Church Collaboration

 How Churches Can Work Together for Mission

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Collaboration:  New resources for churches in tough economic times

No one knows how churches will emerge from the COVID-19 crisis. We’ve never had a time when in-person worship is shut down for weeks or even months. Thankfully, early reports show remarkable resilience to social distancing. A Faith Communities Today study of  UMC churches in late-April found that 48% report increased  attendance with online worship, but at the same time 51% report that giving is down. As social distancing continues the pressure on congregations is likely to increase. For some churches new approaches may be critical for the long-term survival. Collaboration with other churches can free up  financial and people resources for mission even when the participating churches face stress, and collaboration can be a way for stronger churches to revive struggling congregations.

 This site started in 2009 to share research conducted by ChurchFuture for a cluster of churches that asked ChurchFuture for help in exploring their options. We discovered about a dozen ways that churches work together, but that information is scattered and difficult to pull together. We also discovered almost no ojective data about the outcome of various forms of collaboration. We were happily surprised, however, at the creativity we found in congregations throughout the United States.Dave Raymond

 The site is  based on the experience of Dave Raymond as a coach and consultant to over 100 congregations and 20 significant collabortions. The site is designed to help you determine if collaboration is something that your congregation should consider and then to help you identify the form of collaboration that will work best in your setting.  Check out www.churchfuture.com for more information about how ChurchFuture can help in your situation.

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