Preparing for your gathering
A Partnership Gathering is a great way to gather a community around the vision of starting something new. Together, your community will work through a few activities to help you encounter God, identify the gifts that you bring together, and begin to explore your networks. Start by practicing the value of hospitality as a community. Enjoy some food together (if possible) and take some time to get to know each other better.
Watch how God used a partnership gathering to catalyze a new student movement in Guam that's been communal from the start:
What stands out to you or inspires you from this story?
During the gathering
At the bottom of this page, you'll find the Partnership Gathering Worksheet to print out and share with everyone during the gathering. Make sure to bring a copy for everyone!
Encounter Jesus and vision together
Every movement starts with an encounter with God. As your community of partners gathers together, pray and ask God to help you see the campus through his eyes. Then talk through the following questions.
- How do you see beauty on this campus? Where do you see God at work? How could revival on this campus impact the city/region/world?
- How do you see brokenness on this campus? How have people on this campus been overlooked or marginalized? What idols do you see?
- What do you long to see God do here? What scriptures or words from God come to mind that represent what God might want to do here?
Offer your gifts to God
It takes a whole community praying and working together to start something new. God has given you beautiful dreams of what revival could look like on campus and He's given each of you gifts that you can use as part of this community. Your gifts are necessary for the work that God wants to do. What are some of the gifts that God has given you? What are the gifts that God has affirmed in you through other people? Look through the following list and discuss the questions below:
Administration Compassion/Mercy Event planning Food Relationally connected Gathering people together Hospitality Inclusion Risk taking
Asking good questions Meeting new people Creativity Exhortation Good listening Spiritual conversations Mentoring/discipleship Persistence Prayer
Boldness Discernment Encouragement Initiative Faith Proclamation Storytelling Teaching Training
- What do you bring from the list above?
- Look around at this group of potential partners. What gifts to you see in each other? Affirm those in one another.
- How might God you use your gifts to help start something new on campus?
Explore Your Networks for Campus Connections
As a community you have a bigger network than you probably realize. Work together to list out all the names of anyone you know from the campus where you’re starting something new. Don't forget friends from high school, church connections, transfer students, faculty, etc.
- Who do you know who is already following Jesus and could potentially partner with you in ministry?
- Who do you know who is curious about God and might be interested in exploring faith with this community?
- Do you know anyone from other campuses who might be interested in starting a movement there too?
Pray and Plan your next steps together
1. If you have a Start Something New coach then invite everyone to your next coaching call. You and your partners will be trained in the tools you’ll use to engage the campus on your first campus visit. Make sure everyone has the time and the link to the video conference call. 2. Set a day and time to get together and practice! This should be after your next coaching appointment.
Take some time to pray for the campus/campuses where you’re starting something new. Ask God to give you all a heart of love for that place! Ask God to lead you to the people of peace he’s already prepared in advance. Ask God to usher in revival!
Partnership Gathering Worksheet
Here’s a two page worksheet you and your partnership will work through together at your partnership gathering.Download Partnership Gathering Worksheet
You can start something new. We can help.