"ZIM-team Alliance"

This is to alert you to something specific we'd like to ask you to pray with us about.

We have spoken in this Blog of the issue of collaboration.

Networking and the coordination of shared resources is an intentional component of our strategy both within Zimbabwe and in the Southern African region. We are also intentional about the involvement of other key global participants.

As momentum for the initiative increases in Zimbabwe, there is building momentum in North America as a small group of local congregations of Christ followers prayerfully consider the role they might have as part of this alliance.

An Alliance, by definition, is a collaborative relationship among churches, groups, and individuals who commit to resource the realization of a shared vision.

This is going to be much more than the kind of partnership where churches provide the money and the mission does the rest. The thing that excites us about the alliance concept is the fact that participants will share in every aspect of the ministry, from visioning and strategy formulation to hands-on engagement as time and finances allow.

We're wanting to tap into expertise represented by participating alliance members when it comes to practical issues like farming practices, clean water, child and women welfare and any number of other spiritual, social and/or medical issues that have to do with the crisis. Most of all, the main goal is a spiritual one, and will need discerning spiritual leadership on a number of levels ... including prayer and counsel with hurting Zimbabweans.

Global church-to-church cooperation with the Zimbabwean Church is what it's all about.

Please pray for already interested parties as they track through the discernment process.

Want to be a part? You are invited to prayerfully consider that possibility!

Our team will be engaging in intentional conversation in the new year with groups and individuals who have shown interest in participating in the Zimbabwe HIV/AIDS Alliance. Participation in the discussion will not commit anyone to actual involvement, but it will benefit interested parties by providing them with the kind of information necessary to contribute to a prayerful discernment process.

Please write to budwestcoast@shaw.ca if you'd like to know more.