In this "companion" relationship it is helpful for each congregation and conference to be clear on their own goals and then to consider and form a covenant and guidelines together with their companion parish and circuit.
Covenant, Goals, and Guidelines
The downloadable file below is the Covenant, Goals and Guidelines developed with the Madikwe Circuit for their 2012 visit to the Wisconsin River Valley Conference.
| covenant_goals_and_guidelines_for_visit.doc |
2013 Guidelines
The following are the Guidelines for Developing a Relationship among the Madikwe Circuit and the Wisconsin River Valley Conference (from the WRVC point of view). March, 2013
Overview
As we continue to develop our relationship together with our companion circuit, the leadership of the conference has sensed a need to establish guidelines in our relationship.
In a resource on the ELCA website “accompaniment” is defined and described.
Accompaniment is Relationship - From mission to . . . to mission among (Stephen Nelson, Director for Global Service, visiting with Pastor E. Ngcobo and Mr E Makhoba at Untunjambili, South Africa)
Accompaniment describes the way God walks with us, and the way our church therefore walks and works among Christian communities in other countries. Together we participate in God’s reconciling mission.
The ELCA Global Mission unit defines accompaniment as walking together in solidarity that practices interdependence and mutuality. In this walk, gifts, resources and experiences are shared with mutual advice and admonition to deepen and expand our work within God’s mission.
Accompaniment is both a lens for seeing the world and a way to engage one another in global Transformation mission. When a good relationship is nurtured first, companion church bodies can more freely discuss priorities and make decisions. “When we know one another, we can move forward together,” said an African woman pastor during a recent ELCA Global Mission Formation Event.
Relationships between companions aren’t always easy. Relationships take attention and time: time to listen and get to know one another, time to share meals ... time to affirm one another, time to forgive, and time to speak difficult truths in love.[1]
In preparation for the 2013 ECSW Synod Trip to the Western Diocese of ELCSA, Pastor Brian Konkol emphasized “accompaniment”. Too often churches engage in “Christian tourism” in which we as the tourist are in charge or we do a “mission trip” with a specific project that we have suggested. Accompaniment happens when we are vulnerable, give up control, plan no project, and are open to the Holy Spirit. It is an experience of journeying together in mutuality, interdependence, and solidarity with the focus on forming relationships.
Having described this relationship, Pastor Brian Konkol emphasize a three fold way to engage our relationship with one another. Those three key ideas are reconciliation, transformation and empowerment. Each of these can be explored in more detail.
Reconciliation
There will be times when we do or say things or assume such things that may cause discord and dissension in our relationship.
Transformation
“For North Americans, the newest part of accompaniment is receiving. Accompaniment challenges us to move beyond the donor/recipient model into an equal exchange of receiving and giving. Receiving a gift from one of our own is easy. Receiving a gift from someone not like us, that may change us, is harder. In the two-way street of global mission, we seek to be open to letting those who are different from us teach and transform us, even when what our companion churches have to say is difficult to hear.”[2]
b. to read and hear about one another in various news media.
c. to learn about one another’s cultures and lifestyle.
d. to explore and learn from one another’s style of worship, education and evangelism.
e. to seek to better understand each other together as children of God.
2. The circuit and conference as well as parish and congregational leadership will need to facilitate this shared understanding of each other.
3. Shared visits in our circuit to conference and parish to congregation are essential in developing and transforming our relationship with one another.
a. In addition to the covenant relationship that has been signed by the leadership of circuit and conference, both the congregation and parish need to establish boundaries in our relationship.
b. These boundaries include extending a letter of invitation stating the number of people that the congregation or parish is able to host at a time appropriate for the travel and orientation steps to be completed.
Empowerment
Empowerment happens when all of the people involved respect the assets and abilities of all people and cultures involved in the relationships. Each group or individual may observe “needs” that are present in another group or individual, but we begin with our strengths.
b. It must be understood that individuals or groups representing the Wisconsin River Valley Conference or the Madikwe Circuit can not speak for their conference or circuit on financial matters. A decision on all financial projects will need to be done by the conference or circuit in a shared meeting.
c. An example of this may be the shared relationship of North Central Technical School in Wausau, Wisconsin, USA with the Community College in Lehurutshe, Northwest Province, South Africa. No funds will be available to assist students either from the USA to attend the Community College or students from South Africa to attend North Central Technical School. Individual congregations will be invited to assist in hosting students for part of the time devoted to the student study abroad experience.
d. If a project has been determined it is important to inform the Conference and Circuit as to what was chosen so as a conference and circuit we can remember the project in our prayers - praying God would bless the project and the people God chooses to bless through it.
e Any money involved in any project is to follow the Money Transfer Policy as understood between the ECSW and the Western Diocese.
The goal of each of these themes is sustainability in our relationships. Again from the ELCA website resource we hear this wisdom: “Sustainability also takes lots of time. It means working together to understand the context, recognize local assets, utilize outside resources to fill gaps, and build capacity for the long term. And that’s ELCA Global Mission’s priority: to increase the capacity of both the ELCA and its companions in other countries to participate in God’s reconciling mission through proclamation and service.”[3]
It would be well for us to remember the basis of the words of welcome that we share in our baptism service with the newly baptized. The words would need to be adapted, perhaps in this way: Together we are the body of Christ and called to the same mission: together let us join in giving thanks and praise to God and bearing God’s creative and redeeming word to all the world.”[4]
[1] “Accompaniment is Relationship,” Evangelical Lutheran Church in America website, page 1
[2] “Accompaniment is Relationship,” Evangelical Lutheran Church in America website, page 3
[3] “Accompaniment is Relationship,” Evangelical Lutheran Church in America website, page 2
[4] Adapted from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Service of Holy Baptism, page 231.
