and Sectional leaders and their staff often have a perspective of a potential hire’s life, skills and character, which help so much in the vetting of new staff.

FINANCIALLY

The final way of participation is through tangible contributions to the vision of the District: supporting missionaries sent from our District, giving the minister’s tithe and the annual church contribution, and investing in the projects that the District casts vision to support. All of these are essential to being an effective team player.

But there is a lot to be gained by thinking holistically about all the ways that a local church can contribute. It’s more than programs. It’s more than events. It’s more than money. It’s more than missiological advancement. It’s all of the above in an intentional, year-by-year attempt to make the movement all that God desires it to be.