Christ-Centered, Spirit-Empowered, and Mission-Focused discipleship in the local church is the rocket fuel that propels us forward, causing us to take the gospel into places and among people where few or none have heard of Jesus – both locally and internationally. The local church is also the source where our team members come from, where the prayers arise for His power to break through in new places, and where finances are given sacrificially to the the Global Advance Fund in order for the work to be done.
Seamless Link is the nickname used in the C&MA in Canada for the past number of years to describe the important connection between our local churches and the global ministry of our International Workers. One of the tools we use to strengthen this bond is the Seamless Link Covenant. It has become an increasingly helpful way for our churches to personalize missions involvement, helping answer questions of why, who, and where the global work is being done, and how we are involved together.
We are encouraging every church to consider having one or more Seamless Link Covenants with our International Workers as a way of keeping the bonds between them strong. Seamless Link Advisors serve in our districts with the primary task of resourcing pastors, elders, missions team leaders, and congregations with missions education, encouragement, and partnership opportunities.
While the goal is breathtakingly audacious, there are so many who can attest that there is a unique joy to be experienced by all involved when the Great Commission is a co-owned privilege and responsibility. The relationships our C&MA International Workers form with their congregations back home are integral to the way they serve and love the people every day in their adopted countries. When churches in Canada and International Workers share a vision for a ministry, it becomes a gift that affects the congregation’s own faith and understanding of God’s purposes for them in the world.
A Seamless Link is sharing the vision and sharing the work of our mission. There are two ways of doing this:
1. Share the Vision
Have a local church share the vision of International Workers! A Seamless Link partnership revolves around our C&MA missions dream to make the name of Jesus known so that disciples and locally-led church movements emerge among least-reached peoples.
Each International Worker and church articulates this in their own way through a brief but clear description of what they are working towards. This is an audacious vision that depends entirely on the grace and power of God!
2. Share the Work
We do this work together! Any relationship of significance calls forth a commitment. Four areas of engagement to consider are: praying, communicating, funding, and possibly visiting.
- Praying: What’s our plan to keep praying for the vision to come to pass?
- Funding: What’s our plan to give to the Global Advance Fund, the primary way our International Workers are supported financially? (Are there other specific funds related to their work we’d like to contribute to?) For more information on financial background check out our Seamless Link information sheet.
- Communicating: How will we stay in touch? (Through this, the value of the whole relationship and shared vision is demonstrated and experienced by both church and International Worker).
- Visiting/Participating: Is there a way a visit (short or medium term) to the field of the International Worker could contribute to the shared vision?
Once those four basic areas are filled in with some specific local ideas, the Seamless Link Covenant (or partnership agreement) is signed and celebrated at a commissioning service with the International Worker present. This is also a living document that can be adjusted with the consent of those involved, and is usually set up for the length of one term of service (2-4 years) until the next home assignment.
