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1. Always let the school set the agenda. The wonderful thing about working with a school is that the plan, strategy, and much of the administration of the partnership has already been taken care of. The biggest gift the church can bring to the partnership is: Love without Agenda. No plan is perfect, but as the supporting partner, your role is to take your direction from the school.
2. Be generous. As the partner, you will have numerous chances to find more ways to be generous to your school: ways to give, ways to serve, ways to encourage. Look to fulfill them as your church’s capacity allows. Don’t be surprised, though, if someone else takes the credit for the good deeds you do. Pastor Roy says, “Be Jesus generous in an anonymous type of way.”
3. Let your leader be the point person. In the first year of developing that partnership, when your church is setting up norms and habits, it is important that leadership comes from the top. If you, as the leader, believe in the mission, your people will follow. Once systems have solidified and your partnership grows, the top-leader will often share the leadership with others.
4. Get to know your community. Schools are uniquely geographically bound. They are a true meeting place and representative of the entire neighborhood, culturally, economically, and ideologically. Find community assessment tools to learn about the neighborhood dynamics. Informally, hang out near your school-partner at coffee shops, parks, and community events to hear the stories of what that community cares about.
5. Always, always, always pray for discernment. As you move forward in the partnership, remember: the church does not belong to us. The neighborhood doesn’t belong to us. The future does not belong to us. Pray for God’s leading every step along the way.