Overview
As we continue to develop our relationship together with our companion circuit, the leadership of the conference has sensed a need to establish guidelines in our relationship.
In a resource on the ELCA website “accompaniment” is defined and described.
Accompaniment is Relationship - From mission to . . . to mission among (Stephen Nelson, Director for Global Service, visiting with Pastor E. Ngcobo and Mr E Makhoba at Untunjambili, South Africa)
Accompaniment describes the way God walks with us, and the way our church therefore walks and works among Christian communities in other countries. Together we participate in God’s reconciling mission.
The ELCA Global Mission unit defines accompaniment as walking together in solidarity that practices interdependence and mutuality. In this walk, gifts, resources and experiences are shared with mutual advice and admonition to deepen and expand our work within God’s mission.
Accompaniment is both a lens for seeing the world and a way to engage one another in global Transformation mission. When a good relationship is nurtured first, companion church bodies can more freely discuss priorities and make decisions. “When we know one another, we can move forward together,” said an African woman pastor during a recent ELCA Global Mission Formation Event.
Relationships between companions aren’t always easy. Relationships take attention and time: time to listen and get to know one another, time to share meals ... time to affirm one another, time to forgive, and time to speak difficult truths in love.[1]
In preparation for the 2013 ECSW Synod Trip to the Western Diocese of ELCSA, Pastor Brian Konkol emphasized “accompaniment”. Too often churches engage in “Christian tourism” in which we as the tourist are in charge or we do a “mission trip” with a specific project that we have suggested. Accompaniment happens when we are vulnerable, give up control, plan no project, and are open to the Holy Spirit. It is an experience of journeying together in mutuality, interdependence, and solidarity with the focus on forming relationships.
Having described this relationship, Pastor Brian Konkol emphasize a three fold way to engage our relationship with one another. Those three key ideas are reconciliation, transformation and empowerment. Each of these can be explored in more detail.
Reconciliation
There will be times when we do or say things or assume such things that may cause discord and dissension in our relationship.
- We need to respect one another’s autonomy and act with integrity in allowing the other to make decisions based upon the information given to them.
- At the same time we can, with appropriate words and tone of speech, challenge and encourage one another to consider other points of view so that both of our world views can be honored.
Transformation
“For North Americans, the newest part of accompaniment is receiving. Accompaniment challenges us to move beyond the donor/recipient model into an equal exchange of receiving and giving. Receiving a gift from one of our own is easy. Receiving a gift from someone not like us, that may change us, is harder. In the two-way street of global mission, we seek to be open to letting those who are different from us teach and transform us, even when what our companion churches have to say is difficult to hear.”[2]
- Transformation is the process of becoming renewed as we deepen our relationship with one another. For this transformation to take place, churches and members of churches in our conference and circuit will be invited:
b. to read and hear about one another in various news media.
c. to learn about one another’s cultures and lifestyle.
d. to explore and learn from one another’s style of worship, education and evangelism.
e. to seek to better understand each other together as children of God.
2. The circuit and conference as well as parish and congregational leadership will need to facilitate this shared understanding of each other.
3. Shared visits in our circuit to conference and parish to congregation are essential in developing and transforming our relationship with one another.
a. In addition to the covenant relationship that has been signed by the leadership of circuit and conference, both the congregation and parish need to establish boundaries in our relationship.
b. These boundaries include extending a letter of invitation stating the number of people that the congregation or parish is able to host at a time appropriate for the travel and orientation steps to be completed.
Empowerment
Empowerment happens when all of the people involved respect the assets and abilities of all people and cultures involved in the relationships. Each group or individual may observe “needs” that are present in another group or individual, but we begin with our strengths.
- A variety of ways, through shared exchanges, and other means need to be explored so that we can learn from and encourage one another.
- As needs are explored, some of those may include financial requests.
b. It must be understood that individuals or groups representing the Wisconsin River Valley Conference or the Madikwe Circuit can not speak for their conference or circuit on financial matters. A decision on all financial projects will need to be done by the conference or circuit in a shared meeting.
c. An example of this may be the shared relationship of North Central Technical School in Wausau, Wisconsin, USA with the Community College in Lehurutshe, Northwest Province, South Africa. No funds will be available to assist students either from the USA to attend the Community College or students from South Africa to attend North Central Technical School. Individual congregations will be invited to assist in hosting students for part of the time devoted to the student study abroad experience.
d. If a project has been determined it is important to inform the Conference and Circuit as to what was chosen so as a conference and circuit we can remember the project in our prayers - praying God would bless the project and the people God chooses to bless through it.
e Any money involved in any project is to follow the Money Transfer Policy as understood between the ECSW and the Western Diocese.
The goal of each of these themes is sustainability in our relationships. Again from the ELCA website resource we hear this wisdom: “Sustainability also takes lots of time. It means working together to understand the context, recognize local assets, utilize outside resources to fill gaps, and build capacity for the long term. And that’s ELCA Global Mission’s priority: to increase the capacity of both the ELCA and its companions in other countries to participate in God’s reconciling mission through proclamation and service.”[3]
It would be well for us to remember the basis of the words of welcome that we share in our baptism service with the newly baptized. The words would need to be adapted, perhaps in this way: Together we are the body of Christ and called to the same mission: together let us join in giving thanks and praise to God and bearing God’s creative and redeeming word to all the world.”[4]
[1] “Accompaniment is Relationship,” Evangelical Lutheran Church in America website, page 1
[2] “Accompaniment is Relationship,” Evangelical Lutheran Church in America website, page 3
[3] “Accompaniment is Relationship,” Evangelical Lutheran Church in America website, page 2
[4] Adapted from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Service of Holy Baptism, page 231.