”Collaboration” Bookshelf: An Annotated Bibliography

”Collaboration” Bookshelf: An Annotated Bibliography

(FASTEN, 2007)

Resource Type: brief annotated bibliography

Audience: Church and ministry leaders new to the field of church-based transformational community ministry who wish to sample a few helpful books on the topic of collaboration

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·  Body Matters:  A Guide to Partnership in Christian Mission, Ernie Addicott (InterDev, 2005)

This book is an introduction and guide to the world of partnerships between Christian organizations, especially for the sake of Christian mission work.  Addicott fits all his explanations, definitions and examples into the Biblical metaphor of the body of Christ.  He begins with why partnership is important, explaining through the body metaphor how it fits in well with how we are designed.  Overall, the book is accessible and provides a nice balance of practical advice, Biblical foundations and illustrative examples. 

·  Building Your Own Model for Cooperative Ministry by Carl Geores (PCUSA, 1991)

This 40-page booklet is written for congregations that are in decline, but wish to band together with other congregations and community organizations to serve the community.  It is specifically written to rural congregations.  Geores addresses how congregations can go from declining membership to engaging the community using a cooperative ministry model.  Although Geores uses the Maine-based model, Mission at the Eastward (MATE), as a guide, he emphasized the need for each community to adapt existing models to fit the needs and resources in their own community. 

·  Well-Connected:  Releasing Power, Restoring Hope Through Kingdom Partnerships, Phill Butler (Authentic, 2006)

Phill Butler tackles the huge and complex topic of forming Biblical partnerships to serve the kingdom of God in this book.  He competently combines Scriptural principles with practical ideas and counsel, liberally sprinkling the text with Biblical examples and passages and with stories from his own and other’s experience in partnerships.  Butler explains he wrote the book for laypeople who want to see the Gospel do more in their communities, church or agency staff who’s vision is ahead of their practical ability or resources, church or agency staff who is held back by ego, pride, fear or desire for control, and those who will be taking on leadership positions in the future.