Partnering Together for Gospel Impact: Partnership Opportunities in Sola 5

God delights in every act of obedience that contributes to his mission of proclaiming the gospel to the ends of the earth—no matter how visible or hidden, how great or small it may seem.

Every person has a part to play. Jesus said, “Those who receive a prophet in the name of a prophet receive a prophet’s reward” (Matthew 10:41). In other words, those who support the ministry of a prophet share in the prophet’s reward. God is sovereign and calls us to serve in different ways, but when we obey, we receive the same reward.

Think of a banquet. Everyone enjoys the fellowship at the table while partaking of the wonderful meal. But those who prepared the meal shared another level of fellowship: the fellowship of labouring together. In the same way as we serve God’s mission, each of us doing our part in different ways, we share in fellowship as we advance the gospel together.

In Philippians 1:3, Paul is thankful for the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

There are at least four pathways of missionary partnership.

Their support was sweeter because he knew the “affliction and deep poverty” they were facing due to their Christian faith and witness in a culture opposed to Christ. Yet these Christians insisted on being allowed to participate in giving. Here, he commends them for their contribution to gospel work, despite the needs they had. The promise was, “My God will supply all your needs” (4:19). Their generosity showed that gospel giving is not about affluence, but about faith and obedience.

The work of gospel proclamation is one of direct spiritual warfare. Ambassadors of gospel truth are attacking the gates of hell, and hell resists. This is why Paul pleaded for prayer. He wrote, “A great and effective door for the gospel had been opened to me, but there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9). We partner with our missionaries on the front lines when we labour with them in prayer, engaging in spiritual conflict on our knees.

We can also partner with our missionaries in practical ways, such as hospitality, logistics, technical help, and labouring alongside them in ministry. As deep relationships with the missionary are developed, opportunities for serving and working together will become clear. Just as some enjoy the fellowship meal while others enjoy the fellowship of preparing it, so too we share the greater reward of labouring together in the trenches of ministry! “The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward” (Matthew 10:41).

Missionaries need intentional friendships and emotional support. Partner in the mission by developing personal, intentional relationships with gospel workers, reminding them that they are not alone (see Acts 4:36; 9:27).

In our culture, visible roles are often valued more than hidden ones. Yet in God’s kingdom, obedience is the measure—not visibility. All partnerships are equally valuable before the Lord. God does not hold one path of partnership as more valuable than the other; all are necessary, and everyone is to be engaged in as many as the Lord allows. This equal value may be counter to the cultural perception that only ministry roles matter, or that those on the front lines are somehow more important or valuable to the mission.

The key is that every Christian be fully engaged in the means that God has enabled and gifted him or her. If God has called you to go, then you should not choose to be a “prayer warrior” instead, or justify your disobedience by convincing yourself that you will give large sums of money to missions. But God is not asking everyone to go as a missionary; instead, he expects us all to be part of the sending. Obedient “senders” are as valuable to God as obedient “goers.”

Paul reminded the Corinthians that the goal of ministry is the glory of God as worshippers gather to praise his name. The means by which God gathers worshippers is that one person plants a gospel seed, another comes along and waters that seed, but it is God who gives the increase! We should be so overcome with the beauty of Christ and the glory of his salvation poured out upon the undeserving that we forget about ourselves and the part we played, and glory in the one who died, rose, and lives to redeem sinners.

In our culture, visible roles are often valued more than hidden ones. Yet in God’s kingdom, obedience—not visibility—is the measure.

One purpose of Sola 5 is to encourage churches to partner together for church planting and church revitalisation. To this end, the Sola 5 website contains partnership opportunities for prayer, personnel, and financial support.

Few churches can fully support a sent missionary alone. God’s design for gospel partnership is clear: churches working together to advance the gospel. Though individual congregations may lack the capacity to fully support church planting efforts, our collective partnership unleashes gospel impact that glorifies Christ.

Together, God enables us to accomplish more than we could alone. As we raise leaders in our local churches, preparing to send, we are also seeking out other churches with whom we can partner in that sending! The work of church planting and strengthening is not a solo sport! We are interdependent, serving together to advance the gospel.

Sola 5 facilitates this kind of interdependence. The mission of God is too great for any one church, or any one person, to carry alone. But together—each doing our part—we become partners in the advance of the gospel in Africa to the glory of Christ. May every Sola 5 church ask: How will we share in a church-planting partnership?