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Resources

Learning Modules

 

Required Reading

When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor... and Ourselves, Fikkert & Corbett (2009)

Global Partnership Resources - Going Deeper

Below are documents and tools we feel can help your church or group as you consider a long term partnership with a church, group or partner with whom World Missions, CRWRC, Back To God Ministries, or Partners Worldwide works. Some are rough and some are provocative. Feedback and comments welcome! Please send them to Crystle Numan.

About Learning Modules (download: PDF)

This is a list of available learning modules which are intended to assist a group / church to nurture learning, preparation, and commitment for global partnership. They are in an adult education format and each would be about 1 to 1½ hours in length. The suggested order is not rigid; not all modules may be deemed necessary as each group / church context is different: (interagency / CRWRC initiated)

More details about each learning module, and downloads for each are available on our learning modules page.

Resources List (download: PDF)

Resources are anything without which the common goal cannot be achieved. Think of an airplane flight from Tokyo to Singapore: the one who supplies fuel for most of the trip is no more important than the one who supplies the remainder. Both are equally valuable because both are needed in order for the goal to be reached. Resources are valued not in terms of their comparative material size or money value, but in terms of their absolute necessity in order to achieve the common goal. (compilation from various sources)

Getting Beyond Money Problems in Missions Partnerships (download: PDF)

"My assignment is to present critical issues and practical ideas on how to share financial resources in the work of the Gospel. This is not a paper on broad principles of partnership. For that I refer you to my book, Building Strategic Relationships. The purpose here is to focus specifically on the giving and receiving of money in missions partnerships." (Daniel Rickett, Partners International)

To Catch the Wind: A New Metaphor for Cross-Cultural Mission Partnerships (download: PDF)

"This approach to ministry assumes that the principles of the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution are transferable to the affairs of God’s Kingdom around the world. But could it be that much of this high-control paradigm is not transferable? That cross-cultural partnership with the Majority World church requires a different way of thinking?" (Catalyst Services, 2008)

The Essential Facilitator Bridge (download: PDF)

Why do partnerships need a facilitator? When asked that question, one seasoned church missions leader said, “That’s simple—because partnerships don’t work without them!” (Catalyst Services)

The Ethics of Aid: One Kenyan's Perspective (download: PDF)

"We explore a challenging view of the morality and efficacy of Western approaches to Africa's problems. There is little uncontested evidence that hundreds of billions of dollars of aid over the past 50 years have made a significant long-term difference to the health and prosperity of people on the African continent." (Binyavanga Wainaina) Editor's note: We recommend this article as a good presentation of one side of a complicated discussion regarding the value of international humanitarian aid.  We recognize there are differing opinions on this matter.  By recommending this article we do not mean to be entirely endorsing this perspective nor dismissing the value of differing positions.

Material Definition of Poverty

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Messiah Complex of the "Rich"

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Feelings of Inferiority of the Poor

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Harm to Both

- Stephen Bauman, World Relief

Toward Authentic North South Partnerships (download: PDF)

“Authentic partnership is characterized by ‘mutually enabling, inter-dependent interaction with shared intentions,” which implies, “inter alia, a joint commitment to long-term interaction, shared responsibility for achievement, reciprocal obligation, equality, mutuality and balance of power.’” (Summary of a research paper by Roland Hoksbergen, 2002)

Partnerships & Collaboration Best Practices Website (link to: Power of Connecting website)

A website loaded with info about partnerships, collaboration and best practices. There is also an articles section with dozens of short articles on aspects of partnership, success stories, etc. This site might take a while to gleam through to see how much is of value and what we've already discovered.

Organizational Assessment (download: DOC or PDF)

Tool to assess the capacity and capability of an organization to accomplish its intentions. In addition, it should point out specific opportunities for mentoring or training. (Partners Worldwide)

 

Online Cross Cultural Information

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