As part of our training for Wycliffe Bible Translators, we have to learn about Partnership Development (PD in the Wycliffe vernacular). Here is a description of what PD is from The IT World of Wycliffe website.
Partnership Development (PD) is a ministry. It is a ministry of education and involvement to those people whom God has called to be missionary senders. This ministry begins when God calls a new single person or family into missionary service, and it continues until they withdraw from the work (change of ministry, illness, death, retirement, etc.). Throughout this ministry, God uses personal involvement with the missionary to bring Christians not already active in the Great Commission into His global purpose. Those involved gain the increasing satisfaction of seeing their contributions making an eternal impact.
This really changes the perspective of talking with people about Wycliffe. It is amazing to think that we are already starting our ministry. PD isn’t something just for this initial ramp-up time. It is an on-going process of communicating what God is doing through our involvement with Wycliffe. How can PD be furthering God’s kingdom?
In our PD efforts we remind the Church that the Bibleless people are still waiting. We model the fact that God uses ordinary people with ordinary skills. Our initial God-given assignment is to be a missionary TO the CHURCHES and BELIEVERS on behalf of the Bibleless. In God’s time, we will have our teams complete and will then become missionaries TO the BIBLELESS on behalf of the churches and believers!
Thank you LORD for Partnership Development. LORD, continue to shape in me the proper perspective of PD.
